What does a student learn in StateMississippi,GradeGrade 7,SubjectEnglish Language Arts?

Students find specific lines or passages from a story or poem that back up their thinking, whether the text states something directly or they had to read between the lines to figure it out.

Students identify the central message of a story and trace how specific details build and sharpen that message from beginning to end. They also summarize the text in a way that reflects that analysis.

Characters, setting, and plot don't just coexist in a story. Students look at how each one shapes the others, like how a character's choices shift because of where and when the story takes place.

Students figure out what words mean in context, including when a word carries emotional weight or is used figuratively. Then they look at how a specific word choice shapes the feeling or mood of the whole passage.

Students study how a poem's or play's shape affects what it means. A sonnet's tight rhyme scheme or a character's solo speech onstage can shift the emotional weight of a scene in ways a plain paragraph never could.

Students look at how two or more characters in a story see the same events differently. They explain how the author uses those contrasting viewpoints to shape what readers understand about the story.

Students compare a book or poem to its movie, audio recording, or stage version, then explain how techniques like camera angles, lighting, or sound change the experience. The medium shapes the meaning.

This standard doesn't apply to literature. In English class, analyzing arguments and evaluating evidence is reserved for nonfiction and informational texts, not stories, poems, or plays.

Students read a novel and a history text about the same event or era, then look at where the story matches the historical record and where the author changed or invented details.

Students read novels, plays, and poems at a seventh-grade level by the end of the year. Some texts will be challenging, and teachers help students work through those.

Students back up their answers with specific quotes and details from the article or passage, not just their own opinion. They also use the text to support conclusions the author implies but never quite says out loud.

Students find the main point of a nonfiction text and trace how specific details build and sharpen that point from start to finish. Then they write a summary that captures how the whole thing hangs together.

Reading a nonfiction text, students trace how people, events, and ideas push and pull on each other. They explain, for example, how one person's decision changed an event, or how a new idea shifted what people did next.

Students figure out what words mean in context, including slang, loaded language, and subject-specific terms. They also look at why an author chose a particular word and how that choice shifts the mood or message of a passage.

Students look at how a nonfiction piece is built: how each section does its own job and how those sections fit together to carry the full argument or explanation forward.

Students figure out what an author believes and why the author wrote a piece. Then they look at how the author pushes back on other viewpoints or separates their own take from what others have said.

By the end of seventh grade, students can read grade-level nonfiction on their own, including articles, essays, and true stories, and understand what they mean without extra help.

Students write a paragraph or essay that takes a clear position and backs it up with evidence from a text or source. The focus is on giving real reasons, not just opinions.

Students open a persuasive piece by stating their position, then line up reasons and supporting details in an order that makes sense to a reader.

Students back up their argument with facts and quotes from trustworthy sources. The evidence has to connect clearly to the point they're making, not just sit next to it.

Students practice linking their argument together so each reason and piece of proof connect clearly back to the main claim. This means using transition words and phrases to show how one idea leads to the next.

Writing an argument means sounding more like an essay than a text message. Students keep their language formal throughout, avoiding slang and casual phrases.

Students write a closing paragraph that wraps up their argument, not just restates it. The conclusion connects back to the points they made and leaves the reader with a clear sense of where the writer stands.

Students write a focused explanation of a topic, choosing facts and details that actually matter, then organizing them so a reader can follow the thinking.

Students open an informational piece by stating the topic clearly, then organize what follows using groupings, comparisons, or cause-and-effect. They add headings, charts, or other visuals when those help a reader follow along.

Students back up their main idea with facts, real examples, and direct quotes from sources. The goal is to give readers enough detail to actually understand the topic, not just skim the surface.

Students choose transition words and phrases that show how ideas connect, such as signaling a contrast, a cause, or a summary. The goal is a reader who never has to guess why one idea follows another.

Students choose exact words and subject-specific terms to explain a topic clearly. Instead of saying "a lot," they write "73 percent." Instead of "stuff," they write the actual name of the thing.

Writing that follows formal rules means no slang, contractions, or casual phrasing. Students write the way a professional would, keeping that tone from the first sentence to the last.

The final paragraph wraps up the whole piece. Students write a conclusion that connects back to what they explained, not just a restatement of the first sentence.

Students write a story, real or made-up, with a clear beginning, middle, and end. They use specific details and description to make the events feel vivid and in order.

Students open a story by setting up where and when it happens, establishing who is telling it, and introducing key characters. From there, events follow in an order that makes sense.

Students write stories using dialogue, pacing, and description to make characters and events feel real. That means slowing down a tense moment, letting characters speak, or adding detail that puts the reader inside the scene.

Students practice moving readers smoothly through a story by choosing words and phrases like "later that evening" or "across town" to show when time has passed or the scene has changed.

Narrative writing calls for the right word, not just a close one. Students choose specific, sensory details that put a reader inside the scene, making the action feel real rather than just described.

Students write a closing paragraph that looks back on what happened in their story and leaves the reader with a sense of why it mattered. The ending grows out of the events instead of stopping abruptly.

Students write in a way that fits the job. A personal story sounds different from a persuasive essay, and both sound different from a school report. Students learn to match their words, structure, and tone to who they're writing for and why.

Students revise and improve their writing by planning ahead, getting feedback from peers or adults, and reworking drafts until the writing fits its purpose and reaches the right audience.

Students use word processors, websites, or online tools to write, publish, and share their work. That includes adding links to sources and collaborating with classmates or others online.

Students pick a question, gather information from several sources, and write up what they found. Along the way, they notice new questions worth digging into.

Students search print and digital sources, check whether each source is trustworthy, and then quote or paraphrase what they find without copying it word for word. They also cite every source they use.

Students pull quotes and details from books or articles to back up their thinking in writing assignments. The evidence has to connect clearly to the point they're making.

Students read a novel and a history book about the same event or era, then write about how the story matches or differs from what actually happened. The goal is to understand choices authors make when turning history into fiction.

Students read nonfiction and informational texts, then use those sources as evidence in their own writing. They check whether the arguments in those sources hold up before borrowing from them.

Students write often, both in short bursts and over longer projects, for different subjects, purposes, and readers. The goal is to make writing a regular habit, not just a test-day skill.

Students practice talking through ideas with classmates and teachers, in pairs or groups, by listening to what others say and building on it with their own thinking.

Students read or research the material before a discussion, then use specific details from that reading to ask sharper questions and push the conversation further.

Students keep a discussion on track by setting clear goals, watching the clock, and making sure everyone knows their role before the conversation starts.

During class discussions, students ask follow-up questions that push others to say more, then respond in ways that keep the conversation on track.

Students listen to what others say and update their own thinking when someone makes a point they hadn't considered. Changing your mind based on good reasons is part of the discussion.

Students watch, listen to, or read media like videos, charts, and speeches, then explain what the main idea is and how the details back it up.

Students listen to a speaker's argument and judge whether the reasoning holds up and the evidence actually supports the point being made.

Students practice delivering a spoken argument or report clearly, hitting the key points with supporting facts. That means looking at the audience, speaking loud enough to be heard, and saying words clearly enough to be understood.

Students add images, charts, or short video clips to a presentation to make their main points clearer. The visuals support what they're saying, not just decorate the slides.

Students adjust how they speak depending on the situation, using formal English for presentations and class discussions while speaking more casually in group work or conversation.

Students write and speak with correct grammar: complete sentences, proper verb tenses, and pronouns that match their nouns. This standard covers the grammar rules that make writing clear enough for any reader to follow.

Students identify phrases and clauses in a sentence and explain what job each one is doing. For example, they can tell you why a clause adds detail, shows cause, or changes the meaning of the sentence it belongs to.

Students practice picking the right sentence structure to show how ideas connect. A simple sentence stands alone; a compound or complex sentence shows cause, contrast, or sequence between two thoughts.

Students learn to spot and fix confusing word groups that end up in the wrong place in a sentence, like a modifier that says "running down the street, the bus was missed" when it should say the person missed the bus.

Students apply capitalization, punctuation, and spelling rules in their own writing. This means knowing when to capitalize a word, where a comma or apostrophe belongs, and how to spell correctly without relying on a checklist.

Two adjectives can describe the same noun independently, and when they do, students put a comma between them. If swapping the adjectives or adding "and" still sounds right, a comma belongs there.

Students are expected to spell words correctly in their writing, including commonly confused words and grade-level vocabulary. It sounds simple, but at this level the bar includes trickier words students encounter in reading and research.

Students choose words carefully and match their tone to the situation, whether they're writing a formal essay or speaking to a friend. The goal is language that fits the moment.

Students learn to cut unnecessary words from their sentences. The goal is to say exactly what they mean without repeating themselves or padding with filler phrases.

When students hit an unfamiliar word, they figure out what it means by using context clues, breaking it into parts, or checking a reference. They pick whichever strategy fits the word and the situation.

When students hit an unfamiliar word, they look at the surrounding sentences and how the word fits into the sentence to figure out what it means.

Students use familiar Greek and Latin word parts, like roots and prefixes, to figure out the meaning of an unfamiliar word. Seeing "belli" in a word, for example, tells them it has something to do with war or conflict.

Students look up unfamiliar words in a dictionary or thesaurus, print or online, to confirm spelling, pronunciation, or exactly what the word means and how it functions in a sentence.

Students make a guess about what an unfamiliar word means, then check that guess against the surrounding sentences or a dictionary to confirm they got it right.

Figurative language shows up everywhere from poems to news articles. Students learn to spot comparisons, idioms, and shades of meaning so they can read more closely and choose words more precisely when they write.

Students read a sentence or passage and figure out what a figure of speech means based on the words around it. That includes allusions, references to well-known stories, myths, or phrases borrowed from the Bible or classic literature.

Students practice figuring out the meaning of unfamiliar words by thinking about their connection to words they already know. A synonym or opposite can pin down exactly what a new word means.

Words can share the same basic meaning but carry very different feelings. Students learn to spot those differences, like seeing why "confident" and "arrogant" both mean sure of yourself, but one sounds like a compliment and the other doesn't.

Students learn the precise words a subject demands, from science terms to the kind of formal language that shows up in essays and textbooks. When an unfamiliar word matters for understanding or writing, students look it up and put it to use.