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Academics/Curriculum
Curriculum
Grade 2
Language Arts Phonics/Spelling
- Recognizes homophones, synonyms, antonyms
- Builds vocabulary through study of words with various meanings
- Spells frequently used words correctly
- Uses prefixes, suffixes, derivations, and root words to decode words
- Develops decoding skills by focusing on various word patterns
- Uses capital letters, periods, commas, and question marks correctly
- Identifies parts of speech including verbs, nouns, adjectives, prepositions
Reading
- Reads independently for pleasure and for information
- Writes about what is read – summaries, character analysis, plot
- Uses text structure to identify the main idea
- Identifies supporting details to confirm predictions
- Uses prior knowledge and reading context to make inferences
- Identifies plot, character, and setting in a story
- Uses context clues to verify meaning of new vocabulary
- Makes judgments regarding actions/decisions in story
- Uses a variety of strategies to comprehend text (i.e., self-monitoring, predicting, retelling, discussing, restating ideas)
- Reads informational texts for specific purposes (i.e., learning a new task, sequentially carrying out steps of a procedure, locating information)
- Uses parts of a book to locate information
- Recognizes that use of multimedia can influence how one thinks and feels (i.e., illustrations, music)
- Identifies basic characteristics of a variety of genres (fables, stories, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, fairy tales, folktales, legends, myths, etc.)
- Understands connections between characters and events in literature and people, events, and experiences in own life
Writing
- Paraphrases and restates ideas in own words
- Uses full sentences to respond to a writing prompt
- Generates pre-writing ideas
- Makes a plan before writing
- Focuses on a central idea and groups related ideas
- Uses one or more paragraphs to focus on separate ideas
- Uses transition words where appropriate
- Uses appropriate time order words
- Writes a story that includes most elements (character, setting, problem, sequence of events, solution)
- Revises writing to improve supporting details and word choice
- Uses correct proofreading notation
- Uses strategies to “finish” a piece of writing (i.e., incorporating titles, illustrations, photos, charts, preparing final copy)
- Uses effective word choice in written work
- Writes simple informational texts
- Understands and uses figurative language
- Works cooperatively in editing and proofreading copy
- Develops purpose of writing through discussion of audience and format
- Uses topic sentence and supporting details in response to reading topic
Public Speaking
- Recounts personal experiences in logical sequence
- Gives dramatic reading interpretation with clear diction, tempo, tone
- Uses appropriate strategies to contribute to group conversations (i.e., recounting personal experiences, initiating conversation, reporting on personal knowledge)
- Speaks differently for different purposes (i.e., informing, entertaining, expressing ideas)
- Uses oral communication to clarify understanding of a topic or idea
- Presents short memorized poem or story to class
Mathematics
- Reads and writes 4-digit numbers
- Compares and orders whole numbers to 1000 or more using concrete materials, drawings, number lines, symbols, and vocabulary
- Represents, compares, and explains halves, thirds, quarters, and eighths as part of a whole and part of a set using concrete materials
- Knows that the total of equivalent fractional parts makes a whole
- Counts to 1000 or more by 2s, 3s, 5s, 10s, 25s, 50s, and 100s using a variety of ways
- Solves problems involving addition and subtraction using a variety of strategies
- Writes/solves problems with missing addends
- Chooses and explains the computing method that is more appropriate for real-world tasks (i.e., recall of basic facts vs. using a calculator)
- Estimates reasonable solutions for addition and subtraction problems
- Demonstrates an understanding of customary and metric measurement for concepts of length and distance, weight, temperature, and capacity
- Demonstrates an understanding of time using digital and analog clocks
- Estimates, measures, and compares distances
- Describes attributes of two- and three-dimensional shapes using mathematical language
- Describes symmetry in two-dimensional shapes
- Knows equivalent names for numbers
- Describes a given pattern and explains the pattern rule
- Predicts, extends, and creates patterns that are concrete, pictorial, or numerical
- Combines two attributes in creating a pattern
- Poses questions and collects data to answer questions with two or more categories or choices
- Uses concrete materials to display data and identify range, mode, and median
- Records results of activities involving chance and makes predictions based upon data
- Analyzes and explains orally or in writing the results from a survey
- Introduction to multiplication and division
Physical Education
- Emphasis in learning the importance of warming up and stretching before each unit
- Stress on teamwork and good sportsmanship
- Introduction to game structure
- Emphasis on body control during movement
- Introduction to proper throwing, catching, and kicking techniques
- Introduction and understanding of the basic skills needed to play soccer, basketball, baseball, tennis, volleyball, and flag football
- Practices and takes the Presidential Fitness Test
Social Studies
- Identifies indigenous peoples from various parts of the world
- Recognizes the similarities and differences in indigenous ways of life
- Describes how these cultures changed over time and how they were affected by modern developments (technology, e.g.)
- Writes simple reports describing one indigenous society from the US and one outside the US
Science
- Knows ways objects can be grouped according to physical characteristics
- Knows observable properties of solids, liquids, and gasses
- Knows that not all objects or materials respond to change in the same way
- Knows that common objects are composed of parts that are too small to be seen without magnification
- Recognizes that models (e.g., terrarium or aquarium) can be used to illustrate how energy flows through a system and describes energy changes
- Recognizes the relationship of food to the need for energy in daily life
- Classifies foods into basic food groups
- Knows how personal behaviors and choices influence individual health
- Understands how the family influences personal health
- Knows that objects exhibit different kinds of motion
- Recognizes that the amount and direction of the force exerted on an object determines how much the object will move
Chinese
- Increases listening and speaking
- Reads and spells pinyin
- Begins pinyin and hanyu characters with writing
- Reads characters
- Performs poetry and rhymes and songs
- Learns Chinese sentence structure and grammar
- Works with Chinese arts and crafts
- Learns Chinese family values, holidays, and festivals
- Applies strategies for independent decoding of words
- Identifies and uses figurative language (simile, metaphor, idiom, personification, hyperbole)
- Understands simple stories recited
- Responds through role playing, drawing, singing, and moving
- Provides basic spoken information
- Describes people and objects in daily environment
- Recognizes and uses oral syntax and inflection
- Recognizes brush stroke directions
- Pinyin phonetic system: initial sounds b, p, m, f, d, t, n, I, g, k, h, j, q, x, zh, ch, sh, r, z, c, s, y, w, and final sounds a, e, i, o, u
- Combines initial and final sounds
- Recognizes and vocalizes ideograms
- Practices correct brush grip
- Uses brush strokes approximation
- Writes strokes
- Learns the eight basic brush strokes
Spanish
- Recognizes and writes simple syllables, blends, and complete sentences about actions of people in the stories and vocabulary theme words for each unit
- Reads using correct pronunciation of words and intonations of sentences for the stories
- Paraphrases actions of the characters in the stories
- Expresses feelings, likes, and dislikes, time, weather
- Asks and answers questions about the illustrations in the stories
- Conjugates common verbs in present tense
- Understands and applies correctly the verb SER and ESTAR, concept of masculine and feminine for nouns, definite and indefinite for articles, and plurals or singular for nouns
- Recognizes and expresses numbers 1-100, geometrical shapes, arithmetic symbols, hours and half hours, occupations, common countries in Latin America, farm and zoo animals, seasons, items in the universe, parts of the body, means of transportation, members of the family, fruits, vegetables, and 60 most common verbs.
- Recognizes different phonemes; understands by True I False exercises the plots of the stories and everyday commands in different situations
- Appreciates the rich culture of Latin America through activities in the arts and field trips
Art
- Uses and organizes two- and three-dimensional media, techniques, tools and processes
- Understands that subject matter used to create unique works of art can come from personal experience, observation, imagination and themes
- Understands the similarities and differences in works of art from a variety of sources
- Understands perceived similarities and differences among different genres of art
Music
- Identifies and follows melodies in different types of music
- Identifies and creates patterns of rhythm
- Begins to use individual instruments in group settings
- Sings with appropriate tone quality, posture, diction, and breathing
- Performs action songs and singing games from diverse cultures
- Determines mood or style from listening to music selections
Computer and Technology
- Uses more advanced techniques in word processing (e.g., formatting, inserting graphics, etc.)
- Uses word processing for writing process, including editing, revising, final copy
- Uses Paint to edit or change photos and graphics
- Begins to construct presentation using Powerpoint
- Uses appropriate on-line resources to support learning and research with appropriate supervision
School Skills
- Recognizes manuscript letters and begins to write in cursive
- Uses a daily planner to accurately record homework assignments
- Uses charts, graphs, diagrams, timelines, schedules, calendars, and photos to locate information
- Writes simple reports
- Understands and follows multi-step oral and written instructions
- Uses online resources to find specific information
- Uses parts of a book to locate information, including glossary
- Uses skim and scan techniques to locate specific information
- Uses strategies to clarify the accuracy of a text (i.e., discussion, checking other sources)
- Uses dictionary guide words correctly
Thinking Skills
- Edits own writing for clarity
- Identifies relevant vs. irrelevant detail and edits own writing to eliminate irrelevancies
