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

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

The Standard

6-8.WHST.8: Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources.

Assess the credibility and accuracy of each source.

South Dakota English Language Arts Standards (2025) · Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students check who made each source, when it was made, and what evidence it gives. They compare its claims with another reliable source before using it in their writing.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student can explain why a museum page is credible, then catch a wrong date by checking another source. They can say which facts are verified and which still need checking.
Common Misconceptions: Students may treat a polished website or a .org address as proof that its claims are true. They may assume a credible author cannot make a mistake, or that a widely shared claim must be accurate.
How to Assess It: Show a NASA excerpt explaining reflected moonlight and an unsigned post claiming the Moon makes its own light. Ask students to judge each source's credibility and accuracy, with one reason for each.

Lesson moves

Give pairs two printed accounts of the same event; have them highlight the author, date, evidence, and facts that conflict.
Ask, 'Can a museum article be trustworthy but contain a wrong date?' Have pairs explain how they would check it.
Play Source Sort with four short source cards; teams rank them by author expertise, date, evidence, and one checked claim.
Show a screenshot claiming a new school phone rule; have students check its date against the current student handbook.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 6-8.WHST.8.b, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

Keep exploring

Grade, subject, topic, and the complete standard are prefilled. Create one free, no account needed.