South Dakota ELA 2.RL.7

ELA2nd GradeReading Literature

The Standard

Use background knowledge, illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.

South Dakota English Language Arts Standards (2025)

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students notice what characters do and what a scene looks like. They connect those details with the story's words and what they already know to explain a character's choice, the setting, or an event.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student can point to a scarf in a picture and the line “Nia shivered” to explain that Nia is cold. They can name the outdoor setting and use what they know about cold weather to explain why she goes inside.
Common Misconceptions: Some students decide a character is happy from a smile in the picture, even when the words say she is nervous. Others treat their own experience as proof, such as saying every dog will chase a ball when the story shows one hiding.
How to Assess It: Sketch a child in boots beside a playground slide and write, “Mia splashed through puddles.” Ask, “Where is Mia, and how do the drawing, words, and what you know help you tell?”

Lesson moves

Pairs mark a picture clue, a word clue, and a personal connection on a story page with sticky notes, then explain the setting.
Write: “The character feels ___ because the picture shows ___, and the words say ___.”
Play clue bingo with a picture-book page; students cover picture, words, or experience squares as they explain the character's actions.
Show a photo of children under a rainy bus shelter with the caption “The bus is late”; ask why they stay there.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 2.RL.7, 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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