NY Next Generation ELA 4R3
The Standard
In literary texts, describe a character, setting, or event, drawing on specific details in the text. In informational texts, explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts, including what happened and why, based on specific evidence from the text.
New York State Next Generation English Language Arts Learning Standards
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- In stories, students describe characters, settings, or events with specific evidence. In informational text, they explain what happened and why across procedures, events, ideas, or concepts.
What Mastery Looks Like
- The student develops a focused literary description with accurate text details. For nonfiction, the student explains a process or causal relationship using relevant evidence.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may list traits or facts without citing evidence. They may confuse sequence with cause and claim that an earlier event automatically caused a later one.
How to Assess It
- Give a short literary or informational passage. Ask students to describe one literary element or explain what happened in one informational event or process and why, using two specific details.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Build an evidence chart linking character, setting, event, or concept claims to exact passage details.
Ask students which detail explains why an event happened rather than only when.
Play Claim and Detail Match with literary descriptions and informational explanations.
Explain a familiar classroom procedure and why each major step matters.
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Printable 4R3 Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 4R3, 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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