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California Standards

California 7th Grade ELA Standards

All 41 California English language arts standards for 7th grade, each explained in plain English. Where California uses the Common Core wording, it is one click away; California's own additions are explained in our words.

41 standards

Reading Standards for Literature

9 standards
RL.7.1
Support a point about a story, play or poem with several quotes or details from it, not just one, for both what it says outright and what it only suggests.
Official wording
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Common Core RL.7.1
RL.7.2
Name a story's or poem's theme, follow how it grows from the opening to the ending, and summarize the text without your own opinions.
Official wording
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
Common Core RL.7.2
RL.7.3
Explain how the parts of a story or play act on each other, like how a setting such as a snowbound cabin shapes what the characters do.
Official wording
Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).
Common Core RL.7.3
RL.7.4
Work out figurative and emotional meanings of words, and explain how rhyme and repeated sounds like alliteration shape a stanza, a scene or part of a story.
RL.7.5
Explain how the form of a poem or play, like a sonnet's fourteen lines or a character's soliloquy, adds to what it means.
Official wording
Analyze how a drama’s or poem’s form or structure (e.g., soliloquy, sonnet) contributes to its meaning.
Common Core RL.7.5
RL.7.6
Explain how an author builds the differing points of view of two or more characters or narrators and plays them against each other.
Official wording
Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.
Common Core RL.7.6
RL.7.7
Compare a story, play or poem with its film, stage or audio version, and explain how tools the page lacks, like lighting, music or camera angles, change the effect.
Official wording
Compare and contrast a written story, drama, or poem to its audio, filmed, staged, or multimedia version, analyzing the effects of techniques unique to each medium (e.g., lighting, sound, color, or camera focus and angles in a film).
Common Core RL.7.7
RL.7.9
Set a historical novel or story beside a factual account of the same time or person, and show where the fiction keeps the history and where it changes it.
Official wording
Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter history.
Common Core RL.7.9
RL.7.10
Read and understand stories, plays and poems written for grades 6 to 8 by the end of the year, with help on the hardest ones.
Official wording
By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 6–8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
Common Core RL.6.10

Reading Standards for Informational Text

10 standards
RI.7.1
Support a point about a story, play or poem with several quotes or details from it, not just one, for both what it says outright and what it only suggests.
Official wording
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Common Core RL.7.1
RI.7.2
Find two or more central ideas in a nonfiction text, trace how each one develops from start to finish, and give a neutral summary of the text.
Official wording
Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
Common Core RI.7.2
RI.7.3
Explain how the people, events and ideas in a nonfiction text act on one another, like how a new idea changed what a leader did or how one person shifted an event.
Official wording
Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events).
Common Core RI.7.3
RI.7.4
Work out figurative, emotional and technical meanings of words in nonfiction, and explain how one word choice, like slammed versus criticized, affects meaning and tone.
RI.7.5
Map how a nonfiction text is organized and explain what each major section contributes to the whole and to the way the ideas build.
Official wording
Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to the development of the ideas.
Common Core RI.7.5
RI.7.6
Find an author's stance or purpose in a nonfiction text and explain how the author sets that position apart from what other people think.
Official wording
Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author distinguishes his or her position from that of others.
Common Core RI.7.6
RI.7.7
Compare the written text of a speech or article with an audio or video version of it, and explain how the delivery changes the force of the words.
Official wording
Compare and contrast a text to an audio, video, or multimedia version of the text, analyzing each medium’s portrayal of the subject (e.g., how the delivery of a speech affects the impact of the words).
Common Core RI.7.7
RI.7.8
Follow an author's argument claim by claim and judge whether the reasoning makes sense and whether the evidence is on point and enough to support each claim.
Official wording
Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims.
Common Core RI.7.8
RI.7.9
Compare two or more authors on the same topic and show how each stresses different evidence or reads the same facts differently.
Official wording
Analyze how two or more authors writing about the same topic shape their presentations of key information by emphasizing different evidence or advancing different interpretations of facts.
Common Core RI.7.9
RI.7.10
Read and understand literary nonfiction such as memoirs, essays and speeches written for grades 6 to 8 by the end of the year, with help on the hardest ones.
Official wording
By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6–8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
Common Core RI.6.10

Writing Standards

10 standards
W.7.1
Write an argument with a clear claim, reasons and evidence from credible sources, linking words, a formal style and a conclusion that follows from it.
Official wording
Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.cUse words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), reasons, and evidence.dEstablish and maintain a formal style.eProvide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.
Common Core W.6.1
W.7.2
Write an informative piece that introduces a topic, organizes facts, definitions and examples under headings or charts where they help, and ends with a conclusion.
Official wording
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.bDevelop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.cUse appropriate transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.dUse precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.eEstablish and maintain a formal style.fProvide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented.
Common Core W.6.2
W.7.3
Write a true or made-up story that sets the scene, uses dialogue, pacing and sensory detail, moves clearly through time and ends with a fitting conclusion.
Official wording
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.aEngage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.bUse narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.cUse a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another.dUse precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events.eProvide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events.
Common Core W.6.3
W.7.4
Match how a piece of writing is developed, organized and styled to its task, its purpose and the people who will read it.
Official wording
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
Common Core W.6.4
W.7.5
With some help from peers and adults, rework a draft by planning, revising, editing, rewriting or starting over, judging how well it suits its purpose and readers.
W.7.6
Write and publish online, add links to and citations for the sources you used, and use shared documents or comments to work with classmates.
Official wording
Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and link to and cite sources as well as to interact and collaborate with others, including linking to and citing sources.
Common Core W.7.6
W.7.7
Research a question across several sources in a short project, and let what you find spark new related questions worth looking into next.
Official wording
Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions for further research and investigation.
Common Core W.7.7
W.7.8
Pick good search terms to find print and online sources, check each for accuracy and reliability, and quote or paraphrase it with a citation in a format like MLA.
Official wording
Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
Common Core W.7.8
W.7.9
Use evidence from stories and informational texts in writing, like details that show a character in depth or the reasons an author gives for a point.
Official wording
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.aApply grade 7 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter history”).bApply grade 7 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g. “Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims”).
Common Core W.4.9
W.7.10
Write regularly, from a report built over several days to a journal entry finished in one class, for different subjects, purposes and readers.
Official wording
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Common Core W.3.10

Speaking and Listening Standards

6 standards
SL.7.1
Discuss 7th-grade texts having done the reading, cite evidence, keep the group on its goals and deadlines, draw others out, and change your mind when warranted.
Official wording
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.aCome to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.bFollow rules for collegial discussions, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.cPose questions that elicit elaboration and respond to others’ questions and comments with relevant observations and ideas that bring the discussion back on topic as needed.dAcknowledge new information expressed by others and, when warranted, modify their own views.
Common Core SL.7.1
SL.7.2
Pick out the main ideas and supporting details in a chart, podcast, video or speech, and explain how they shed light on the topic or text the class is studying.
Official wording
Analyze the main ideas and supporting details presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how the ideas clarify a topic, text, or issue under study.
Common Core SL.7.2
SL.7.3
Break down a speaker’s argument, claims and attitude toward the topic, and judge whether the reasoning holds up and the evidence is relevant and strong enough.
SL.7.4
Give focused talks like arguments, stories and summaries with clear speech and eye contact, including a planned argument that weighs counterarguments and ends strong.
SL.7.5
Use slides, charts, images or short clips in a presentation to make your claims and findings clearer and to drive home the most important points.
Official wording
Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and findings and emphasize salient points.
Common Core SL.7.5
SL.7.6
Adjust their speaking to each setting and task, and show strong control of formal English when it is expected, like during a debate or a class interview.

Language Standards

6 standards
L.7.1
Print many letters, use everyday nouns, verbs and little words like in and on, make plurals like dogs and wishes, ask with who and where, and speak in full sentences.
Official wording
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.aExplain the function of phrases and clauses in general and their function in specific sentences.bChoose among simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences to signal differing relationships among ideas.cPlace phrases and clauses within a sentence, recognizing and correcting misplaced and dangling modifiers.*
Common Core L.K.1
L.7.2
Capitalize the first word of a sentence and the word I, name the period and question mark, and spell simple words the way they sound, like kat for cat.
Official wording
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.aUse a comma to separate coordinate adjectives (e.g., It was a fascinating, enjoyable movie but not He wore an old[,] green shirt).bSpell correctly.
Common Core L.K.2
L.7.3
Notice the difference between formal and casual English, like Good morning, Mrs. Lee versus Hey, and choose which fits the moment.
Official wording
Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.aChoose language that expresses ideas precisely and concisely, recognizing and eliminating wordiness and redundancy.*
Common Core L.2.3
L.7.4
Work out an unfamiliar 7th-grade word from its sentence, from Latin roots like bell in belligerent and rebel, or from a dictionary, then confirm the meaning.
Official wording
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 7 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.aUse context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.bUse common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., belligerent, bellicose, rebel).dVerify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).
Common Core L.7.4
L.7.5
Explain a nonliteral phrase like take steps, name someone who is friendly to link a word to real life, and rank knew, believed and suspected by how sure they are.
Official wording
Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.aInterpret figures of speech (e.g., literary, biblical, and mythological allusions) in context.bUse the relationship between particular words (e.g., synonym/antonym, analogy) to better understand each of the words.cDistinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g., refined, respectful, polite, diplomatic, condescending).
Common Core L.3.5
L.7.6
Learn and use grade-level academic and subject words, and look up any word that matters to understanding or expressing an idea.
Official wording
Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
Common Core L.6.6

The official California documents

Common Core State Standards © Copyright 2010. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved.

The plain-English lines are EMStudio's own explanations. Where California uses the Common Core wording it is shown under the Common Core license; California's own additions are explained in our words, and their official wording is in California Department of Education's documents above.