Your Teacher, Ms. Zanders, Welcomes you to Second Grade!!

Welcome to Second Grade where we READ to LEARN! Second Graders will become confident, independent readers and writers and strengthen their number sense and how to execute problem solving strategies.

Curriculum

READING, LANGUAGE ARTS, WRITING

The Open Court Reading Program continues from First into Second Grade. It is a research-based comprehensive reading, writing, and language arts program, which uses systematic, explicit instruction, this program helps all students master the foundational skills needed not only to move to proficiency, but also to achieve greater goals of reading independently with confidence inside and outside the classroom with full digital/web-based access. Two Student Anthologies include a variety of diverse narrative and informative text selections to help students build their understanding of concepts such as: key ideas and details; writing as a craft; and the integration of knowledge and ideas. Grade 2 Student Anthologies are available digitally with audio for added fluency and vocabulary support. 2nd Grade Themes include: Teamwork, Earth in Action, My Community at Work, Plants and Animals, Citizenship, Story Time.

MATHEMATICS

Math Expressions is a web-based, digitally connected curriculum that uses hands on manipulatives and teaches students to solve addition and subtraction problems using a variety of strategies and techniques. Second grade units include topics covering the following core concepts: Understanding Addition and Subtraction; Measurement and Shapes; Solving Story Problems; Quadrilaterals; Addition to 200; Time; Tables and Graphs; Diagonals and Midpoints; Subtracting; 2-digit Numbers; Shapes and Patterns; 3-Digit Addition and Subtraction; Metric Measurement and 3-D Shapes; Multiplication and Fractions; and Non-standard and Standard Units of Measure. Students will use iPads daily to access and practice core concepts.                                                                                       

SCIENCE

Inspire Science is designed to spark student interests and empower them to ask more questions, think critically, and maximize their ability to creatively solve problems. The Inspire Science instructional model contains comprehensive learning experiences to pique the interest of our students. The program will be used to help inspire the next generation of innovators, visionaries, and inventors. Through user-friendly experiences, the students will be exposed built-in literacy and math connections, including full S.T.E.M. opportunities, containing web-based, digitally accessible content promoting a hands-on program, that will allow students to explore the concepts of energy, light and sounds, plants and animals, and earth and space through simulations and real, hands-on learning experiments. Students will be able to solve science and engineering challenges using math skills including: analyzing data and creating graphs. Students will be able to achieve and demonstrate greater understanding through hands-on science and engineering activities using the engineering design process. Students will be able to continue to build close reading, writing, and communication skills while learning about exciting science ideas and developing presenting solutions to real-world challenges. Students will use iPads daily to access and practice core concepts. 

SOCIAL STUDIES

Second Grade students will be given the tools to investigate where they live, including its history, geography economy, and government through the Impact Social Studies Curriculum. They will learn about people who have made an impact on the world and explore ways that they can impact their own world as well. Connections between their community’s past and present are encouraged as they prepare for roles in their community’s future. Second Grade Chapters/Themes include: Why Is It Important to Learn About the Past?; How Does Geography Help Us Understand Our World?; How Do We Get What We Want and Need?; Why Do We Need Government?; How Can People Make a Difference in Our World?

TECHNOLOGY / S.T.E.M.

Second Graders will enhance technology skills with daily use and incorporations of iPads, quarterly research projects, and periodic use and practice of computer labs for additional S.T.E.M. activities. A PROMETHEAN Touch Scree is integrated daily to enhance instruction. Second grade participates in National Engineering Week.