Unpacked
RI 2.3
Standard: RI 2.3 Describe the connection between a series of historical events,
scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text.
Unpacked Standard: Students at this level are required to describe how historical events,
scientific ideas or “how to” procedures are linked together in a text. What are the important
ideas in this text? How do you know? Use questions and prompts such as:
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Which step comes first? After that? What happened first? After that? Can you tell me how these ideas are the same? Can you tell me how they are different? 
Students who are able to describe the connection between a series of historical events,
scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text study the
organization of the texts, including the key ideas in, and main purposes of, paragraphs or
brief sections. They use what they find to chart the information from the
paragraphs/sections within the text to determine connections.
Students who are able to describe the connection between a series of historical events,
scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text are able to
determine connections in the text that parallel each other as well as connections that are
sequential.
As students describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas or pieces of
information in a text, they use relevant prior knowledge to help them make those
connections.
Understanding connections between individuals, events, ideas or pieces of information in
a text is less difficult when students act out, draw, or discuss various possible
connections. For example, by placing events from a similar time period on a timeline,
students are able to see and make connections among the events.
Students who can describe how one event connects with the other begin to realize that
one “thing” may cause another “thing” to happen. In addition to using compare and
contrast, they are introduced to the idea of cause and effect
When students describe connections between individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of
information and are prompted and guided to tell why they made the connections by
referring to the text, they are practicing skills that support writing, research, and public
speaking.
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What students need to know:
 Relate different historical events within
a text.
 Relate scientific ideas within a text.
 Relate steps of a process within a text
such as a recipe.
What students need to do:
 Sequence historical events within a
selection.
 Explain the cause and effect of
historical events within a selection.
 Model the steps of a scientific process
within a selection.
Unpacked
RI 2.3
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Level 1
Entering
Describe the
connection
between a
series of
historical
events,
scientific
ideas or
concepts, or
steps in
technical
procedures in
a text by
drawing
sequenced
examples and
models in
pairs with
teacher
support.
Level 2
Emerging
Describe the
connection
between a
series of
historical
events,
scientific
ideas or
concepts, or
steps in
technical
procedures in
a text
providing
written
information
using graphic
organizers in
pairs with
teacher
support.
Level 3
Developing
Describe the
connection
between a
series of
historical
events,
scientific
ideas or
concepts, or
steps in
technical
procedures in
a text by
giving
content-based
information
from visuals
or graphics in
a text, written
in journals
with teacher
support.
Level 4
Expanding
Describe the
connection
between a
series of
historical
events,
scientific
ideas or
concepts, or
steps in
technical
procedures in
a text by using
classroom
resources
(anchor
charts,
sentence
stems) to
compose
sequenced
sentences.
Level 5
Bridging
Describe the
connection
between a
series of
historical
events,
scientific
ideas or
concepts, or
steps in
technical
procedures in
a text by
explaining
concepts from
a text using
sequenced
sentences.
ELD Standard: English Language Development Standard 4 and Standard 5
English language learners communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary
for academic success in the content area of Science and the area of Social Studies.
Level 6 Reaching
Writing

Explain how the steps of a scientific
process impact the results.
Order the steps of a process from a text
such as a recipe
Explain how the steps of a process
affect the end result.