South Dakota ELA 6-8.WHST.8

6-8.WHST.8 is a cluster heading. These are the individual standards under it.

• 6-8.WHST.8.a

  Use search terms effectively.

• 6-8.WHST.8.b

  Assess the credibility and accuracy of each source.

• 6-8.WHST.8.c

  Quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.

01

What Students Need to Do

Students use focused search terms to find information in print and online. They check who made each source, when it was published, and whether its claims hold up. They quote or paraphrase useful facts and cite their sources.

02

What Mastery Looks Like

Given a question about rainfall, a student finds a relevant printed article and a weather agency page. They compare a claim across both, explain why each source is credible, and write a paragraph with an accurate paraphrase and MLA citations.

03

Common Misconceptions

Students may search for “weather” when they need a place, date, and measure. They may trust the first result without checking its author or evidence. Some change a few words and call it a paraphrase, or skip a citation because they did not use a direct quote.

04

How to Assess It

Give students a printed rainfall excerpt and a weather agency page. Ask for a precise search phrase, one credibility check for each source, and a paraphrased fact with an MLA citation.

1. 01

   Give pairs a printed news article and a weather agency report; have them mark authors, dates, evidence, and claims that disagree.

2. 02

   Show a social media rain post and a weather agency report; ask, “Which would you cite for last month’s rainfall, and why?”

3. 03

   Play Citation Fix-It: teams correct missing MLA details and too-close paraphrases in four sample rainfall sentences.

4. 04

   Have students check a local flood claim against a printed newspaper and a weather agency page, then write a cited note for the school newsletter.

• 8.W.8

  Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources.

• 6.W.8

  Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources.

• 7.W.8

  Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources.

• 5.W.8

  Gather and recall relevant information from experiences and multiple print and digital sources such as library databases.