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 9 - 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.9.1Analyze and cite moʻolelo from a variety of primary and secondary resources (i.e. mele, nūpepa, websites, books, ʻohana) to deepen understanding about the moʻokūauhau of our ʻāina.
  • ELA.9.2Utilize kilo in various communities and expand observations through the use of ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi to describe patterns of wahi pana interdependence (i.e. ahupuaʻa, ecosystem, loko iʻa).
  • ELA.9.3Discern between and lead appropriate protocol in age/kuleana appropriate ceremonies and protocols.
  • ELA.9.4Utilize and mālama wahi pana resources (i.e. pāhonu, limu, salt beds, mala, kupuna, water, kiʻopua) to aloha ʻāina.
  • ELA.9.5Understand multiple perspectives to better empathize and collaboratively formulate solutions based on kānaka genealogy of that place (i.e. kupuna, ʻāina partners, state/federal agencies, institutions of higher education, law).

  • ELA.9.6Use language arts skills learned to develop own perspectives and take effective actions in support of positions on issues of importance to self and community.
  • ELA.9.7Examine multiple perspectives on an issue in order to gain knowledge, understand all sides, and make informed arguments for own position.

  • ELA.9.8Deepen discussions by asking questions that connect to broader themes or larger ideas; actively incorporate others into the discussion; and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions.
  • ELA.9.9In formal presentations, use an organizational structure (e.g., chronological, topical, cause & effect, problem & solution) that fits the purpose and makes ideas clear and compelling for the listener.
  • ELA.9.10Highlight important ideas with supportive material (e.g., statistics, anecdotes, examples).

  • I.Reading Comprehension
    • ELA.9.11Read multicultural literature for personal enjoyment and to recognize how stories can deepen and broaden one’s understanding of the behaviors and actions of others, as well as one’s own behaviors and actions.
      • a.Analyze how complex characters and their actions (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot.
      • b.Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze how it develops over the course of the text, including how it becomes apparent and is further shaped by specific details in plot events, dialogue, etc.
    • ELA.9.12Read informational texts and analyze content, organization, style, and language to deepen understanding of text, gain new insights, and make connections to prior knowledge.
      • a.Analyze how the author structures ideas or events, including the order in which points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections drawn between them.
      • b.Examine how ideas or claims are developed and refined by use of language, i.e., particular phrases, sentences, paragraphs, sections, or chapters.
    • ELA.9.13Use annotation methods to read closely and understand text with greater insight.
      • a.Examples: highlighting key points and the relationship among them (e.g., main idea with supporting details, steps in a process, commonalities and differences), noting inferences based on key points, adding commentary on own reactions and insights.
  • II.Writing Process
    • ELA.9.14Write in different formats for a variety of purposes and audiences, such as:
      • a.narratives or scripts with a theme and details that contribute to a mood or tone,
      • b.mele/poems using a range of poetic techniques and figurative language,
      • c.literary, persuasive, and personal essays,
      • d.research papers that state and support a thesis,
      • e.functional writing including forms, applications, and questionnaires,
      • f.pieces to reflect on learning and to solve problems.
    • ELA.9.15Write using compelling information, making careful selections of sources and information used in order to deepen a reader’s engagement with and understanding of what is written.
    • ELA.9.16Choose a structural pattern (e.g., cause/effect, progression of major points, chronological, problem/solution) to fit the content and purpose of a piece of writing; use transitional devices to signal and guide the reader smoothly through the chosen organization.
    • ELA.9.17Use quotations and citations in writing to achieve an appropriate balance between researched information and original ideas.
  • III.Language & Vocabulary Development
    • ELA.9.18Increase working vocabulary through word study (e.g., lists,root/affix study, word origins) and through wide reading (e.g., texts read as a whole class, literature circles, independent reading) and use new vocabulary in writing and speech.
    • ELA.9.19Use appropriate language in ceremonies and protocol.