Second Grade Curriculum Connection
October
Reading Level
Students are formatively assessed throughout the quarter using running records aligned with the Fountas and Pinnell Reading Levels. The running records will be used to guide instruction and determine students reading levels. The summative assessment (end of quarter) for reading is the determination of a student’s F&P reading level.
Literacy Block
Reading:
Becoming Experts: Reading Nonfiction
The Reading Nonfiction unit pushes students to question what a nonfiction book will teach them and how to lookout for new information and ideas. Readers of nonfiction text will read to learn, grow, and become experts on many topics of their choice. This unit covers the impact that text features has on understanding a text, how to understand new scientific vocabulary, and previewing texts to infer what the book will be about. The first bend focuses on noticing, learning, and questioning traditional and nontraditional texts to increase knowledge of a particular topic. In Bend II, the focus is on how to tackle new keywords, domain - specific vocabulary, and concepts to learn and understand topics. The last bend teaches how to become an expert on a topic by reading many texts on the same topic and piecing together the information.
Writing:
How-To Guide to Nonfiction Writing
The How-To Guide to Nonfiction Writing sets writers up to teach about areas of personal expertise, and then is well-positioned early on in second grade to continue this type of work. The unit encourages students to write long and create many books throughout each bend. Each time students begin a new book, they generate an idea, plan, and organize their book. The more practice students have moving through the writing process, the easier it will become. The first bend of this unit will have students writing in areas they already considered themselves to be an expert. Next, they move into the second bend where they consider the audience in which they are writing the text for and how that changes what and how they write. In the final bend, students will write different types of nonfiction books. After spending several weeks studying mentor texts, they will use all they know to develop a nonfiction text that engages their readers/audience. As always students will wrap up the unit sharing their writing with an authentic audience, parents, fellow classmates, community members, and more.
Phonics
The phonics skills for second quarter in second grade are:
● Silent Letters kn; lk
● Vowel Team: au and aw
● Vowel Team: oo (book, pool)
● Vowel Team: wa
● Vowel Team:- al or -all making the /al/ sound like in wall, also, or total
● Vowel Team: igh
● Vowel Teams: ew and eu
Contractions
Grammar
Reflexive Pronouns: The Selfie of Pronouns (or Is It Selvies?)
Myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourself, yourselves, themselves. Teacher will explain to students the first they they need to know about reflexive pronouns is don’t use them unless you need to. It’s important for students to know is not to think they will sound smarter if they use one. Usually they make you sound inelegant and aren’t needed. (For example, never say, “I, myself…”) You need a reflexive pronoun only when the subject of the sentence is also the object, like the example in the picture.
Addressing reflexive pronouns as writers need them in their writing or when we (teachers) come across a successful example in our reading is the best way in. Point ot a reflexive pronoun. “Explain how we know the writers use the right word here.” For example, you might ask, “How did William Alexander know to use themselves in the first sentence and himself in the second?”
Interactive Vocabulary
The teacher will employ a variety of strategies while teaching unit vocabulary.
Strategies are based on student need and understanding and application of each term listed in the vocabulary section. Instructional strategies include:
● Organizers like concept mapping or Frayer model
● Cooperative learning to discuss meaning of the terms: think-pair-share, shoulder partner, think write
● Similarities and differences looking at similar and different words to the term
Nonlinguistic representation
Cursive Handwriting
Teacher will pace students throughout the year through the FHSD Second Grade Cursive Handwriting Book. As needed teachers will provide practice time for students who need support in print handwriting.
Vocabulary:
Glossary-a list of terms at the back of the book, explaining or defining unusual or difficult words
How to- a set of step-by-step instructions for accomplishing a certain task or reaching a certain objective
Goal- the result or achievement toward which effort is directed
Keyword-word that serves as key, as to the meaning of another word, a sentence, or a passage
Label-a written word or phrase that names the content of an illustration
Lead- the opening
Nonfiction-prose or poetry that provides factual information
Punctuation-marks used in written text to clarify meaning and separate structural units.
Text features-components of a story or article that do not include the main body of the text (e.g, bold print, captions, sidebars, labels, etc)
Science
Unit 1: Change Matters
In this unit students will be investigating matter. We will explore the properties of matter, how it changes, and why it changes. Students will understand that changes can be both reversible and non reversible and that matter can be put together and taken apart to make new things.
Essential Questions: Students will keep consider:
● What patterns in the natural and human designed world can we observe?
● What events have causes that generate observable patterns?
● What simple tests can be designed to gather evidence to support or refute student ideas about causes?
● How can objects break into smaller pieces and be put together into larger pieces, or change shape?
● How could knowledge of the natural world help in the design of human-made products?
● How can matter be described and classified?
● Why are different properties better suited for different purposes?
- What are some examples of observable changes that can be caused as a result of heating or cooling a substance?
Vocabulary:
Compare - to examine two or more (objects, ideas, people, etc.) in order to note similarities and differences
Creation - the act of producing or causing to exist
Energy - available power
Investigation - searching, inquiry for facts
Matter - the substance of any physical object