Second Grade Curriculum

Language Arts
The language arts curriculum in second grade continues to develop skills in vocabulary, comprehension, and writing. Children have opportunities for reading and responding in a large group, small group, and independently. Children learn how good readers think and talk about books. They also lean how to pick a just-right book and have daily opportunities to independently read books at their instructional level. Second grade units of study in Reading Workshop include: Comprehension Strategies, Author & Character Study, Poetry, and Nonfiction. Children practice comprehension strategies that include: retelling, making connections, visualizing, inferring, and questioning. Children also learn how to read fluently. Children are encouraged to express their ideas in written form, utilizing the basic steps of the writing process. Children write in a variety of curriculum areas. Beginning mechanics of writing and language usage are introduced and practiced within the context of daily writing activities. Second grade units of study in Writing Workshop include: Narrative, Poetry, Informational, and Research.

Mathematics

Second graders focus on thinking and communicating mathematically. The children have real-life math experiences in order to practice problem solving and build a true understanding of the mathematical concepts they need. Hands-on activities and math games are used to review and learn extended addition and subtraction facts. Students spend time sharing the strategies they used to solve mental math problems. They learn that there are a variety of ways to get the same answer. Students become familiar with arrays, which serve as the foundation for multiplication and division fact families. Money becomes a basis for many math skills in second grade. Students are expected to know the values of coins and the exchange value among U.S. coins. The calculator is used for entering and computing money amounts. Graphing, calendar skills, geometry concepts, and telling time are taught throughout the year. As with the other grade levels, parent involvement with Home Links is an important part of the program.

Science

Students learn important science concepts and develop the ability to think critically by actively constructing ideas through their own inquiries, investigations, and analyses. Students are actively engaged in the process of science as they explore the natural world. The Insects Module provides experiences that heighten students' awareness of the diversity of animal forms. They come to know firsthand the life sequences of a number of insects. In each investigation an insect is introduced, and students observe structures and behaviors, discuss their findings, and ask

questions. Students observe life cycles of insects and compare the stages of metamorphosis exhibited by each species. The Air and Weather Module consists of four sequential investigations, each designed to introduce concepts in earth science. The investigations provide opportunities for young students to explore the natural world by using simple tools to observe and monitor change. The Sound Module focuses on providing opportunities for students to explore sounds from different sources. Students will explore ways to make sounds higher or lower and louder or softer. The Balance and Motion Module provides opportunities for students to explore how things move in different ways. Some things move from one place to another. Other things go around and around in a rotational motion. Still other things are stationary, stable for a time, balanced on a thin line between stop and go.

Social Studies

The social studies curriculum in second grade focuses on the concept of community and includes an in depth study of Troy, past and present. Through interactive experiences, students gain knowledge about their communitys history, government, economics, and geography, while learning problem solving and study skills. Students compare their own community with others around the country and world, discovering similarities and differences.

Art

In second grade, the elements and principles of art are reviewed, utilized, and expanded upon as students develop their knowledge of vocabulary, art production, appreciation, and critical judgment. Through a variety of activities and artistic media, students learn to compare and contrast different art styles, differentiate between cultural art forms, and distinguish between historical periods. Second graders further demonstrate their understanding by creating quality works of art, utilizing a variety of materials and techniques to express themselves.

Media Center

Second graders practice their alphabetical order by arranging books and materials according to the letters on the spine. They are introduced to dictionaries and thesauri as they begin to explore a variety of reference tools. Non-fiction books are excellent resources for second grade research for science and social studies, so these students begin to discover how to find these books on the shelves. They continue reading various genres of literature to foster their appreciation of stories, folk tales and poetry. They read and evaluate Caldecott medal winners to discover different methods of illustrating books.

Physical Education

Numerous activities are offered to second-grade students to improve the coordination of large muscles. They continue to develop habits and attitudes conducive to physical fitness through exercise and other activities. Body control is demonstrated through activities that require bending, twisting, and swinging. The function of eye-hand-foot coordination is explored using a variety of physical education equipment. Through many organized games, students develop coordination, strength and endurance, a sense of fair play, and cooperation with others.

Vocal/General Music

The vocal/general music program at the second-grade level is designed to expose children to the enjoyment of making and performing music while developing basic musical concepts and skills. The curriculum is organized to include many opportunities for singing, listening, playing instruments, creating, and moving to music. Emphasis is on the total involvement of students as music specialists focus on age-appropriate, hands-on musical experiences and activities. Second graders continue to learn the elements of music, including melody, harmony, form, rhythm, texture, timbre, expressive qualities, and style. They explore the expressive qualities of their voices, learn beginning music reading and vocabulary, and, in simple ways, how to listen to and analyze a variety of music. Through exposure to a wide variety of musical styles, beginning attitudes and values about music are formulated.

Computer Lab

As we prepare our students to become active members of society, it is imperative that we prepare them to be effective users of technology tools. Various technology lessons will be integrated throughout the school year. Second graders will have an opportunity to participate in lessons which focus on math, science, social studies, and language arts.