South Dakota ELA 8.SL.4.c

ELA8th GradeSpeaking & Listening

The Standard

8.SL.4: Present claims and findings appropriate to the purpose and audience.

Emphasize salient points in a focused, coherent manner.

South Dakota English Language Arts Standards (2025)

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students give a short talk with one clear message. They choose the points that matter most, put them in a sensible order, and make those points stand out.
What Mastery Looks Like: After the talk, a listener can name the main message and two key points. The speaker uses transitions and changes in pace or volume to draw attention to those points without stressing every detail.
Common Misconceptions: Students may speak louder for the whole talk instead of stressing a few points. They may also include interesting facts that distract from their message or repeat a point without explaining it.
How to Assess It: Ask students to give a 45-second pitch on whether lunch should be 10 minutes longer. Have partners write down the main claim and two points the speaker emphasized.

Lesson moves

Give students three fact cards about school lunch; have them order the cards by importance and deliver a 30-second pitch using that order.
Have pairs write two sentences explaining which detail best supports a pitch for later school start times and why.
Play Key Point Detective: one student gives a 30-second pitch, and classmates name the two points they heard stressed.
Use a local bus schedule and have students pitch one route change to a transit planner, stressing two reasons it would help riders.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 8.SL.4.c, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

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

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