South Dakota ELA 2.W.2.d

ELA2nd GradeWriting

The Standard

Provide a concluding sentence or paragraph.

South Dakota English Language Arts Standards (2025)

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students make the last line of a short piece connect to its main idea. They use it to show they are done, rather than adding a new detail.
What Mastery Looks Like: After writing about a favorite game, a student can write an ending that fits the whole piece. They can choose the better of two endings and explain why it works.
Common Misconceptions: Students may stop after their last detail or write 'The end' without connecting back to the topic. Others add a new idea or copy their first sentence word for word.
How to Assess It: Put this on an exit ticket: 'My dog loves to play. She chases balls at the park. We play tug with her rope toy.' Ask students to write one sentence that finishes the paragraph.

Lesson moves

Give pairs a topic strip and two detail strips about a pet dog, then have them write a final strip that wraps up the topic.
Ask partners whether 'Rainy days are fun for me' works as an ending for a paragraph about jumping in puddles, and why.
Post three short paragraphs with missing endings; teams choose from ending cards and explain which card fits each paragraph.
Have students write a thank-you note to a school helper, ending with a sentence that sums up why they appreciate the person.

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