South Dakota ELA 11-12.RI.2.a
The Standard
- 11-12.RI.2
- Determine two or more central ideas or claims of a text.
Analyze and evaluate their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another within a complex text.
South Dakota English Language Arts Standards (2025)
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students identify two central ideas in a complex nonfiction text. They track how each idea develops, explain how the ideas connect, and judge whether the writer supports that connection.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can show how King's discussion of unjust laws strengthens his case for direct action in 'Letter from Birmingham Jail.' They cite passages from different parts of the letter and explain whether those passages make the connection convincing.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may name a broad topic, such as injustice, instead of stating what the writer says about it. They may track two ideas separately or assume a repeated claim is well supported.
How to Assess It
- Ask: In 'Letter from Birmingham Jail,' how does King's discussion of unjust laws strengthen his case for direct action? Cite two passages from different parts of the letter and say whether the connection convinces you.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs three excerpts from the start, middle, and end of King's letter; have them mark two ideas and draw arrows showing connections.
Ask students to write: Where does King's reasoning about unjust laws make his argument for direct action stronger or weaker?
Put six passages from King's letter on cards; teams sort them by idea, then explain where one idea supports the other.
Bring in a local editorial about a school rule; students mark two claims and identify where the writer connects them.
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Related Standards
- 7.RI.2.a
Analyze their development over the course of the text.
- 7.RL.2.a
Analyze its development over the course of the text.
- 11-12.RL.2.a
Analyze and evaluate their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another within a complex account.
- 8.RL.2.a
Analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot.
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