NY Next Generation ELA 5R2
The Standard
Determine a theme or central idea and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize a text.
New York State Next Generation English Language Arts Learning Standards
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students determine a theme or central idea and explain how supporting details develop it. They summarize a text without inserting opinions or unnecessary details.
What Mastery Looks Like
- The student states a defensible theme or central idea and organizes strong supporting evidence. The summary preserves the text’s main progression in concise language.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may state a topic rather than a developed idea. They may retell every event, copy phrases, or include personal judgment.
How to Assess It
- Give a grade-level passage. Ask students to state its theme or central idea, explain two supporting details, and write a concise summary.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Rank detail cards by how strongly they support a proposed theme or central idea.
Ask students how the ending or final section sharpens the text’s main idea.
Play Summary Cut by removing sentences that are repetitive, minor, or opinion-based.
Summarize a news report for a class bulletin while preserving its central idea.
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Printable 5R2 Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 5R2, 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
- 7R2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; summarize a text.
- 3R2
Determine a theme or central idea and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize portions of a text.
- 6R2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is developed by key supporting details over the course of a text; summarize a text.
- 4R2
Determine a theme or central idea of text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize a text.
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