Daily Schedule
8:20 Line up next to library steps (Perry St)
8:25- 8:50 Morning Meeting/ SEL Lesson
8:50- 9:50 Supp. Responsive Instruction & Skills
9:20- 10:20 CKLA Reading Skills
10:20- 11:00 CKLA Knowledge
11:00- 11:40 Writing
11:40- 12:02 Recess
12:02- 12:25 Lunch
11:25- 1:45 Math
1:45- 2:40 Science/ Social Studies
2:40- 3:25 Specials (Gym, Music, Tech, Art)
3:25 Dismissal on the Kindergarten playground
Reading - CKLA Knowledge
Second Grade students receive literacy instruction using the Amplify/CKLA curriculum. CKLA Reading Knowledge is taught as whole group lessons. Students develop decoding, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension skills and engage with a text as collaborative learners.
Units of Study:
Unit 1: Fairy Tales and Tall Tales - This domain will introduce students to classic fairy tales and tall tales and the well-known lessons they teach. The first half of the Fairy Tales and Tall Tales domain focuses on fairy tales. These fairy tales will remind students of the elements of fiction they have heard about in previous grades and will be a good reintroduction to the practice of listening and learning. In this domain, students will be reminded of these elements and hear the fairy tales “The Fisherman and His Wife,” “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” and “Beauty and the Beast.” Students will be able to relate to the problems faced by characters in each of these memorable tales, as well as learn from the lessons in each story.
Unit 2: Early Asian Civilizations - This domain will introduce students to the continent of Asia and its two most populous countries, India and China. Students will learn about the early civilizations in India and China and how they were both able to form because of mighty rivers. Students will first learn about early India and will be introduced to the basics of Hinduism and Buddhism—two religions from this area—as major forces shaping early Indian civilization. They will also hear two works of fiction originally from India: “The Tiger, the Brahman, and the Jackal” and “The Blind Men and the Elephant.” Then, students will learn about early Chinese civilization and the many contributions made by the early Chinese, including paper, silk, and the Great Wall of China.
Unit 3: Ancient Greek Civilization - This domain will introduce students to an ancient civilization whose contributions can be seen in many areas of our lives today. Students will learn about the gods and goddesses of the ancient Greeks, the city-states of Sparta and Athens, and the philosophers Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. They will learn about the first Olympic Games held in honor of Zeus, the significance of the battles of Marathon and Thermopylae, and the conquests of Alexander the Great. Students will also learn about the Greek contribution of democracy and how its ideals are used today in many governments, including our own. This domain will lay the foundation for review and further study of ancient Greece in later grades, and will help students better understand world history and American history in later years.
Unit 4: Greek Myths -This domain builds on The Ancient Greek Civilizations domain and will introduce students to several well-known Greek myths and many well-known mythical characters. Students will learn that the ancient Greeks worshipped many gods and goddesses, and that the twelve they believed lived on Mount Olympus, the home of the gods, were the most powerful. Students will learn the definition of a myth: a fictional story, once thought to be true, that tried to explain mysteries of nature and humankind. They will also learn about myths that include supernatural beings or events, and that myths give insight into ancient Greek culture. Students will hear about Prometheus and Pandora, Demeter and Persephone, Arachne the Weaver, the Sphinx, and Hercules, among others.
Unit 6: Cycles in Nature - This domain will introduce your students to the many natural cycles that make life on Earth possible. Your students will increase their knowledge of cycles in nature by learning more about seasonal cycles, and by beginning their study of flowering plants and trees, animal life cycles, and the importance of the water cycle. Students will also learn about the effect seasonal changes have on plants and animals. As students learn that all organisms experience the developmental stages of the life cycle, they will also learn how their growth and development relates to Earth’s seasonal cycles and begin to understand how all organisms depend on Earth’s limited water supply.
Unit 8: Insects - This domain will introduce students to the largest group of animals on Earth. Students will learn the characteristics of insects, the life cycles of insects, how insects can be categorized as solitary or social, and how insects are viewed as both helpful and harmful. For example, students will learn how insects are important to the process of pollination and in the production of honey, some cosmetics, and even medicines. This domain will lay the foundation for review and further study of the life cycles, habitats, and classifications of insects and other animals.
Unit 10: The Human Body: Building Blocks and Nutrition - This domain covers a number of topics regarding the human body. This domain first covers concepts regarding cells and how cells form the building blocks of life on Earth. Students are then taught how collections of cells form tissues, and tissues form organs, and finally how organs work within the various body systems. In addition, students are taught about Anton van Leeuwenhoek and his work with the microscope and his discovery of the tiny one-celled bacteria.
Unit 12: Fighting For a Cause - This domain will introduce students to several ordinary people who stood up for what they believed in and who fought for a cause, even when faced with immeasurable odds. Students will learn how members of very powerful groups have often excluded members of other groups from exercising certain rights. They will learn about some key historical figures who fought for various causes such as the abolition of slavery, the right for women to vote, and the welfare of migrant workers. Each of these individuals struggled for a cause, their struggles later helped change many laws, and they all practiced nonviolence. These historical figures also had an impact on the ability of others in our nation to exercise their individual rights. Students will understand the connection between ideas and actions, and how ordinary people can do extraordinary things, changing people’s awareness throughout an entire country. Students will also learn the terms civil rights and human rights, and what these terms mean.
CKLA Reading Skills
The Skills Strand provides instruction in reading foundational skills, to include phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition, fluency, and language skills . CKLA uses a systematic phonics instruction in which students are taught the letter-sound correspondences needed to independently decode words. CKLA begins by teaching the most common or least ambiguous spelling for a sound (the basic code spelling). Later it teaches spelling alternatives for sounds that can be spelled several different ways.
During this time students work as a whole group to develop and practice phonics skills, develop spelling strategies, and learn about sentence structures. The goal is not for students to memorize how to spell the single words given in the spelling list, but rather for students to build an understanding of the letter patterns to sound.
The CKLA (Core Knowledge Language Arts) Second grade skills curriculum includes 6 units.
Skills 1- In Unit 1, students will review a number of spellings from Grade 1 with an emphasis on consonant sounds, two-syllable words, and a number of high-frequency tricky words.
Decodable Reader: The Cat Bandit.
Skills 2- In this unit, students will review a number of spellings they learned in Grade 1, with an emphasis on spellings for vowel sounds, read one- and two-syllable words, read contractions and provide their non contracted equivalents, as well as, practice recognizing a number of high-frequency tricky words.
Decodable Reader: Bedtime Tales.
Skills 3- In this unit, students will review a number of spellings they learned in Grade 1, with an emphasis on spellings for vowel sounds, read one- and two-syllable words, read contractions and provide their noncontracted equivalents, practice recognizing a number of high-frequency tricky words.
Decodable Reader: Kids Excel.
The sounds and spellings taught in this unit are: • /ae/ spelled ‘a_e’ (cake), ‘a’ (paper), ‘ai’ (wait), ‘ay’ (day) • /oe/ spelled ‘o_e’ (home), ‘o’ (open), ‘oa’ (boat), ‘oe’ (toe) • /ie/ spelled ‘i_e’ (bite), ‘i’ (biting), ‘ie’ (tie) • /ue/ spelled ‘ue’ (cue), ‘u_e’ (cute), ‘u’ (unit) • /aw/ spelled ‘aw’ (paw), ‘au’ (Paul), ‘augh’ (caught)
Skills 4- Unit 4 is devoted to introducing more spelling alternatives for vowel sounds and three tricky spellings. Remember vowel sounds and their spellings are the most challenging part of the English writing system. Only two vowel sounds are almost always spelled just one way (/a/ and /ar/). The other seventeen vowel sounds have at least one significant spelling alternative. Several of them have many spelling alternatives. Many opportunities are provided in this unit for review of the spelling alternatives.
Decodable Reader:The Job Hunt.
The specific sounds and spellings introduced for the first time in this unit are: • /er/ spelled ‘er’ (her), ‘ur’ (hurt), ‘ir’ (bird) • /i/ spelled ‘y’ (myth) • /ie/ spelled ‘y’ (try), ‘igh’ (night) • /oe/ spelled ‘ow’ (snow) • /ee/ spelled ‘e’ (me), ‘y’ (funny), ‘ey’ (key) • /aw/ spelled ‘al’ (wall)
Skills 5- This unit is devoted to introducing spelling alternatives for vowel sounds. Vowel sounds and their spellings are the most challenging part of the English writing system. There are only two vowel sounds that are almost always spelled just one way (/a/ and /ar/). The other sixteen vowel sounds have at least one significant spelling alternative. Several of them have many spelling alternatives. Decodable Reader: Sir Gus Sir Gus.
The sounds and spellings taught in this unit are:
/u/ spelled ‘u’ (but), ‘o’ (son), ‘ou’ (touch), ‘o_e’ (come);
/ə/ (also called the schwa sound) spelled ‘a’ (about), ‘e’ (debate);
/ə/ + /l/ spelled ‘al’ (animal), ‘il’ (pencil), ‘el’ (travel), ‘le’ (apple);
/sh/ + /ə/ + /n/ spelled ‘tion’ (action)
Skills 6- This unit is devoted to introducing several new spelling alternatives for vowel and consonant sounds. Decodable Reader: The War of 1812.
The sounds and spellings taught in this unit are : /er/ > ‘ar’ (dollar); /er/ > ‘or’ (work) Tricky Spellings for Vowel Sounds ; ‘ea’ > /e/ (head) ; ‘i’ > /ee/ (ski); ‘a’ > /o/ (lava) Spelling Alternatives for Consonant Sounds; /f/ > ‘ph’ (phone); /k/ > ‘ch’ (school)
Supplemental Responsive Instruction & Skills-
During this time students have an opportunity to learn in a small group setting. Students are given individualized small group instruction that is rooted in the Science of Reading. This time allows teachers to meet the individualized needs of students and provide reading instruction to challenge and grow all students.
Writing
Writing instruction is taught using CKLA and the Writing Alive curriculum. This comprehensive curriculum integrates six components of writing into weekly writing lessons, ensuring there are no gaps in skill instruction. The six components include:
Structures of language- With modeling and explicit instruction, students learn to construct simple, compound, complex and compound-complex sentence structures.
Grammar- Each Monday a new language, grammar or writer’s craft skill engaging multiple learning channels is introduced. Throughout the week that skill is practiced in daily speaking, writing, sentence styling and revision.
Process- Students follow a writing process:
Plan – Organize ideas in planners.
Verbally Rehearse – Students rehearse their
writing from their planners.
Set Goals – Set goals from the rubrics or checklists.
Draft – Break drafting into chunks; and share.
Assess – Evaluate goals using the rubric.
Revise – Teach revision lessons: students use revision strips independently.
Edit – Correct conventions using kinesthethic editing techniques.
Write Final – Students select one of three completed drafts to take to a final copy
Modes and Genres- Teachers model how to analyze fiction and nonfiction genres and spend three weeks working in each genre twice during the year.
Traits- Daily Sentence Styling gives students opportunities to master revision strategies that improve organization, ideas, content, word choice, voice, fluency, style and conventions.
Assessment- Students view basic, proficient and advanced writing models, set goals on diagnostic rubrics before drafting and assess goals after drafting to guide their revision.
Students write for a variety of purposes (writing genres), to include:
Story Retelling and Plot Summaries
Creative Stories
Personal Narratives
Informative
Research
Poetry
Math
Through our Eureka Math Squared curriculum students will engage in a daily warm-up, whole group and/or small group instruction, and independent practice time. Once students have completed their math work for the day they will have the opportunity to play math games, which are meant to provide further hands-on practice or complete a challenge sheet. Homework and video help are available to support students with math practice of each math module.
Eureka Math 2 (Eureka Math Squared) for Second Grade has 6 modules:
Module 1: Place Value Concepts through Metric Measurement and Data, as well as, Place Value, Counting, and Comparing Within 1,000 -
Students represent and interpret data, and they explore place value within the context of metric measurement. Students use various models—bundles, bills, and disks—to further develop place value understanding.
Module 2: Addition and Subtraction Within 200 -
Students use the properties of operations, the relationships between numbers, and place value understanding to add and subtract within 200. Students apply these operations to representing and solving various word problems.
Module 3: Shapes and Time with Fraction Concepts -
Students reason about the attributes of geometric shapes. As they work with composite shapes and partition circles and rectangles into equal shares, students build fractional understanding, which they apply to telling time.
Module 4: Addition and Subtraction Within 1,000 -
Students deepen their understanding of addition and subtraction as they work within 1,000. Students reason about place value, properties of operations, and the relationship between numbers as they choose efficient solution strategies to solve problems.
Module 5: Money, Data, and Customary Measurement -
Students apply place value strategies and properties of operations to work with coins and bills. Students revisit measurement concepts using customary units, and they solve problems in the context of money, length, and data.
Module 6: Multiplication and Division Foundations -
Students count and solve problems with equal groups of objects. Students organize equal groups into rows and columns to create rectangular arrays. As they compose and decompose arrays, students gain foundations for multiplication.
Social Studies
The Inquire Ed curriculum, along with inquiry and project based learning opportunities, is used to teach social studies. Students engage in the following units of study:
Meeting Wants and Needs: Communities are created to meet our common needs, giving us a sense of belonging, trust, care, and safety. In this unit, students are introduced to the concepts of needs and wants, scarcity, and abundance, as well as the ways that producers and consumers interact and how individuals and communities make choices about how to use their resources. Then, they work together to design their own community model, taking action together to shape the world around them.
Our Changing Landscapes: Our relationship to the physical world around us begins with our own geographical location and the physical features of that location. In this unit, students explore natural resources, how and why we modify the landscape, and the impacts that modifications can have on land, water, and living things. Then, they consider how to take action in their community in response to the changing landscape.
Innovation: In this unit, students investigate how innovation has touched every facet of life throughout time. Through historical photos, oral histories, patent drawings, and even a legend, they investigate how innovation has led to significant changes in the way that people live, work, travel, communicate, and play. Students consider how innovation changes society as a whole as they create their own blueprints for inventing a better world.
Science
Science curriculum is taught using the Amplify curriculum, as well as, project based learning opportunities. Students engage in the following units:
Animal and Plant Relationships: In this unit, students dive deep into how plants depend on animals in their habitats. Students assume the role of plant scientists reporting to the lead scientist at the Bengal Tiger Reserve, who has tasked students with explaining the unit's anchor phenomenon of why no new chalta trees are growing there. Motivated to figure out the cause of this real-world mystery, students investigate the problem, and then pursue a chain of reasoning that takes them from considering how plants get what they need to grow to understanding how seeds depend on animals for dispersal. Students use their newfound understanding of plant needs and plant-animal relationships in a habitat to explain what chalta seeds need to grow into full-grown trees and why no new chalta trees are growing in the Bengal Tiger Reserve.
Properties of Materials: In this unit, students take on the role of glue engineers and use engineering design practices to create a glue for use at their school, which serves as the design problem for the unit. They conduct hands-on investigations to observe properties of a variety of possible glue ingredients and learn how certain materials respond to heating and cooling; they engage in digital card sorts to apply their understanding of how properties of ingredients affect properties of mixtures; and they search for useful information about each ingredient in the unit’s reference book. By the end of the unit, students are able to speak knowledgeably about their choices and argue for how a particular glue mixture best meets their design goals, with evidence from a variety of sources.
Changing Landforms: In this unit, students use models to investigate how wind and water can cause changes to landforms. They learn that landforms made of solid rock undergo small-scale changes, and that over time, these changes add up to big changes. Students take on the role of geologists in order to help the Oceanside Recreation Center Director understand what is happening to the recreation center’s cliff, and decide whether the center needs to be closed immediately. Books introduce students to important concepts about different types of landforms and the process of erosion, and a digital modeling tool allows students to make sense of these concepts throughout the unit. At the end of the unit, students consider a new anchor phenomenon to explain why the nearby cliff eroded overnight.