Curriculum

 

LANGUAGE ARTS/WRITING

We will be using the CKLA (Core Knowledge Language Arts) program for language arts instruction. CKLA is a comprehensive language arts curriculum that combines foundational skills instruction with rich content knowledge. It's designed to help students become strong readers, writers, and thinkers by integrating knowledge building with research-based literacy skills. Students will also have time for reading WIN (What I Need) when activities will be more individualized to each student's needs.

HANDWRITING

Second graders will review proper formation of manuscript letters at the beginning of the year. Starting in the second trimester we will begin to introduce and practice cursive writing. In the third trimester we will introduce typing.

SCIENCE

Our second grade science units are based on the Next Generation Science Standards.  Our science units will be Solids and Liquids, Pebbles, Sand and Silt, and Plants and Insects.  All science units focus on exploratory and hands-on learning as well as reading related material and writing about their learning.  Students are taught to make observations, form hypotheses, conduct experiments, and develop conclusions.  

 

SOCIAL STUDIES

In social studies, we will use the overarching theme of Communities to explore geography, history, culture, government, and economics.  Through a variety of multimedia presentations and hands on activities students will be excited to learn about these social studies topics.  

MATH

This year we will be using a NEW math curriculum - Bridges Math. Second graders in a Bridges classroom explore whole number relationships, base ten notation, and addition and subtraction. Students build fluency with addition and subtraction facts to 20 and extend their place value understanding up to 1,000. They investigate addition and subtraction problem situations and develop strategies for adding and subtracting 2- and 3-digit numbers. They explore using customary and metric units of linear measurement. Finally, students use geometric language and attributes as they analyze shapes and consider fractional parts of circles and rectangles.

Standardized Testing

In second grade students will participate in Renaissance Star Assessments. This is a series of computer-adaptive tests used to measure student progress in reading and math, and to identify areas where students need support or enrichment. Star reading and math testing is administered three times throughout the year.   The scores will be shared with parents during the first parent-teacher conference.