South Dakota ELA 11-12.W.1.c
The Standard
- 11-12.W.1
- Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
Use appropriate and varied transitions and syntax to fluently link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.
South Dakota English Language Arts Standards (2025)
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students connect the parts of an argument so readers can follow how each reason supports the claim and how evidence backs each reason. They use transitions and vary sentence openings when moving between sections, including the counterclaim.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A reader can tell where each new reason begins, why a fact matters, and how an opposing view relates to the claim. The student chooses transitions that fit the relationship and does not repeat the same sentence pattern throughout.
Common Misconceptions
- Students stack facts after a reason without explaining what the facts prove. They use “however” for any new paragraph, even when the next point adds support. They may drop in a counterclaim without linking it to their claim.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: Give students these notes: “Phones should stay off in class; phones distract students; 18 of 25 classmates checked theirs during a lesson; some students need phones for emergencies.” Ask them to write a connected paragraph that shows how the ideas relate and varies at least one sentence opening.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs a claim, reason, evidence, and counterclaim on separate paper strips; have them arrange the strips and write linking sentences between them.
Ask students to write two ways to introduce a counterclaim to a school lunch argument, then discuss which one shows the relationship more clearly.
Play transition swap: give teams a paragraph with repeated “also” and identical sentence openings; have them rewrite it without changing the argument.
Have students revise a sample school board letter about later start times, linking a survey result to a reason and addressing a bus schedule objection.
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