PK–12 Essential Standards and Benchmarks

Kahua Standards and Benchmarks

PK-12 essential standards and benchmarks for Hawaiian-focused education.

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Grade 11 - English / LA

In addition to HFCS ‘Āina-based Learning Competencies (click to view), the PK-12 English Language Arts (E/LA) kahua is grounded in the belief that the purpose of reading and writing is constructing meaning. Reading allows the reader to construct meaning based on the writing by an author and writing allows the writer to construct meaning to convey to a reader.

  • ELA.11.1Create and share capstone projects and hōʻike (i.e. puka kula haʻi ‘olelo, research papers, community service, testimonies) to expand the body of knowledge about ʻāina.
  • ELA.11.2Synthesize ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi kilo, performance cartographies (i.e. oli, mele, hula, kaulana mahina, hoʻokele), and inoa ʻāina (traditional place names) to make decisions about what ʻāina needs.
  • ELA.11.3Perpetuate ʻike kupuna through the creation and use of Hawaiian cultural artifacts (i.e. kīhei, lei, ʻohe kāpala, mea ʻai) in ceremonies and protocols.
  • ELA.11.4Contribute knowledge, resources, and practices to enhance the lāhui and world as aloha ʻāina.
  • ELA.11.5Take actions to advocate for justice on behalf of kānaka and ʻāina because we are an extension of ʻāina (i.e. testimonies, water rights, civic engagement).

  • ELA.11.6Use reading, writing, listening, and speaking as tools for researching a compelling topic of personal interest.
  • ELA.11.7Apply knowledge from research to advocate for and promote community well-being.
  • ELA.11.8Show leadership skills and behaviors in situations where they are called for (i.e. taking notes at a community meeting, submitting testimony to a government commission, initiating proper protocol for a group event).

  • ELA.11.9Drawing on own interest in inquiry and advocacy, initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led), building on others’ ideas and expressing own ideas clearly and persuasively.
  • ELA.11.10Prepare and use relevant facts, along with opinions based on facts, to offer a persuasive point of view to an audience spontaneously (e.g., at a protest or demonstration when asked to be interviewed) and in more formal situations.

  • Note:The research described below is meant to be conducted in a student’s junior and senior years, giving students more time to explore a topic of interest in depth and develop expertise in some aspect of the topic.
  • I.Reading Comprehension
    • ELA.11.11Identify an issue for in-depth research, based on a topic of interest that can benefit the larger community, and read and evaluate a wide variety of resources (both in print and online) to explore this issue.
      • a.Read both primary and secondary sources.
      • b.Read culture-based texts (e.g., mele, oli, ‘ōlelo no‘eau, traditional mo‘olelo), narratives (e.g., oral histories, memoirs, interviews, novels, short stories, dramas, poems), and informational texts (e.g., research articles, scholarly reports, newspaper articles).
      • c.Explore and “read” other media (e.g., video, audio, visual, quantitative, in-person) to find additional resources for the topic of interest.
    • ELA.11.12Cite specific textual evidence to support own analysis of what the text says explicitly, what inferences can be drawn from the text, and where the text leaves matters uncertain.
    • ELA.11.13Evaluate arguments and specific claims made in texts and other media, and assess whether or not the reasoning is valid and the evidence is sufficient to accept the argument or claim.
  • II.Writing Process
    • ELA.11.14Write a narrative or reflective essay about some aspect of the topic being researched that includes a description of own interest in and connection to this topic.
      • a.Use compelling language (e.g., well-chosen words and phrases, thought-provoking details, engaging descriptions) to illustrate experiences, events, people, and places in the essay.
      • b.Use footnotes as needed to add comments that give additional worthwhile information and avoid disrupting the flow of the main text.
      • c.Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.
    • ELA.11.15Create an annotated bibliography with the following information for each resource:
      • a.citation in a standard format (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago Manual of Style)
      • b.summary of the content that captures the key ideas and details,
      • c.analysis of the credibility and accuracy of the author’s presentation of facts and conclusions,
      • d.explanation of the relevance of the content to the issue being studied.
  • III.Language & Vocabulary Development
    • ELA.11.16Continue to learn and use new vocabulary through wide reading across subject areas and the use of vocabulary-building strategies (e.g., root analysis; dictionary skills; concept maps; word journals) to read and understand challenging material.
    • ELA.11.17Use correct grammatical constructions and appropriate punctuation to improve the clarity and quality of writing.