South Dakota ELA 4.RI.6

ELA4th GradeReading Informational Text

The Standard

Compare and contrast a primary and secondary account of the same event or topic; describe the similarities/differences in the point of view based on the information provided.

South Dakota English Language Arts Standards (2025)

Teacher's field guide

What This Standard Means

What Students Need to Do: Students read a witness's account and a report based on other sources about the same event. They find shared and unique details, then explain how each writer's connection to the event shapes the account.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student can identify which writer experienced the event and which used other sources. They can point to a shared fact and explain a difference in what the writers know, using evidence from both texts.
Common Misconceptions: Students may assume the account written first is always firsthand. They may think a witness quote makes an entire news report firsthand. They may mistake different details for conflicting facts.
How to Assess It: On an exit ticket, print A: 'I heard the alarm and walked outside' and B: 'According to the principal's notes, students walked outside after the alarm sounded.' Ask students to name the firsthand account, one shared detail, and a difference in viewpoint, using words from both.

Lesson moves

Ways to Teach It

Give pairs a witness's field day note and a report based on interviews; have them highlight shared facts blue and unique details yellow.
Ask students to write: What can the field day witness tell us that the interview-based report cannot, and which words prove it?
Match astronaut quote cards to facts in a moon landing history paragraph, then explain which source gives a personal view.
Compare a fan's account of a basketball game with a newspaper recap, and mark one shared play and one different focus.

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