South Dakota ELA 11-12.RI.2.b
The Standard
- 11-12.RI.2
- Determine two or more central ideas or claims of a text.
Provide an objective summary of the text to support analysis.
South Dakota English Language Arts Standards (2025)
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students identify the main ideas and key details in an informational text. They write a brief, neutral summary to use when analyzing the text.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can summarize a dense article in their own words without adding opinions or minor details. They can use the summary to support a claim about the article.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may copy sentences instead of paraphrasing. They may include their reaction as if it were the author's point, or list details without stating the main idea.
How to Assess It
- Give students a one-page article on later school start times. Ask for a three-sentence neutral summary and one claim about the article that the summary supports.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs sentence strips from an article to sort into main ideas, supporting details, and opinions before writing a summary.
After reading an article on later school start times, ask, "Which details belong in a three-sentence summary, and why?"
Show pairs four summaries of the same article; have them choose the most neutral and revise one that adds opinion.
Print a city council notice about a proposed bus route change; have students write a neutral summary for a neighbor.
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Printable 11-12.RI.2.b Worksheet
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