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Second Grade Curriculum Overview

 
Reading
PreK4 through Fourth Grade uses Daily Five Language Arts Model in their Classrooms. This program allows students to be involved in their own learning. The goal is to give children a choice in the way they read and keep the students engaged in meaningful activities. The small group work is beneficial to the students at every level and allows each student to take risks with their reading in a safe environment. Students choose from Read to Self, Work on Writing, Partner Reading, Listen to Reading, and Word Work. Students are also taught through Daily Five through whole group lessons about many different reading strategies to help with their Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency, and Vocabulary while they are reading. When the students are working in their different rounds, the teacher will be meeting with differentiated reading groups- guided reading. In the reading groups the students read a variety of different texts that are specifically leveled for them. The different texts include literary, informative, practical, fiction, and nonfiction. Students are taught many different reading skills and strategies that will help them to become better readers and writers.
Novels:
During the course of the year, the class will read a collection of novels. The class will discuss the books as partners, small groups, and as a whole group. As a class we read Chocolate Touch, Muggie Maggie, Judy Moody, Stone Fox, Magic Tree House, and Muttley.
 
Language Arts (Writing, Grammar, Phonics, Spelling/Vocabulary)
Writing
The second grade Writing Curriculum focuses on Narrative Writing. They will learn how to write using entertaining beginnings, elaborative details, suspense, main events, solutions, conclusions, and alternate endings. Students will engage in pre-writing activities to brainstorm ideas for their writing. They will learn the Process of Writing and the steps it takes to finalize a piece of writing. Students will learn how to proofread their writing, looking to make revisions to edit their paper. They will engage in peer and teacher conference to review their writing.
Grammar
The Grammar curriculum for second grade consists of Types of Sentences, Subjects and Predicates, Combining Sentences, Punctuation, and Parts of Speech. The Parts of Speech that are focused on are Nouns (common, proper, singular, plural, and possessive), Verbs (action, helping, linking, present, past, and future), Pronouns, Adjectives, and Adverbs.
Phonics
The second grade Phonics curriculum focuses on Consonants, Short and Long Vowels, Consonant Blends and Sounds, Syllables, Compound Word, Consonant and Vowel Diagraphs, Contractions, Diphthongs, Suffixes, Prefixes, Synonyms, and Antonyms. The curriculum also uses Month-by-Month Phonics for Second Grade. This provides the teacher with a way to teach phonics in a method that is systematic and consists of multilevel instruction.
Spelling/Vocabulary
Our spelling words come from the vocabulary words. Students will work with these words for two weeks. Using this model encourages students to not only learn the correct spelling but to use the new words in their everyday speech and writing.
 
Mathematics
My Math is a math series that we use here at the school so it gives children the chance to learn basic math skills, using manipulatives and technology. The mathematics curriculum is organized into four strands:
1) Operations and Algebraic Thinking
2) Number and Operations in Base Ten
3) Measurement and Data
4) Geometry
This book allows children to dig deeper into their math skills, using their critical thinking skills. Our Math curriculum scaffolds the math, meaning that it starts in whole group and ends with them working individually on the material. The lessons are fun and engaging, promoting hands on math and integration of literacy. It gives students real world problems and helps them to make the connection that math has to our everyday lives.
The second grade math curriculum is taught using Daily Three. This program allows for whole group instructions, individualized conferencing, and differentiated small group work. It is meant to keep students engaged, focused, and independent in different activities that help build their math awareness at every level. The first part of Daily Three is Math with a Teacher. Students will be placed into differentiated groups and will work with a teacher on the specific content taught during the lesson. Math by Myself is the round were students will work on their math fact recall using flashcards and math fact binders. Math in Technology is the third round. Students will work on an individualized computer and iPad program called Mathletics. This program can challenge or be used as review of the lesson for all students.
 
Social Studies
The second grade Social Studies curriculum has four main areas of study. Unit One focuses on the Role of Citizens, Cultures, and Human Interactions. In this unit of study, students begin to learn how to explore and understand aspects of themselves, others, and communities around the world. Students will develop awareness of the similarities and differences of some cultures in the world. Students will become more familiar with the diversity in the classroom and learn about each student’s background, helping them to become more accepting and appreciative of all students. They begin to learn their worth and role as a citizen in the different types of communities. Unit Two has students dig deeper in Government: Local and National. They will learn the different levels of our government and learn more about our democracy. Students will take an active role in learning about how we nominate, elect, and vote on the officials who are apart of our government. They will have the opportunity to vote and execute their rights. The third unit looks at Economic Concepts, specifically focuses on helping children learn more about the basic economic concepts relating them to their own needs and wants. Unit Four has students learning about Geography. They begin to develop geographic awareness of their surroundings. Students will apply that knowledge and begin to learn about geographic representations seen on maps and globes.
 
Science
The focus for Science for second grade students is that students should be actively involved in exploring the world around them, asking questions and trying to find out answers. Students also begin to learn how to work in an active learning environment, where they are called upon to communicate, investigate, explain, describe, and observe individually, and collectively as a class. In the beginning of the year, students will learn the Scientific Method that they will relate back to throughout the year. The Science Curriculum focuses on four main areas. The first unit has the students begin to look at Matter and its different properties and how matter can change. Students will participate in many science experiments during this unit, helping them to learn how to work with others and investigate Matter more deeply. Unit Two has students learning about Structures and Functions of Living Organisms. It has the students dig into the different types of animals, their life cycles, and their adaptations that help them to survive. Students will learn how to conduct research during this unit. They will use technology to find out more about an animal of their choosing and learn to compile that information into a PowerPoint that they will get to present to their classmates and parents. Unit Three focuses on Earth Systems, Structures, and Processes. This unit will look focus on all three of these, but have a special focus on weather. Students will take an active role on discovering and observing the different types of weather. They will create a weather journal during the course of this unit. Unit Four looks into Forces and Motions. Students will be able to explain the relationship between sound and objects. Throughout the year, students will be engaged in their lessons by creating an interactive notebook that will help them to learn how to take notes.
 
Religion
Religion for Second Grade has five key focuses throughout the text: God-Our Creator and Father, Jesus-Our Lord and Savior, The Church-Our Community in the Spirit, Sacraments-Our Way of Life, and Morality-Our Lived Faith. Students will learn more about the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, and the seven Sacraments celebrated in the Church. The curriculum is connected to the scriptures, which provides an opportunity to teach students how to read from the Bible. The students learn how to find books, chapters, and verses in the Bible. Each week, they have a new Bible verse that they get to decipher and create their own meaning of it. The curriculum also gives students an opportunity to learn how to be more engaged in Mass. It reviews important prayers that are said during Mass and begins to teach the students the different part of the Mass. Included in the curriculum is an Art Print. This is supposed to help students begin to visual and connect with their faith. In each chapter, the book introduces students to different Parables, Saints, and Prophets. It gives key information about the basics of each of those stories, helping to grow their foundation of the Catholic religion. The curriculum also includes chapters that focus on different seasons and holidays throughout the liturgical year. Lastly, there is a big focus on their prayer life, and teaches them how to reflect on their personal relationship with God. As a class, the students also learn how to pray the rosary. There is a special place in the classroom called the 'Prayer Corner' that students are allowed to reflect and pray once they have completed their work. In the classroom, there is a prayer intention wall, where students can write special people they would like the class to prayer for.
 
Handwriting
In the second grade Handwriting curriculum, students will begin the year by reviewing manuscript. By the end of October, students will start to learn the cursive letters, focusing on size, shape, slant, spacing, and joining letters together.
 
Spanish
In second grade we build on what we learned in 1st grade. We review numbers and add 21-39. We review colors, basic expressions, days of the week, months of the year, seasons, classroom objects, body parts, animals. Commands become routine. We end the year with food, clothing, and the house.
 
Art
In 2nd grade, students will begin to use more art vocabulary when discussing media, processes, and images. They will create art that expresses ideas about people, neighborhoods, and stories. Students will recognize that art can represent different cultures and time periods. They will continue to explore the elements and principles of art and discuss art using these terms as well as personal ideas and observations.
 
Music
Taking the concepts of 1st grade, 2nd graders will learn to apply these skills into musical performance. Students learn proper performance posture using the Alexander Method, more advanced rhythm concepts, as well as solidifying treble clef reading assignments. There will be a performance in the Christmas Musical, as well as a class led mass.
 
Health/PE
Apply competent motor skills and movement patterns as needed to perform a variety of physical activities. Understand concepts, principles, strategies, and tactics that apply to the learning and performance of movement. Understand the importance of achieving and maintaining a health-enhancing level of physical fitness. Use behavioral strategies that are responsible and enhance respect of self and others and value activity.
 
Miscellaneous
Catholic students make their First Reconciliation in November and their First Holy Communion in May.