South Dakota ELA 2.RI.3

ELA2nd GradeReading Informational Text

The Standard

Explain the relationships between historical events, scientific ideas, or technical procedures in a text.

South Dakota English Language Arts Standards (2025)

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students read a nonfiction text and connect two events, science ideas, or steps. They explain what happened next, what caused a change, or why one step comes before another.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student points to two details in the text and explains how they connect. They can say whether the text shows a sequence or gives a reason.
Common Misconceptions: Students may say one event caused another just because it happened first. They may put steps in order without explaining how the steps work together.
How to Assess It: Give students a short text about planting a seed. Ask: “Why does the text say to water the seed after planting it? Point to a detail that helps you explain.”

Lesson moves

Give pairs water cycle picture cards and yarn; have them connect evaporation and condensation, then explain each link using a short text.
Read a short account of the Wright brothers' first flight; ask, “How did their earlier tests help them?”
Give teams sentence strips from seed-planting instructions; have them race to order the steps and explain one pair.
Read a handwashing poster together; ask why washing with soap comes before rinsing.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 2.RI.3, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

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