South Dakota ELA 11-12.WHST.2.a
The Standard
- 11-12.WHST.2
- Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information to make important connections and distinctions; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aid comprehension.
South Dakota English Language Arts Standards (2025) · Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students introduce the topic so readers know what the report covers. They group complex information to show which ideas connect and which differ. They use headings, tables, or images when these help readers follow the information.
What Mastery Looks Like
- In a report on two water samples, a student names the testing question and groups results under clear headings. A labeled table makes the differences easy to see, and the writing explains what the results show together.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may start with a broad statement but never name the report's specific topic. They may list facts in the order they found them instead of grouping related results. Some add a chart that merely repeats the paragraph or use headings that do not fit the sections.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: Compare Site A (3 mg/L nitrate, 12 fish) with Site B (8 mg/L nitrate, 4 fish). Write a one-sentence introduction, two section headings, a labeled comparison table, and one sentence describing the pattern.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs printed cards with a lab question, nitrate readings, and fish counts; have them sort facts into headed sections and draw a comparison table.
Ask students: "How does a table clarify the differences between Site A and Site B better than two separate paragraphs?"
Post four report paragraphs and six possible headings; have teams match the headings to paragraphs and defend one rejected heading.
Show a city water report with a test-results table; ask students to circle a comparison readers might miss in prose alone.
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