ELA 9–10 Priority Standards for SDA¶
What this page is: Which ELA standards are active in each studio, how they rotate, and what "bundled" means for IR.1–IR.5.
For the complete scale breakdowns of each standard, see ELA 9-10 Scales.
The Active Standard Slots¶
Each six-week studio has four to five standard slots. Here's how they work:
| Slot | Standard(s) | How It Rotates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social Studies | 1 WH or USH standard + era/unit | Set per studio — tied to the content era | Always specified as code + era. Never just the code alone. |
| Reading | One of: R.2, R.4, R.7, R.8, or R.9 | Rotates each studio | Chosen based on the type of text the studio uses |
| Writing | W.3 OR W.4 | Alternates every studio | Even-numbered studios = W.3; Odd-numbered = W.4 (or advisor-specified) |
| Research | IR.1 + IR.2 + IR.3 + IR.4 + IR.5 | Active every studio — always | Bundled and assessed together |
| Communication | C.1 and/or C.6 | Assessed at exhibition every cycle | C.2 and C.7 are ongoing habits — not tied to one studio |
Total standards per studio: 4–5 scored standards (history + reading + writing + IR bundle + communication).
The Writing Standard Rotation¶
W.3 and W.4 alternate every studio. Here's why this matters:
- W.3 (Explanatory) — You're explaining something complex. You have a thesis and you support it with evidence from multiple sources. The goal is that the reader learns and understands.
- W.4 (Argumentative) — You're taking a position and defending it. You have a thesis AND you address the counterargument. The goal is to persuade a reader your position is correct.
These are different skills. Students who only ever write arguments don't develop the ability to explain complex ideas without taking sides. Students who only explain never develop the ability to argue a position under pressure. SDA alternates them so you build both.
See the writing standards deep dive: Writing Standards
Studio Writing Standard Rotation (Pre-Packaged Catalog)¶
| Studio | Writing Standard |
|---|---|
| Studio 1 — Power & Belief | W.3 (Explanatory) |
| Studio 2 — Builders & Breakers | W.4 (Argument) |
| Studio 3 — The Medieval Crisis | W.4 (Argument) |
| Studio 4 — Renaissance & Rebirth | W.3 (Explanatory) |
| Studio 5 — The Age of Revolution | W.4 (Argument) |
| Studio 6 — Propaganda & Truth | W.4 (Argument) |
| Studio 7 — War & Memory | W.3 (Explanatory) |
| Studio 8 — Globalization | W.4 (Argument) |
Note: For Phoenix-track students proposing their own studio, the writing standard is specified in the proposal and must match the type of writing the deliverable requires.
The Reading Standard Rotation¶
The reading standard is selected based on what type of reading the studio involves. Here's the logic:
| Reading Standard | Best Matched To |
|---|---|
| R.2 — Comprehension + inference | Studios with complex primary sources requiring close reading (ancient texts, era documents) |
| R.4 — Main idea / theme development | Studios where a long text or sustained argument is the anchor (letters, essays, speeches) |
| R.7 — Style, syntax, word choice | Studios where how something was written matters as much as what (propaganda, literature, rhetoric) |
| R.8 — Literary elements (fiction/memoir) | Studios that include a literary text (novels, memoirs, narrative nonfiction) |
| R.9 — Informational and argumentative analysis | Studios built around nonfiction sources with bias, perspective, or rhetorical purpose |
Studio reading standard pairing (example for WH Grade 9 — pre-packaged catalog):
| Studio | Reading Standard | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 — Power & Belief | R.9 | Analyzing religious and political texts for author purpose and bias |
| 2 — Builders & Breakers | R.2 | Reading complex informational texts about early science and civilization |
| 3 — The Medieval Crisis | R.4 | Tracking how arguments about order/obedience develop across a text |
| 4 — Renaissance & Rebirth | R.7 | Renaissance texts — how stylistic choices changed with the period |
| 5 — The Age of Revolution | R.9 | Revolutionary-era pamphlets and speeches — argument, rhetoric, bias |
| 6 — Propaganda & Truth | R.7 | Propaganda is all about style and word choice |
| 7 — War & Memory | R.8 | Literary texts (memoir, narrative nonfiction) alongside historical accounts |
| 8 — Globalization | R.9 | Contemporary nonfiction, multiple accounts, differing perspectives |
The IR Bundle Explained¶
IR.1, IR.2, IR.3, IR.4, and IR.5 are always active, every studio. They are assessed as a bundle.
This means you don't get one studio to "do IR.4" and then move on. Research skills are cumulative — you use them every single cycle, and your evidence of growth in the bundle is tracked across the whole year.
What Each IR Standard Is Doing in the Studio¶
| Standard | When in the Studio It Shows Up |
|---|---|
| IR.1 — Develop research questions | Week 1 — your guiding question in your proposal |
| IR.2 — Gather + interpret sources | Weeks 2–3 — your source log and annotations |
| IR.3 — Organize information | Weeks 2–4 — how your notes and sources are structured |
| IR.4 — Evaluate source credibility | Weeks 2–3 — your source evaluations in your log |
| IR.5 — Integrate sources (citations) | Weeks 3–5 — in-text citations and bibliography in your final product |
How the Bundle Is Scored¶
The IR bundle is scored as one holistic proficiency score per studio. To earn a 3.0 on the bundle, you need to show evidence of all five standards working together: - A well-crafted research question that evolved from your Dig - Sources from multiple types (at least one primary, at least one secondary) - Organized notes/source log accessible for use - Written source evaluations noting bias, perspective, and purpose - Correct in-text citations and a complete bibliography
If you're missing one component significantly, you're likely at 2.0 or 2.5 on the bundle even if you've done the rest well.
Skinnies for the IR bundle: Research Questions Ir1 · Primary Vs Secondary Sources · Source Log Template · Source Credibility Ir4 · Mla Citation Ir5
Communication Standards: Assessed at Exhibition¶
C.1 and C.6 are assessed at the Week 6 exhibition every cycle.
- C.1 — Your presentation: formal or informal, multimedia choices, delivery
- C.6 — Your discussion/debate engagement: listening, responding, asking questions, sharing research
C.2 (verbal/nonverbal) and C.7 (collaboration) are ongoing habits assessed through advisory and seminar participation — not tied to a single exhibition. These appear in your overall communication score across the semester.
Standards Not in the SDA Active Rotation¶
These are valid ND standards but are not the primary focus of SDA 9–10 studios. They appear in the NDSBL framework but are either assessed through other means or come in at 11–12:
| Standard | Status in SDA |
|---|---|
| 9-10.R.3a/b | Summarizing — embedded in IR work, not separately assessed |
| 9-10.R.6 | Text structure — embedded in R.9 work |
| 9-10.W.5 | Creative/narrative writing — available as deliverable form but not primary standard |
| 9-10.W.7 | Vocabulary and figurative language — embedded in L.1 and writing work |
| 9-10.C.5 | Preparing for discussions — embedded in C.6 preparation |
| 9-10.C.7 | Collaboration — assessed as ongoing habit through advisory, primarily 11–12 |
Reading Library — ELA Mentor Texts¶
- ELA ↔ SS Crosswalk — Master table matching reading library texts to ELA standards by studio
CrashCourse Episodes — ELA Focus¶
- ELA-focused CrashCourse entries — coming soon
Why This Is Relevant Today?¶
Reading and writing are not school skills — they're the skills that determine whether a person can participate meaningfully in a democracy. The ability to read a contract, evaluate a news source, construct an argument with evidence, and communicate clearly in a formal register are not optional life skills. The ELA standards in this wiki are framed around what students actually need to do with texts — not to summarize them, but to analyze them, argue about them, and use them to build knowledge. In a world where information moves fast and the gap between people who can evaluate sources and people who can't is enormous, these standards are civic infrastructure. For the texts where these standards come alive most directly, see the Reading Library and the Studio Archive.
Why This Is Relevant Today?¶
The ELA standards in SDA are not arbitrary checkboxes — they are a map of specific intellectual moves that matter in the world outside school. Reading a difficult text closely and identifying its argument (R.9) is the skill you need when you're trying to figure out whether a news source is reliable, whether a legal document means what someone claims it means, or whether a political speech is making an honest case. Writing a structured argument with evidence (W.4) is what every professional, every citizen, and every person who wants to change anything needs to be able to do. The research process (IR.1–5) is how you find out what's actually true in a world full of confident misinformation. These aren't English class skills; they're power skills. The studio model at SDA puts them in the context of content you're actually investigating — which is the point. See the ELA ↔ SS Crosswalk for how ELA and SS standards work together.
ELA Priority Standards page — SDA Commons Wiki See also: ELA 9-10 Scales · Writing Standards · Crosswalk Ela Ss