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Subject Overview
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Reading/Language Arts
Reading is a complex act involving meaning, oral language, word knowledge, sounds and symbols --- at all reading levels. Comprehension or the study of phonics and grammar are NOT separate from the act of reading, but rather part of it. When a person is reading, they are paying attention to whether what they're reading makes sense, sounds grammatically correct, and looks visually correct. Students continue to internalize these ideas:
- Does it make sense?
- Does it look right?
- Does it sound right? (like talking)
As we move through second grade, the stories and nonfiction become more complex. The increased details and/or events make it necessary for students to be able to shift more attention to thinking about what is happening in the story or to what they are learning in the nonfiction text. In order to do this sight words studied in first grade must automatic so they can read with expression and fluency. They also need to be able to problem solve new words (word attack skills). Being able to make comparisons to words they know that are similar and being able to quickly find and use larger 'chunks' of sound in words is critical. Their attempt at the new word then must be quickly put back into the whole sentence to determine if it makes sense. To help develop memory and understanding, we analyze the different story elements (character, setting, problem, events, solution) in fiction and the different characteristics of nonfiction texts (graphs, insets, captions, headings, glossary, index, table of contents).
Writing is an essential skill. Students will learn the writing process in second grade, practicing it weekly by creating at least one piece of writing, be it a personal story, fictional story, non-fiction paragraph, or whatever.
Students spell words many ways:
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remembering the word;
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writing the sounds they hear in a word;
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thinking of another word that sounds like it;
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finding the word in text, such as in a pictionary or on a word wall.
Their work with sounds and words in their own writing, in turn, helps them with their reading. We will work on spelling though the use of spelling lists each week, as well as sight word spelling through the use of a word wall on a daily basis.
Reading aloud to children, even after they have begun reading themselves, is so important because it can provide models for different kinds of writing and increase their vocabulary. By mapping or charting, we compare the author’s different books and discuss a characteristic of his or her writing style that we can try in our own writing. We also analyze the parts of the stories as a guide for practicing retelling stories, an important skill for comprehension of the material.
Speaking publicly, listening critically, and developing research and technology skills are integrated throughout our activities. | |
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Math
Students will learn various math concepts though the use of hand-on activities with manipulatives. Topics this year include graphing, mastery of basic addition and subtraction facts, time, money, place value, 2 digit addition and subtraction, measurement including inches, feet, and centimeters, 3-D solid figures, and fractions. Students will also learn though a problem solving based curriculum where students are responsible for applying the mathematics skills learned to word problems. | |
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Science
These are our Science Units for the year:
Matter - weight/mass, volume, bendable, rigid, review of the three states.
Sound and Light - sound waves, introduction of terms of transparent, translucent, and opaque
Electricity - static electricity, other energy uses in our community and lives.
Plants and Animals - characteristics of and needs for survival, adaptations of.
Environments - habitats and how the environment affects them, how to preserve the environment.
Earth and Beyond - Earth's natural resources, attributes of the moon, sun, and stars, and the solar system is introduced
Weather - how it's measured and recorded, and how the sun affects it creating weather patterns | |
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Social Studies
These are our Social Studies units this year:
Citizenship - diversity of the population, role of the student in society, having rules and problem solving.
History - comparing communities over time, personal timeline is created, historical symbols and landmarks in our community.
Geography - impact of people on the environment, types of land in our community.
Government - functions of local government, importance of laws, roles of government officials, touching on state and federal government.
Economics - studying human needs and ways of making a living, producers and consumers, good and services.
Multicultural - comparing the local community with the world, and seeing how it's part of the global community. | |
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