Second Grade Curriculum
Language Arts
Reading
Apply word attack skills when reading.
Develop skills to independently read and comprehend a given passage.
Demonstrate comprehension of nonfiction selections.
Demonstrate comprehension of fictional selections.
Participate in at least 10 minutes of independent sustained reading daily of 50 minutes weekly.
Write sentences, paragraphs, stories.
Write a friendly letter.
Use the writing process to write a report.
Edit final copies for meaning, capitalization and punctuation.
Spell words appropriate for second grade.
Demonstrate correct structure in writing Standard English grammar and punctuation in a sample sentence.
Listening
Listen for specific information and respond appropriately.
Speaking
Express ideas to others.
Research and Study Skills
Locate information in reference material.
Balanced Literacy
Science
Sound Energy
Describe sound waves and sound energy.
Measure vibrations and waves.
Magnets
Investigate the properties of magnets.
Denote uses of magnets in applied daily living.
Rocks and Soil
Investigate erosion via wind, ice and water.
Explain how the Earth's surface can change
Life Cycles of Butterflies
Describe how living things grow and change.
Record and report on the life cycles of animals.
Investigate basic requirements for life.
Health
The second grade health education curriculum focuses on:
Social Studies
Second grade students learn about different kinds of communities with an emphasis on our Traverse City community. They are introduced to history, geography, government, and economics of Traverse City and it's relationship to other places in Michigan, the United States, and the world. Students learn how goods and services provide the needs and wants of our community and how people here can earn their livings. They also compare and contrast the Traverse City community to communities of the past, as well as modern communities that are totally different from our. Second grade students learn what it means to be a good citizen of a community, why we have rules and laws, and what happens when those laws are broken. Students are introduced to local government as they learn about core democratic values.
Mathematics
Mathematical Thinking
Students explore multiple strands of mathematics: number, data, geometry and measurement. This initial unit is designed to assess student understanding of a wide range of mathematical concepts to create a base for effective instruction. Opportunities for students to engage in the use of models, numbers and words to share their mathematical thinking allows for the introduction of a multitude of materials while also establishing classroom routines.
Coins, coupons, and combinations
Students develop a sense of numbers as whole quantities and begin to explore patterns and relationships that exist in our number system. They are introduced to various types of story problems and are encouraged to develop strategies for adding and subtracting numbers.
Does it walk, Crawl or Swim?
Students are introduced to sorting and classification as a way of organizing data. They investigate similarities and differences in sets of related objects, people, or information. Students create their own categories for sorting data, representing data, and comparing data sets.
Shapes, Halves, and Symmetry
Students investigate the structure of two and three dimensional shapes. Students explore the structure of shapes and how they can be taken apart and reconfigured into other shapes. Students develop spatial sense as the explore specific identities, properties, and relationships in geometry.
Putting Together and Taking Apart
Students explore the development of strategies for solving addition and subtracting problems based on an understanding of numbers, number relationships, and operation. Emphasis is placed on understanding problems, deciding which operations are needed, and selecting appropriate problem solving.
How Many Pockets? How Many Teeth?
Students are involved in collecting numerical data. Students explore a variety of ways to represent data while also analyzing and explaining their representations.
Physical Education
The elementary physical education department delivers curriculum addressing: physical fitness, cognitive understanding, motor skills, leisure skills and personal/social skill components. Physical education classes meet twice weekly for 30 minute periods.
Art
Art class meets once weekly for a forty-five minute period. Students explore ideas about themselves, their world and other cultures through work in various art processes such as painting, collage, drawing, sculpture and ceramics. Art history is a major component of the elementary art curriculum. References to art of the past and present teach how ideas have been explored by others.
Music
Elementary students receive thirty minutes of musical instruction twice each week. The seven strands of the TCAPS musical instruction are: singing, playing instruments, musical literacy, listening, movement, creativity, and music in relation to history, culture and other disciplines. The students begin to develop skills and understanding in all seven areas throughout American music, and the music of other cultures.
Library
The elementary library media centers are at the heart of education at TCAPS. With a minimum of 30 minutes each week at the library , our students are surrounded by wonderful resources for school research and individual reading enjoyment. Special reading promotions throughout the year encourage our students to develop a love of reading and a desire to "find out more" at the library.
Classroom Tools
Minimum of Three Desktop Computers
Access to Wide Area Network
Access to Internet and World Wide Web
Access to Software
Television
Video Cassette Recorder
Electronic and Voice Messaging System
Children in the Classroom
By: Robert (Chip) Wood
THE SEVEN YEAR OLD....
Sometimes tense
Many hurts, real and imagined
Sometimes moody or shy
Needs security, structure
Doesn't like to make mistakes
Needs constant reinforcement
likes one-to-one conversation
Likes to work alone
Likes t be read to
Likes board games
Not time to introduce cursive
Frequent friendship shifts
SOME FAVORITE BOOKS.....
All About Sam by Lois Lowry
Babysitters Club by Ann Martin
20,000 Baseball Cards Under The Sea by Bullet and Schade
The BFG