South Dakota ELA 7.SL.1.a
The Standard
- 7.SL.1
- Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; 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
- Read a short article before a group talk and mark details they can use. During the talk, use those details to answer a peer, ask a follow-up question, and rethink a claim.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student points to a line in the article when answering a classmate. They ask what the article leaves out and explain whether the discussion changed their view.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may treat “I agree” or a personal story as enough support. Some read the article but never refer to it, while others quote a line without connecting it to a classmate’s point.
How to Assess It
- After a five-minute talk about an article on later school start times, collect a slip with one cited detail, the peer’s idea it addressed, and one question or revised thought.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs a printed article about later school start times; have them highlight two facts and write a claim beside each on sticky notes.
Prompt students to discuss whether school should start later, answer a classmate with a highlighted line, and ask what evidence might challenge it.
Play evidence match: read a claim aloud; teams find an article line and explain whether it supports or challenges the claim.
Bring the school bell schedule and a short sleep research summary; ask groups to propose a start-time change, citing one detail from each.
Free download
Printable 7.SL.1.a Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 7.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
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