Ability to Understand Knowledge

Students demonstrate the ability to understand the meaning and significance of facts, assertions, ideas, concepts, and theories conveyed orally, experientially, or in the form of expository (e.g., essays, editorials, biology textbooks) or literary (novels, plays poems) writings by:

• Restating, paraphrasing, explaining, and summarizing facts, definitions, methods, rules, theories, and concepts (including the ability to prepare and deliver explanatory and persuasive arguments and presentations);
• Drawing distinctions and perceiving differences and similarities (i.e. comparing and contrasting) in images, terms, concepts, and theories;
• Understanding the literal meaning and the implications of information conveyed in all forms of nonfiction writings including expository (e.g., textbooks, diagrams, and graphs) and purely functional documents (e.g., bus schedules, instruction manuals, schematics, blueprints);
• Interpreting the literal and symbolical meaning of various forms of literary (fictional) writing;
• Illustrating or simplifying information with pictures, diagrams, charts, and graphs; and
• Translating verbal material to mathematical formulas or visual representations (and vice versa).

Key Beliefs:

I will be a better student if I act on the following beliefs:

• It is important to understand what I read and see. 
• I am able to successfully compare and contrast ideas and concepts found in the academic content for my grade level.

Application:

• Discuss, describe, and explain information through questions, reports, and discussions. 
• Restate paraphrase, explain, and summarize facts, definitions, methods, rules, theories, and concepts. 
• Prepare and deliver explanatory and persuasive arguments and presentations. 
• Draw distinctions and perceive differences and similarities (i.e., comparing and contrasting). 
• Understand the literal meaning and the implications of information conveyed in all forms of nonfiction writings (e.g., textbooks, diagrams, graphs, instruction manuals). 
• Interpret the literal and symbolic meaning of various forms of literary writing. 
• Illustrate or simplify information with pictures, diagrams, charts, and graphs.