CurriculumGrade 6English Language Arts

How Ideas Are Developed

Aligned to RI.6.3 — Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.

What this lesson teaches

Nonfiction introduces a person, event, or idea, then illustrates it with examples and elaborates with more detail. Track that build-up to see how the author deepens your understanding step by step.

Worked example

A profile introduces an inventor, illustrates her with a story about her first failed machine, then elaborates with the design change that finally worked. Introduction, example, elaboration — the pattern that develops the idea.

Practice questions

  1. Find where a text first introduces a person, event, or idea.
  2. Identify an example the author uses to illustrate it.
  3. Explain how a later detail elaborates or deepens that point.

Watch the lesson

Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.

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En español

Como se Desarrollan las Ideas

Un texto informativo presenta a una persona, un hecho o una idea, luego la ilustra con ejemplos y la amplia con mas detalles. Sigue esa construccion para ver como el autor profundiza tu comprension paso a paso.

Ejemplo: Un perfil presenta a una inventora, la ilustra con la historia de su primera maquina fallida y luego amplia con el cambio de diseño que por fin funciono. Presentacion, ejemplo, ampliacion — el patron que desarrolla la idea.

More Reading: Informational lessons

Evaluating an Author's ArgumentRI.6.8Evidence in NonfictionRI.6.1Central Idea and SummaryRI.6.2Meaning of Words in NonfictionRI.6.4How Text Structure Builds IdeasRI.6.5The Author's Purpose and ViewRI.6.6

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