South Dakota ELA 11-12.WHST.8
The Standard
Gather relevant information from multiple sources; use advanced searches effectively; assess the relevance, accuracy, and credibility of each source; and fluently integrate information (e.g. paraphrases, summaries, direct quotations, elaborations, and attributions). Avoid plagiarism and follow a standard format for citation.
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 use search terms and filters to find several sources that answer a question. They check whether each source is relevant, compare its claims with other evidence, and consider who produced it. They use quotes and paraphrases in their own writing and cite both.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can find two useful sources with a date filter or site-specific search. They can explain why each source fits the question, verify a key claim, and identify the author's expertise. Their paragraph connects their own explanation to attributed evidence and includes consistent citations.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may trust the first search result or assume a recent date means its claims are accurate. They may change a few words and call it a paraphrase, or cite quotations but not summaries.
How to Assess It
- Give students two short, dated articles with author names and ask, 'Which better answers whether school tap water is safe, and what claim can you check against the other article?' Have them write one attributed paraphrase with an MLA citation.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Print two water quality reports; students highlight a shared claim, circle conflicting numbers, and note who collected each set of data.
Ask pairs, 'Would you use a water company press release or a state test report for lead levels, and why?'
Run a search race: students use site:.gov and a date filter to find two lead-testing reports, then compare authors and dates.
Use a city drinking water report to write a three-sentence note to families with an attributed result and an MLA citation.
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Related Standards
- 11-12.W.8
Gather relevant information from multiple credible sources.
- 9-10.W.8
Gather relevant information from multiple sources.
- 9-10.WHST.8
Gather relevant information from multiple sources; use advanced searches effectively; assess the relevance, accuracy, and credibility of each source; and fluent...
- 9-10.SL.2
Evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally). Evaluate the credibility and accuracy o...
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