CBI in English Language Arts

Introduction

English Language Arts (ELA) is a natural home for Concept-Based Inquiry. Literature has always been about ideas—themes, conflicts, and human experiences that transcend specific stories. Composition has always been about transferable skills—argument, analysis, and expression that apply across contexts. CBI makes explicit what strong ELA instruction has always known: we teach reading and writing not as isolated skills but as tools for understanding the human condition.

This chapter explores how to leverage ELA's inherent conceptual richness while addressing the particular challenges of the discipline: the balance between skill and content, the role of reader response, the tension between coverage and depth, and the integration of reading and writing instruction.

11.1 ELA as Conceptual Discipline

The Conceptual Nature of Literature

Literature is fundamentally conceptual. Every story, poem, and play embodies abstract ideas:

Texts as Concept Vehicles When students read To Kill a Mockingbird, they don't just encounter characters and plot—they grapple with concepts of justice, innocence, prejudice, and courage. The narrative serves as a vehicle for exploring ideas that extend far beyond Maycomb, Alabama.

Reading as Conceptual Work Skilled readers constantly move between concrete details and abstract understanding:

• Noticing patterns that suggest themes
• Recognizing character types that embody concepts
• Identifying how structure reinforces meaning
• Connecting textual ideas to broader human experience

The Danger of "Covering" Texts When ELA becomes about "covering" novels—teaching the plot, characters, and literary devices of each text—we miss the conceptual forest for the textual trees. Students may know Great Expectations but not understand how expectations shape identity across literature and life.

ELA Concepts and Their Functions

Content Concepts: Ideas texts explore

• Theme, conflict, identity, power, justice, change, perspective, truth, illusion, love, death, freedom, society, nature, alienation

Form Concepts: How texts create meaning

• Structure, voice, perspective, tone, imagery, symbolism, motif, genre, rhetoric, argument, evidence, style

Process Concepts: How readers and writers operate

• Interpretation, analysis, inference, synthesis, craft, revision, audience, purpose

ELA Generalizations

Strong ELA generalizations connect form, content, and meaning:

About Literature:

• "Authors use structural choices to control pacing and emphasis, shaping reader experience."
• "Point of view positions readers to sympathize with or question particular perspectives."
• "Symbolism creates layers of meaning that reward attentive reading."
• "Conflict reveals character while driving narrative."

About Composition:

• "Effective arguments anticipate and address counterarguments."
• "Writers make purposeful choices based on audience and situation."
• "Revision is a process of clarifying thinking, not just fixing errors."

About Language:

• "Word choice shapes not just meaning but emotional resonance and credibility."
• "Syntax creates rhythm, emphasis, and relationship between ideas."

11.2 Inquiry Through Literature

Text Selection as Conceptual Decision

When concepts drive instruction, text selection becomes more strategic:

Concept Clusters Group texts that explore similar concepts from different angles:

Concept: Identity

• The House on Mango Street (cultural identity)
• Persepolis (national identity)
• The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (multiple identity positions)
• Selected poetry (Harlem Renaissance poets on racial identity)

Students investigate how identity functions across texts, developing generalizations about identity construction through literature.

Text Variety CBI encourages diverse text types:

• Canonical and contemporary
• Multiple genres (novel, poetry, drama, nonfiction)
• Multiple perspectives (diverse authors, cultures, viewpoints)
• Multiple media (film, graphic novel, spoken word)

Anchor + Satellite Structure One major text anchors the unit; shorter texts satellite around it, allowing comparison and contrast:

Anchor: 1984 Satellites: Animal Farm excerpts, contemporary surveillance news articles, dystopian short stories, political speeches

This structure provides both depth (anchor) and breadth (satellites) for conceptual investigation.

Discussion as Inquiry

Literature discussion is inherently inquiry-based when structured well:

Question Progression

Factual → Conceptual → Debatable

Factual: What evidence does Atticus present? What is the jury's verdict? Conceptual: How does the trial reveal the relationship between justice and prejudice? Debatable: Is To Kill a Mockingbird ultimately hopeful or despairing about justice?

Text-Based Seminars

Structure discussions around central conceptual questions:

• All students prepare textual evidence
• Discussion builds toward generalization, not consensus
• Multiple interpretations coexist when supported by evidence
• Teacher facilitates but doesn't lecture

Interpretive Protocols

Claim-Evidence-Reasoning Students make interpretive claims, cite specific textual evidence, and explain how evidence supports claims.

Say-Mean-Matter For difficult passages:

• What does the text SAY? (literal)
• What does it MEAN? (interpretation)
• Why does it MATTER? (significance)

Reading as Investigation

Frame reading itself as inquiry:

Setting Investigation Questions Before reading, students develop questions they'll investigate:

• "How does the author establish setting and why does it matter?"
• "What does this character want and what prevents them from getting it?"
• "What patterns am I noticing and what might they mean?"

Annotation as Evidence Gathering Teach annotation as collecting evidence for conceptual claims:

• Marking passages related to thematic concepts
• Noting craft moves and their effects
• Recording questions and connections
• Tracking patterns across the text

Reading Logs as Investigation Journals Ongoing logs document the inquiry process:

• Evidence gathered
• Interpretations developing
• Questions emerging
• Connections forming

11.3 Composition as Conceptual Practice

Writing About Reading

When students write about literature, they demonstrate and develop conceptual understanding:

Analytical Writing Students develop claims about how texts create meaning:

• What does this text argue about [concept]?
• How does the author use [technique] to develop [idea]?
• What happens when we read through [conceptual lens]?

Comparative Analysis Compare texts' treatment of concepts:

• How do different authors approach [concept]?
• What accounts for differences in treatment?
• What generalization emerges from comparison?

Creative Response Students demonstrate conceptual understanding through creative writing:

• Write a scene exploring the same concept in a new context
• Adopt a character's voice to explore their perspective
• Adapt a text to a different genre while preserving thematic focus

Writing for Transfer

CBI treats composition as transferable practice:

Genre as Concept Teach genres as conceptual categories with shared features:

• What makes an argument? (claim, evidence, reasoning)
• What makes a narrative? (conflict, change, meaning)
• What makes analysis? (observation, interpretation, significance)

Students learn to recognize and produce genres across contexts.

Process as Concept Writing process involves transferable practices:

• Planning: Generating and organizing ideas
• Drafting: Getting ideas into text
• Revising: Clarifying and developing thinking
• Editing: Polishing for audience

These processes apply to any writing task.

Audience and Purpose as Concepts All writing involves:

• Who am I writing to? (audience)
• What am I trying to accomplish? (purpose)

Students learn to analyze rhetorical situations and make choices accordingly.

Inquiry Through Research Writing

Research writing is natural inquiry:

Question-Driven Research Students develop genuine questions that drive investigation:

• "How does media shape body image?" (not just "report on body image")
• "Why do some revolutions succeed and others fail?"

Evidence Evaluation Students apply concepts of credibility, bias, and sufficiency to evaluate sources—transferable skills for life beyond school.

Synthesis as Generalization Research culminates not in summary but synthesis:

• What patterns emerge across sources?
• What generalization can I support with evidence?
• What remains uncertain or contested?

11.4 Integrating Reading and Writing

Reading-Writing Connections

CBI emphasizes the reciprocal relationship between reading and writing:

Reading as a Writer Students analyze how authors craft texts:

• What choices did the writer make?
• What effects do these choices create?
• How might I use similar choices in my own writing?

Writing as a Reader Students anticipate how readers will experience their writing:

• What does my reader need to understand?
• How can I guide my reader's experience?
• What expectations does my genre create?

Mentor Texts

Use texts as models for writing:

Structure Study How does the author organize this text? What can I learn for my own organization?

Craft Study What specific techniques create effect? How might I adapt these for my purposes?

Imitation and Innovation Students imitate mentor text structures or techniques, then innovate to serve their own purposes.

Workshop Integration

Writing workshop becomes conceptual exploration:

Mini-Lessons Brief instruction on transferable concepts:

• "Today we're exploring how writers create tension."
• "Let's investigate what makes evidence persuasive."

Application Students apply concepts to their own writing immediately.

Conferring Individual conferences focus on conceptual understanding:

• "What are you trying to accomplish here?" (purpose)
• "How is this working for your reader?" (audience)
• "What choices are you making about structure?" (form)

Sharing Students share writing to test conceptual application:

• "Does my structure emphasize what I want to emphasize?"
• "Is my evidence convincing?"

11.5 Assessment in ELA

Assessing Conceptual Understanding

ELA assessment should measure understanding, not just skill demonstration:

Response to New Texts Give students texts they haven't seen and ask them to apply conceptual understanding:

• Analyze how this author uses [technique]
• What does this text argue about [concept]?
• Compare to something we've studied

Success demonstrates transfer, not memorization.

Writing That Shows Thinking Assess not just writing quality but the thinking it demonstrates:

• Does the student make conceptual claims?
• Are generalizations supported with evidence?
• Does the writing show awareness of craft concepts?

Process Documentation Assess the inquiry process, not just products:

• Annotation and reading logs
• Research process and source evaluation
• Revision progression with self-analysis

Rubrics for Conceptual ELA

Move beyond mechanics to assess conceptual work:

Interpretation Rubric

Transfer Assessment Give students a new text and ask them to apply analytical approaches learned in class:

• Can they identify key concepts at work?
• Can they analyze author's craft?
• Can they connect to texts previously studied?

Classroom Snapshot: 9th Grade ELA

Unit: Coming of Age Duration: 6 weeks Concepts: Identity, Growth, Conflict (internal/external), Choice, Consequence Generalization: "Coming-of-age narratives reveal how individuals develop identity through navigating conflicts between self and society."

Weeks 1-2: Establishing Conceptual Framework

Provocation: Display images representing adolescence across cultures and eras.

Discussion: "What does it mean to 'come of age'? Is it the same everywhere? Has it changed over time?"

Concept Development: Students co-create working definitions:

• Identity: Who a person is and how they see themselves
• Growth: Change over time, usually toward greater maturity or understanding
• Conflict: Struggle between opposing forces
• Choice: Decisions that reveal character
• Consequence: Results of choices and conflicts

Anchor Text Introduction: The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

Essential Questions:

• How does Esperanza's identity develop throughout the novel?
• What conflicts shape her coming of age?
• How do the vignette structure and lyrical language enhance the themes?

Weeks 3-4: Deep Reading and Investigation

Reading Protocol: Students read in sections, annotating for:

• Evidence of identity formation
• Conflicts (internal and external)
• Choices and consequences
• Craft moves (structure, imagery, repetition)

Structured Discussion Rotations:

Week 3 Discussion: Character and Identity

• How does Esperanza define herself at the beginning?
• What aspects of identity does she struggle with?
• How do other characters influence her identity?

Week 4 Discussion: Conflict and Setting

• What conflicts does Esperanza face?
• How does Mango Street both limit and shape her?
• What's the relationship between place and identity?

Satellite Text Introduction:

• "Eleven" by Sandra Cisneros (short story)
• Selected coming-of-age poems
• Film clip: Stand By Me (opening and closing)

Comparative Analysis Task: How do these different texts explore coming of age similarly and differently?

Week 5: Synthesis and Generalization

Evidence Compilation: Students gather evidence from anchor and satellite texts to support emerging generalizations.

Generalization Development:

• Individual drafts: "Based on our reading, what's true about coming-of-age stories?"
• Pair discussion: Compare generalizations, combine insights
• Class discussion: Build toward target generalization

Target Generalization: "Coming-of-age narratives reveal how individuals develop identity through navigating conflicts between self and society."

Testing: Does this apply to all texts we've read? What are the limitations? What examples from life or other texts support or complicate this?

Week 6: Transfer and Assessment

Transfer Reading: Students receive a coming-of-age excerpt they haven't seen (e.g., from The Perks of Being a Wallflower).

Task: Apply the conceptual framework:

• Identify how identity development is portrayed
• Analyze conflicts present
• Discuss how form contributes to meaning
• Connect to class generalization

Composition Assignment: Literary analysis essay on The House on Mango Street: "How does Cisneros use structure and imagery to explore the relationship between identity and place?"

Requirements:

• Clear interpretive claim
• Evidence from multiple vignettes
• Analysis connecting evidence to claim
• Awareness of author's craft
• Connection to unit generalization

Creative Extension Option: Write three vignettes exploring your own coming-of-age experience, consciously applying craft techniques observed in Cisneros.

Reflection:

• How has your understanding of coming-of-age literature changed?
• What concepts will transfer to future reading?
• What did you learn about your own reading/writing process?

Templates

Template 11.1: Conceptual Literature Unit Planner

Unit Title: _________________ Grade Level: _____ Duration: _________

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Content Concepts (ideas the text explores):

Form Concepts (how the text creates meaning):

Target Generalization:

TEXT SELECTION

Anchor Text: ________________________________________________ Why this text?: ______________________________________________

Satellite Texts:

INQUIRY STRUCTURE

Essential Questions:

• Factual: ___________________________________________________
• Conceptual: ________________________________________________
• Debatable: _________________________________________________

Discussion Protocol(s):

• Socratic Seminar
• Literature Circles
• Whole-class with questions
• Other: _____________

READING-WRITING INTEGRATION

Reading as a Writer Focus: What craft techniques will students analyze and apply?

Writing Assignments:

ASSESSMENT

Formative: _________________________________________________ Summative: ________________________________________________ Transfer Assessment: ________________________________________

Template 11.2: Text-Based Discussion Planning Guide

Text(s): ____________________________________________________ Conceptual Focus: ___________________________________________ Generalization Being Developed: _______________________________

PREPARATION

Reading Assignment:

Annotation Focus: Students should annotate for:

• _________________________
• _________________________
• _________________________

Pre-Discussion Writing:

DISCUSSION STRUCTURE

Opening (everyone responds):

Core Questions (building sequence):

Closing (synthesis):

FACILITATION NOTES

If discussion stalls: ________________________________________ If one view dominates: ______________________________________ Key passages to reference: __________________________________

POST-DISCUSSION

Reflection Questions:

• What new understanding did I develop?
• What evidence changed or complicated my thinking?
• What questions remain?

Connection to Writing: _______________________________________

Template 11.3: Reading-Writing Connection Planner

Unit: _____________________ Grade Level: _____

MENTOR TEXT ANALYSIS

Text: _____________________________________________________ Craft Focus: ______________________________________________

What the author does (specific technique):

How it works (effect on reader):

Why it matters (conceptual significance):

APPLICATION SEQUENCE

Notice: Students identify the technique in mentor text Activity: ____________________________________________________

Name: Students learn/create vocabulary for the technique Key terms: ___________________________________________________

Experiment: Students try the technique in low-stakes writing Activity: ____________________________________________________

Apply: Students use the technique purposefully in their own work Assignment: __________________________________________________

Reflect: Students analyze their use of the technique Questions: ___________________________________________________

CONFERRING FOCUS

Questions to ask in conferences about this technique:

SHARING PROTOCOL

How students will share their use of the technique:

AI Prompts for ELA CBI

Prompt 11.1: Text Selection for Conceptual Units

I'm designing a [grade level] ELA unit focused on the concept(s) of [concept 1, concept 2].

Help me select and organize texts:
1. Suggest an anchor text appropriate for this grade level that deeply explores these concepts
2. Recommend 3-4 satellite texts (different genres, perspectives, time periods) that explore the same concepts
3. For each text, explain how it illuminates the concept(s) differently
4. Suggest how to sequence these texts for building understanding
5. Identify potential challenges and how to address them

My students [describe relevant context: reading levels, backgrounds, prior knowledge].

Target generalization I'm working toward: [insert generalization]

Prompt 11.2: Discussion Questions for Conceptual Depth

I'm teaching [text] to [grade level] students, focusing on concepts of [concept 1, concept 2].

Design a discussion question set that:
1. Begins with accessible factual questions to establish common understanding
2. Progresses to conceptual questions that require interpretation
3. Culminates in debatable questions that allow multiple valid positions
4. Builds toward this generalization: [insert generalization]

For each question:
- Identify the type (factual/conceptual/debatable)
- Note key passages students should reference
- Suggest follow-up questions to deepen discussion
- Anticipate possible student responses

Also suggest a brief writing task that captures discussion insights.

Prompt 11.3: Integrating Reading and Writing

I want to use [text] as a mentor text to teach the writing concept of [writing focus—e.g., structure, voice, evidence use, imagery].

Design an integrated sequence:
1. How to guide students in noticing the technique as readers
2. Discussion questions about why the author made these choices
3. A low-stakes experiment where students try the technique
4. An authentic writing assignment where students apply the technique purposefully
5. Conferring questions to support students' application

My students have previously [describe relevant prior experience].
My target generalization about writing is: [insert generalization]

Prompt 11.4: Assessing Conceptual Understanding in ELA

I'm concluding a unit on [text/topic] focused on concepts [list concepts] and this generalization: [insert generalization].

Design an assessment sequence that measures conceptual understanding:
1. A formative check during the unit (discussion or writing task)
2. A transfer assessment using a text students haven't seen
3. A summative assessment of their analytical writing
4. A self-assessment tool for students to evaluate their growth

For each assessment:
- Describe the task
- Explain what it measures
- Provide a rubric or criteria focused on conceptual understanding, not just skills
- Suggest how to use results to inform future instruction

My grade level is [grade]. Students will have approximately [time] for assessments.

Prompt 11.5: Adapting Canonical Texts for Conceptual Inquiry

I'm required to teach [canonical text—e.g., Romeo and Juliet, The Great Gatsby, 1984] to [grade level] students.

Help me transform this potentially stale curriculum into genuine inquiry:
1. What concepts make this text enduringly relevant?
2. What essential questions would create authentic inquiry?
3. What provocations would engage contemporary students?
4. What satellite texts (including contemporary ones) could create productive comparison?
5. How can students see this text as illuminating ideas that matter to their lives?

Provide specific examples and activities that make the text feel necessary rather than obligatory.

My students tend to [describe student attitudes toward classics].

Key Takeaways

1. ELA is inherently conceptual: Literature has always been about ideas; CBI makes this explicit and systematic

2. Text selection serves concepts: Choose and organize texts to develop conceptual understanding, not just to "cover" the canon

3. Discussion is inquiry: Structure discussions to move from factual comprehension through conceptual understanding to debatable questions

4. Reading and writing are reciprocal: Integrate reading-writing instruction so each illuminates and strengthens the other

5. Assess understanding, not just skills: Design assessments that measure conceptual understanding and transfer, not just textual knowledge

6. Forms and content concepts both matter: Students need both content concepts (theme, conflict) and form concepts (structure, voice) to fully understand texts

7. Transfer is the goal: Students should leave able to apply conceptual understanding to any text, not just those studied in class

Reflection Questions

1. How do you currently organize your text selection? How might conceptual focus change your approach?

2. Examine a recent discussion you facilitated. Where did it stay factual? Where did it reach conceptual or debatable territory? How might you adjust?

3. How integrated are your reading and writing instruction? What opportunities exist for greater connection?

4. What canonical texts do you teach that could benefit from a CBI approach? What concepts would make them feel essential?

5. How do your assessments measure conceptual understanding versus textual recall or surface skills?

In the next chapter, we explore CBI in Mathematics, where concepts create coherence across seemingly disconnected procedures and topics.