North East Social Studies Excellence

Second Grade Curriculum Guide

 

By the end of Second Grade the Student will:

1.    Begin to develop concepts of time and chronology by measuring calendar time by days, week, months and years.

2.    Identify the functions of government as well as services provided by the local government.

3.    Continue to acquire knowledge of important customs, symbols, and celebrations that represent American beliefs and principals.

4.    Understand the relationship between the physical environment and human activities and the concepts of consumers and producers.

5.    Identify the significant works of art in the local community and explain how technological innovations have changed transportation and communication.
 

Unit of Study

Timeline

 

Continuous Threads – Social Studies Skills

Integrated throughout the school year

 

Foundations of Our Nation

 

 

18 weeks

 

Our World and How it Changes

 

 

18 weeks

 

 

Continuous Threads - Social Studies Skills

Time Frame: Year Long Integration

TEKS
2.17
The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of sources including electronic technology.
2.17A Obtain information about a topic using a variety of oral sources such as conversations, interviews and music.

2.17B Obtain information about a topic using a variety of visual sources such as pictures, graphics, television, maps, computer software, literature, reference sources and artifacts.

2.17C Use various parts of sources, including the table of contents, glossary, and index, as well as computer keyboard searches, to locate information.

2.17D Sequence and categorize information.

2.17E Interpret oral, visual and print material by identifying the main idea, predicting, and comparing and contrasting

2.18 The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms.

2.18A Express ideas orally based on knowledge and experiences

2.18B Create written and visual material such as  stories, poems, maps,  and  graphic organizers to express ideas

2.19 The student uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working independently and with others, in a variety of settings.

identify a problem, gather information, list and consider options, consider advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement a solution and evaluate the effectiveness of the solution.

2.19B Use a decision-making process to identify a situation that requires a decision, gather information, identify options, predict consequences and take action to implement a decision.

2.1 The student understands the historical significance of landmarks and celebrations in the community, state and nation.

2.1A explain the significance of various community, state, and national celebrations such as Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Thanksgiving

2.14 The student understands important customs, symbols, and celebrations that represent American beliefs and principles and contribute to our national identity.

2.14C explain how selected customs, symbols, and celebrations reflect an American love of individualism, inventiveness, and freedom

2.15 The student understands the significance of works of art in the local community.

2.15A identify selected stories, poems, statues, painting, artworks and other examples of local cultural heritage expressions of culture in the local community and other communities
2.15B explain the significance of selected stories, poems, statues, painting, artworks, and other examples of local cultural heritage.

Language/Vocabulary

celebrate

celebrations

choose

compare

computer

contrast

cultural heritage

customs

decide

heritage

graph

holiday

interview

main idea

monument

order
poems
sequence
statues

 

 

UNIT: Foundations of Our Nation

Time Frame: 18 Weeks

TEKS

2.13 The student understands characteristics of good citizenship as exemplified by historic figures and ordinary people.

2.13A identify characteristics of good citizenships such as a belief in justice, truth, equality and responsibility for the common good.

2.13C identify ordinary people who exemplify good citizenship.

2.14 The student understands important customs, symbols, and celebrations that represent American beliefs and principles and contribute to our national identity.

2.14A identify selected patriotic songs such as American the Beautiful

2.14B identify selected symbols such as state and national birds and flowers and patriot symbols such as the U. S. and Texas flags and Uncle Sam [such as the White House, U.S. Flag]

2.4 The student understands how historical figures and ordinary people helped to shape our community, state, and nation.

2.4A identify contributions of historic figures such as Henrietta King and Thurgood Marshall who have influenced the community, state and nation.

2.4B identify historic figures such as Robert Fulton who have exhibited a love of individualism and inventiveness.

2.11 The student understands the purpose of governments.

2.11A identify functions of governments.

2.11B identify some governmental services in the community such as libraries, schools, and parks and explain their value to the community.

2.11C describe how governments establish order provide , and manage conflict.

2.12 The student understands the role of public officials.

2.12A compare the roles of public officials including mayor, governor, and president.

2.12B identify ways that public officials are selected, including election and appointment to office.

2.1 The student understands the historical significance of landmarks and celebrations in the community, state, and nation.

2.1B identify and explain the significance of various community, state, and national landmarks such as the county courthouse and state and national capitol buildings.

2.2 The student understands the concepts of time and chronology.

2.2A describe the order of events by using designations of time periods such as ancient times and modern times.

2.2B use vocabulary related to chronology, including past, present, and future.

2.2C create and interpret timelines.

2.2D describe and measure calendar time by days, weeks, months, and years.

2.3 The student understands how various sources provide information about the past.

2.3A name several sources of information about a given period or event.

2.3B compare various interpretations of the same time period using evidence such as photographs and interviews.

2.4 The student understands how historical figures and ordinary people helped to shape our community, state, and nation.

2.4B identify historic figures such as Amelia Earhart and Robert Fulton who have exhibited a love of individualism and inventiveness.

2.4C explain how local people and events have influenced local community history.

2.13 The student understands characteristics of good citizenship as exemplified by historic figures and ordinary people.

2.13B identify historic figures such as Florence Nightingale, Paul Revere, and Sojourner Truth who exemplified good citizenship.
2.16 The student understands how science and technology have affected life, past and present.
2.16A describe how science and technology have changed communication, transportation and recreation.

Language/Vocabulary

ancient

appointment

capital

capitol

citizens

citizenship

Citizenship Day (9/17)

colonists

colony

Columbus Day

community

congress

country

courthouse

elections

equality

explorer

Freedom Week

future

government

governor

group

history

independence

individualism

inventor

justice

Labor Day

landmark

law

library

mayor

modern

Native America

past

Pilgrims

pioneers

president

public officials
responsibility
rule
tax
transportation
vote
White House
present
slavery
timeline
Thanksgiving
Veteran's Day

 

 UNIT: Our World and How it Changes

Time Frame: 18 Weeks

TEKS

2.5 The student uses simple geographic tools such as maps, globes, and photographs.

2.5A use symbols, find locations and determine directions on maps and globes

2.5B draw maps to show places and routes [using a compass rose and symbols]

2.6 The student understands the locations and characteristics of places and regions.

2.6A identify major landforms and bodies of water, including continents and oceans, on maps and globes

2.6B locate the community, Texas, the United States, and selected countries on maps and globes [selected countries such as Canada and Mexico]

2.6C compare information from different sources about places and regions [such as thematic maps, atlases, and the Internet]

2.14 The student understands important customs, symbols, and celebrations that represent American beliefs and principles and contrite to our national identity.

2.14B identify selected symbols such as state and national birds and flowers and patriot symbols such as the U. S. and Texas flags and Uncle Sam [and the Alamo]

2.8 The student understands how humans use and modify the physical environment.

2.8A identify ways in which people depend on the physical environment, including natural resources, to meet basic needs

2.8B identify and explain ways in which people have modified the physical environment such as building roads, clearing lands for urban development and mining coal

2.8C identify consequences of human modification of the physical environment such as the use of irrigation to improve crop yields

2.8D identify ways people can conserve and replenish natural resources

2.7 The Student understand how physical characteristics of places and regions affect people’s activities and settlement patterns.

2.7A describe how weather patterns, natural resources, seasonal patterns, and natural hazards affect activities and settlement patterns

2.7B explain how people depend on the physical environment and its natural resources to satisfy their basic needs

2.9 The student understands the importance of work.

2.9A explain how work provides income to purchase goods and services

2.9B explain the choices people in the U.S. free enterprise system can make about earning, spending, and saving money, and where to live and work

2.10 The student understands the roles of producers and consumers in the production of goods and services.

2.10A distinguish between producing and consuming

2.10B identify ways in which people are both producers and consumers

2.10C trace the development of a product from a natural resource to a finished product

2.16 The student understands how science and technology have affected life, past and present
2.16B explain how science and technology have changed the ways in which people meet basic needs [and the effects of these changes]

Language/Vocabulary

community

compare

compass rose

conserve

consume

continent

crops

earning

East

environment

factory

free enterprise system

globe

goods

hill

irrigation

island

lake

landform

mining

mountain

natural hazard

natural resource

neighborhood

neighbors

New Year's Day

North

ocean peninsula

plain

President's Day

recycle

region

river

road

route

rural

San Antonio

season

settlement

South

suburb

symbol

urban

valley

West
income
Memorial Day
natural resource
needs
produce
product
purchase
saving
service
shelter
spending
trade
wants
work

weather