South Dakota ELA 7.RL.2.a
The Standard
- 7.RL.2
- Determine a theme or central idea(s) of a text.
Analyze its development over the course of the text.
South Dakota English Language Arts Standards (2025)
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students identify a theme in a story, poem, or play. They track how events, character choices, and the ending build that theme.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student states a theme as a full idea, not a one-word topic. They use details from the beginning, middle, and end to explain how that idea develops.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may name a topic, such as trust, instead of a message about it. They may list events without explaining their link to the theme, or use only the ending as proof.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: State a theme from today's story. Name one detail from the beginning and one from the ending, and explain how each builds that theme.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Have pairs mark the opening, turning point, and ending of “Thank You, M'am” with sticky notes, then label what each reveals about trust.
Ask, “Why does Roger stay when he could run?” Have partners connect his choice to an earlier and a later moment.
Give teams four possible themes and six event cards from “Thank You, M'am”; award points for matching evidence in story order.
Have students write a three-scene school scenario about rebuilding trust, then compare its beginning and ending with Roger's choices.
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Printable 7.RL.2.a Worksheet
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