NY Next Generation ELA 1L5.b
The Standard
Define words by category and by one or more key attributes (e.g., a duck is a bird that swims; a tiger is a large cat with stripes).
New York State Next Generation English Language Arts Learning Standards
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students define familiar words by naming a category and one or more key attributes. They explain both what kind of thing it is and what features distinguish it.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can define an object without relying only on its name or a vague use. The definition includes an accurate category and at least one important attribute.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may give an example instead of a definition or name a feature that many unrelated objects share. They may list details without identifying the larger category.
How to Assess It
- Show pictures of a duck, tiger, and spoon. Ask the student to define each by category and one key attribute.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Build definitions with category and attribute cards, then match each completed definition to an object.
Ask, ‘What kind of thing is a bicycle, and which features make it a bicycle?’
Play Guess My Word using category and attribute clues instead of saying the object's name.
Create useful labels for classroom materials that name each category and a distinguishing feature.
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Printable 1L5.b Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 1L5.b, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.
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Related Standards
- KL4.a
Identify new meanings for familiar words and apply them accurately (e.g., knowing duck is a bird and learning the verb to duck).
- 4W2.d
Use transitional words and phrases to connect ideas within categories of information.
- 4W1.c
Use transitional words and phrases to connect ideas within categories of information.
- 1L5.a
Sort words into categories (e.g., colors, clothing) to gain a sense of the concepts the categories represent.
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