South Dakota ELA 11-12.RH.4

ELAGrades 11–12Reading: History/Social Studies

The Standard

Interpret the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including analyzing how an author uses and refines key terms over the course of a text.

South Dakota English Language Arts Standards (2025) · Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects

Teacher's field guide

What This Standard Means

What Students Need to Do: Students use nearby sentences to work out what words mean in a history or social studies text. They track a key term across the text and explain how the author’s use of it changes or becomes more precise.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student can explain two uses of the same term in context. They can cite words near each use to show what the later use adds or changes.
Common Misconceptions: Students may apply one dictionary definition to every use of a word. They may also assume that a repeated word has exactly the same meaning each time.
How to Assess It: Exit ticket: In the Gettysburg Address, what does “dedicated” mean in the opening sentence, and what does “dedicate” mean when Lincoln speaks of the battlefield? Cite a phrase for each.

Lesson moves

Ways to Teach It

Print four excerpts containing “dedicate” from the Gettysburg Address; students place them in speech order and write a meaning beside each.
Ask: Why does Lincoln say people cannot “dedicate” the ground after saying they came to “dedicate” it? Use both lines.
Give pairs four “dedicate” sentence cards and four meaning cards from the speech; have them match the cards and defend one choice.
Have students circle “excused” in the school attendance policy and note which absences each rule includes or excludes.

Free download