South Dakota ELA 6-8.WHST.6.c

ELAGrades 6–8Writing: History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects

The Standard

6-8.WHST.6: Use technology, including digital tools/platforms, to format, produce and publish writing

Demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to produce writing with stamina in a single sitting.

South Dakota English Language Arts Standards (2025)

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students type their own ideas for a sustained stretch of time. They use the keyboard well enough to keep writing and make simple fixes without starting over.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student can type a paragraph in one sitting with few long pauses to find keys. They can fix a typo and keep going.
Common Misconceptions: Some students think they must fix every word before finishing a sentence. Others type quickly but leave out words, or restart a whole line to fix one mistake.
How to Assess It: Show a photo of a puddle after rain. Give students ten minutes to type where they think the water goes, then check whether they sustained a readable draft and made fixes without starting over.

Lesson moves

Give students a leaf and a laptop; have them type five observations, then combine them into a paragraph without starting over.
Ask partners, 'Which keys make you stop typing?' Have each student write one practice goal for their next draft.
Run a ten-minute typing challenge using these facts: clouds formed, rain fell, puddles dried. Students connect them in sentences without racing.
Have students type a 12-minute email to the principal proposing one change to cafeteria recycling, then check it for missing words.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 6-8.WHST.6.c, 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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