South Dakota ELA 2.W.2

2.W.2 is a cluster heading. These are the individual standards under it.

• 2.W.2.a

  Provide introduction with a topic sentence.

• 2.W.2.b

  Use facts and details to develop points.

• 2.W.2.c

  use grade level appropriate linking words and phrases to connect ideas.

• 2.W.2.d

  Provide a concluding sentence or paragraph.

01

What Students Need to Do

Students write a short piece that tells a reader about one topic. They start by naming the topic, add facts and details that explain it, connect their ideas, and end with a closing sentence.

02

What Mastery Looks Like

A student opens with a sentence that names the topic. They add relevant facts and connect them with words such as “also” or “because.” Their last sentence wraps up the explanation.

03

Common Misconceptions

Some students write a title but no opening sentence. Others add opinions or facts that do not explain the topic. They may end with a new fact instead of wrapping up.

04

How to Assess It

Give students these facts: Bees visit flowers. Pollen sticks to bees. Bees carry pollen to other flowers. Ask them to write five sentences explaining how bees help flowers, with an opening, two linked facts, and a closing.

1. 01

   Give pairs four sentence strips about bees to arrange as an opening, two facts, and a closing, then have them add “also” between facts.

2. 02

   Ask partners, “How does a seed grow?” Then have each child write an opening, two facts linked by “next,” and a closing.

3. 03

   Play Paragraph Fix-It: give teams a short frog paragraph with one off-topic sentence and a missing linking word to repair.

4. 04

   Students read tomorrow’s weather forecast and write a note to a classmate with an opening, two weather facts, and a closing.

• 1.W.2

  The 1st Grade version of this standard.