South Dakota ELA 6.SL.1.a
The Standard
- 6.SL.1
- Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Come to discussions prepared having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to respond, probe, and reflect on ideas under discussion.
South Dakota English Language Arts Standards (2025)
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students read or study the assigned material before talking with classmates. They use details from it to support an answer, ask a follow-up question, or rethink an idea.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student points to a specific line or fact while explaining a view. They respond to a classmate's point with another detail or explain how the discussion changed their thinking.
Common Misconceptions
- Some students treat a strong opinion as evidence or say “the article says” without naming a detail. Others bring notes but never use them, or repeat a classmate's idea without responding to it.
How to Assess It
- After a short article on school start times, have students write one claim backed by a detail and one question for a classmate. Listen to a two-minute partner talk to check whether they use both.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
After students read an article on school start times, have them mark two facts with sticky notes and post them beside matching claims.
Ask pairs: “Should school start later? Which detail from the article backs your answer, and what might change your mind?”
Give teams sentence strips from the article and three claim cards; have them match each claim to a strip and explain one match aloud.
Print the school lunch schedule; students propose one change, cite a time on the page, and answer a classmate's question.
Free download
Printable 6.SL.1.a Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 6.SL.1.a, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.
Download the worksheetKeep exploring
Related Standards
- 7.SL.1.a
Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, o...
- 8.SL.1.a
Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, o...
Turn this exact standard into a lesson
Grade, subject, topic, and the complete standard are prefilled. Create one free, no account needed.
Also for this standard:Make a WorksheetMake a QuizMake a Sub Lesson