Grades K-2
Kindergarten, ELA — story time: Students will RETELL the events of a familiar story in order using picture cards and the sentence frame: 'First ___, then ___, finally ___.'
Narrate:
Retelling story events in sequence using temporal language is Narrate. The purpose is to recount — not describe properties, explain causes, or make a claim.
Grade 5, Science — ecosystems: Students will EXPLAIN how the removal of one species from a food web affects the populations of other organisms, using a diagram, cause-effecsignal words (as a result, leads to), and science vocabulary.
EXPLAIN:
Explaining a causal chain using signal words like 'as a result' is Explain. A common error is calling this Inform — but describing a food web is Inform, while explaining what happens when it is disrupted requires the reasoning of Explain.
Grade 8, Science — Newton's Laws: Students will EXPLAIN how an increase in mass affects acceleration using the formula F=ma, evidence from lab readings, and cause-effect signawords (as a result, therefore, causes).
EXPLAIN:
Applying a formula to explain a causal relationship using signal words is Explain. WIDA 2020 marks Explain by the need to interpret relationships and convereasoning about how or why something occurs.
Grade 11, Civics — separation of powers: Students will EXPLAIN the relationship among the three branches of government and why the system of checks and balances was designed the way it was, using a concept map, causal language, and evidence from primary sources.
EXPLAIN:
Explaining the design rationale of a governmental system using causal language is Explain — not Argue. Students clarify purpose and relationship, not staka claim about what should change. WIDA 2020 distinguishes Explain (why it works as it does) from Argue (why it should be different).
Grade 3, Science — life cycles: Students will DESCRIBE the stages of a butterfly's life cycle in order using words such as egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
INFORM:
Describing stages in order using content vocabulary is Inform — not Narrate. Narrate involves recounting events with actors over time; Inform describes a scientific process or phenomenon reported as factual content.
Grade 1, Science — plants: Students will LABEL a diagram of a plant using words such as roots, stem, leaves, and flower to identify what each part is called
INFORM:
Labeling parts of an observable object using content vocabulary is foundational Inform. Students present factual information — no sequencing, reasoning, oclaim-making required.
Grade 4, ELA — opinion writing: Students will WRITE a multi-paragraph opinion piece stating whether zoos benefit animals, supported by at least two reasons and a concluding statement, using signal words such as I believe, for example, and in conclusion.
ARGUE:
Stating a claim, providing multiple reasons, and organizing a persuasive piece with opinion signal words are Argue features. WIDA 2020 marks structured opinion writing as an Argue task in grades 3–5.
Grade 6, Social Studies — ancient civilizations: Students will RECOUNT the key events leading to the fall of the Roman Empire in chronological order using transition words and historical vocabulary in a written timeline summary.
NARRATE:
Recounting historical events chronologically with temporal connectives is Narrate. Although content is historical, the language function — reconstructing and sequencing events — places this in Narrate, not Inform or Explain.
Grade 9, Biology — cell membrane: Students will ILLUSTRATE how the structure of the phospholipid bilayer enables selective permeability, using academic vocabulary, cause-effect language, and an analogy to make the concept accessible to a non-science audience.
EXPLAIN:
Explaining (illustrating) a structural-functional relationship using cause-effect language and analogy for a non-expert audience is Explain. WIDA 2020 identifies analogicareasoning as a Bridging-level Explain feature.
Grade 5, ELA — literary response: Students will WRITE a response illustrating what lesson (moral) the main character learned and why that lesson matters, using text evidence and the sentence frame: 'The character learned ___ because ___, which shows ___.'
EXPLAIN:
Explaining (Illustrating) a character's lesson (moral) using text evidence and causal reasoning is Explain — not Narrate or Argue. Students interpret meaning using 'because... which shows' — a core Explain move.
Grade 2, ELA — personal writing: Students will WRITE about something that happened to them at school, describing events in order using time words (first, next, then) and feeling words to help the reader understand the experience.
NARRATE:
Recounting a personal experience in sequence using temporal and emotional language is Narrate. Recounting real events from one's own life with a personal voice is Narrate across all proficiency levels.
Grade 3, Social Studies — communities: Students will DESCRIBE three features of urban, suburban, and rural communities using a comparison chart and content-area vocabulary
INFORM:
Describing and categorizing factual features using academic vocabulary is Inform. Students organize and present content knowledge — no causal reasoninor argumentation required.
Grade 7, ELA — argument essay: Students will CONSTRUCT a written argument about whether social media has a positive or negative effect on teenagers, with a clear claim, counterclaim, evidence from two sources, and hedging language such as it could be argued and evidence suggests.
ARGUE:
A structured argument with a claim, counterclaim, textual evidence, and hedging language is Argue. WIDA 2020 identifies hedging language and counterargument as higher-proficiency Argue features at the middle school level.
Grade 12, ELA — research-based argument: Students will DEVELOP a multi-source persuasive essay on criminal justice reform, constructing a nuanced claim, addressing counterarguments, integrating cited evidence, and using discipline-specific vocabulary and complex syntax.
ARGUE:
A high-stakes persuasive (argumentative) essay with nuanced claims, counterarguments, and cited evidence is Argue at its highest register. WIDA 2020 marks this by sophisticated rhetorical positioning and the use of evidence to enter an academic discourse.
Grades 6–8, Health — nutrition: Students will READ a nutrition label and PRESENT factual information about calories, macronutrients, and daily value percentages using precise quantitative language and content vocabulary in a class presentation.
INFORM:
Reading and presenting factual data using precise quantitative language is Inform. No position is argued and no mechanism is explained — students accurately communicate existing information from a real-world source.
Grade 2, Math — comparing numbers: Students will DEMONSTRATE UNDERSTANDING orally why one number is greater than another using base-ten blocks and the sentence frame: '___ is greater than ___ because ___.'
EXPLAIN:
The frame '___ because ___' requires a mathematical reason — the defining move of Explain. This goes beyond labeling (Inform) by asking students to clarify a relationship using logic.
Grade 3, ELA — a personal narrative: Students will WRITE about a memorable experience, describing key events in sequence using first-person voice, time-order words (before, duringafter), and specific details.
NARRATE:
A personal narrative with chronological sequencing, first-person voice, and experiential detail is Narrate. The function is recounting — not describing facts, explaining a concept, or defending a claim.
Grade 7, Science — ecosystems field study: Students will PRESENT findings from a field study by reporting data on local biodiversity using graphs, content-area vocabulary, and precise numerical language in an oral report.
INFORM:
Presenting data and reporting findings using precise quantitative and technical language is Inform. WIDA 2020 identifies numerical precision and visual datrepresentation as Inform linguistic features at this level.
Grade 10, ELA — memoir unit: Students will CRAFT a personal memoir recounting a significant life event that shaped their identity, using vivid sensory details, first-person voice,and reflective commentary on what the experience meant.
NARRATE:
A memoir recounting a real personal experience — even with reflective commentary — is Narrate. The function is recounting lived events and their significance, which WIDA 2020 places in Narrate across all proficiency levels.
Grade 10, Chemistry — reaction rates: Students will PRODUCE a lab report describing their procedure, reporting data in a table, analyzing how temperature affects reaction rate using cause-effect language, and drawing a conclusion about the relationship.
EXPLAIN:
A lab report that analyzes a causal relationship using cause-effect language is primarily Explain — not Inform. When a clue blends KLUs, identify the most prominent communicative purpose — here, explaining a causal relationship between variables.
Grade 1, Social Studies — community helpers: Students will STATE which community helper is most important and give one reason using the sentence frame: 'I think ___ is important because ___.'
ARGUE:
Taking a position ('most important') and backing it with a reason is the entry point of Argue. WIDA 2020 introduces Argue in K–2 through opinion expression with simple supporting reasons.
Grade 5, Math — equivalent fractions: Students will CLARIFY how dividing the numerator and denominator by the same number produces an equivalent fraction, using a visual model and mathematical vocabulary.
EXPLAIN
'How... produces' signals conceptual reasoning — a hallmark of Explain. Students go beyond reporting a fact (Inform) to clarifying the mathematical logic behind the procedure.
Grade 8, Social Studies — Boston Massacre: Students will DEBATE whether the term 'massacre' accurately describes the 1770 event, using primary source evidence, counterarguments, and precise historical vocabulary.
ARGUE:
Evaluating the accuracy of a historical label by staking a position and defending it with evidence is Argue. A common error is calling historical analysis Explain; but when students must stake a claim and anticipate opposition, it is Argue.
Grade 11, AP Environmental Science: Students will SYNTHESIZE information from three scientific sources to COMPOSE a research summary on carbon sequestration, integrating technical vocabulary, nominalization (e.g., absorption), and passive voice constructions.
INFORM:
Synthesizing multi-source scientific content using nominalization and passive voice is Inform at the Bridging level. WIDA 2020 identifies these as high-proficiency Inform features. The goal is accurate information transmission, not argumentation.
Grade 11, ELA — Socratic seminar on justice: Students will PARTICIPATE in a Socratic seminar by sharing their interpretation of a philosophical text, building on peers' ideas, supporting their view with textual evidence, and respectfully challenging opposing interpretations using academic discussion language.
ARGUE:
Though interpretation is present, the dominant KLU is Argue: students defend a position, use evidence, and challenge opposing views. It could be mistakenfor Explain — but the claim-defending, peer-challenging nature of Socratic seminar is Argue. WIDA 2020 includes oral argumentation as an Argue form at the highest levels.