South Dakota ELA 9-10.WHST.8
The Standard
Gather relevant information from multiple sources; use advanced searches effectively; assess the relevance, accuracy, and credibility of each source; and fluently integrate information. (e.g. paraphrases, summaries, direct quotations, elaborations, and attributions). Avoid plagiarism and follow a standard format for citation.
South Dakota English Language Arts Standards (2025) · Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students use specific search terms and filters to find information from several sources. They check whether each source answers their question, who wrote it, and whether its claims hold up. They use paraphrases, summaries, and quotes in their writing, with clear citations.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student finds two useful sources and checks an important claim against both. Their writing connects the evidence to a point, marks direct quotes, and cites sources in the assigned format.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may assume the first search result is the most reliable. They may change a few words in a copied sentence and call it a paraphrase. They may list links at the end without showing which source supports each claim.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: Give students excerpts from a water utility report and an unsigned blog post, with dates. Ask for a targeted search query, a justified source choice, and one paraphrase with an MLA in-text citation.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs a printed water report and a news story; have them highlight matching claims and circle claims they cannot verify.
Ask, 'When should you quote a scientist instead of paraphrasing?' Have students write both versions with source credits.
Run a five-minute search race: use quotation marks and a site: filter to find two sources, then record each author and date.
Find the local water utility's annual report and a state health page; write a three-sentence note for a neighbor with two cited facts.
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