WALPOLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
GRADE 2
Curriculum Summary by Subject
These curriculum summaries have been developed by teachers and administrators to serve as another way of communicating with parents. They highlight the core curriculum and expectations for student learning at each grade level.
The curriculum summaries describe what most students at a grade level are expected to know and be able to do by the end of the school year. They also reflect the goals of the various Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. It is important to note that although children may learn and grow at different rates and through varied styles, all should make regular progress.
While we have high expectations for all students and encourage each student to work to their capacity, parents and teachers recognize that some students have more difficulty in school. Others will progress more rapidly and move well beyond these core expectations. It is the joint responsibility of school and home to provide support, challenge, and encouragement for all students.
Art
The Elementary Art Program provides a foundation in which students develop the capacity to create, respond and communicate through the language of Visual Art. Our curriculum gives students the opportunity to develop skills using a variety of media as well as enhance learning through the integration of Art with other subject areas such as Science, Math, Language Arts, History and Music. Students are encouraged to explore and express their ideas in an environment that nurtures imaginative thinkers and inventive problem solvers.
The Elementary Art Program is aligned to the principles and guidelines of the Massachusetts Visual Arts Standards and National Visual Arts Standards. It is part of a comprehensive K-12 Visual Art Program which focuses on the instruction of the elements and principles of art in a sequential and spiraling curriculum. Our program is designed for students to explore various facets of art such as two-dimensional and three-dimensional design, art history, multi-cultural and literacy connections, as well as a variety of ways to make art. Additionally, throughout the curriculum, students learn how to talk about art and how to evaluate what they see. Key areas of focus include critical thinking, problem-solving skills, imagination and inventive solutions.
It is important to note that Art enhances the academic, social, emotional and creative growth of each student.
English Language Arts
Students will
know and apply grade level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
read grade level text with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
ask and answer “wh” questions about a story.
retell stories, fables, and folktales and determine main idea, lesson or moral.
identify character, setting, problem, solution.
identify informational text structure – headings, subheadings, captions, diagrams, etc.
write narratives recounting a well-elaborated event with robust word choice.
write informational text on a topic.
write opinion pieces in which a topic is introduced and supportive reasoning is provided with concluding statement.
write stories or poems with dialogue.
revise and edit writing.
demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when speaking and writing.
form and use collective nouns, irregular plural nouns, and past tense of irregular verbs.
use adjectives and adverbs when speaking and writing.
expand simple sentences.
read, pronounce, write, and understand the meaning of common abbreviations.
use proper capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
define unknown or multiple meaning words using context clues, prefixes, suffixes, glossaries, and dictionaries.
identify synonyms and real life connections between words and their use.
participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts.
produce complete sentences to provide requested detail and clarification.
follow agreed upon rules of discussion.
link comments to remarks of others.
ask and answer questions about what a speaker says to clarify comprehension.
Mathematics
Students will
count within 1000, skip count by 5s, 10s and 100s.
understand place value and the base ten number system to 1000.
compare three digit numbers using >, <, and =.
fluently add and subtract within 20 using mental strategies.
determine odd and even numbers within 20, write an equation to express an even number.
use addition to find the total in a rectangular array with up to 5 rows and 5 columns.
add and subtract within 100 to solve one and two step word problems.
fluently add and subtract within 100 using place value and properties of operations.
mentally add or subtract 10 or 100 to any given number 100-900.
measure and estimate length of objects using rulers, meter sticks, measuring tapes to the nearest inch, foot, centimeter, and meter.
tell and write time from analog and digital clocks to the nearest five minutes using a.m. and p.m., know how many seconds in a minute, minutes in an hour, hours in a day, days in a week, a month, a year, and weeks in month and year.
solve words problems with money using $ and ¢ accurately.
show measurements on a line plot.
draw a picture graph and a bar graph to represent data with up to four categories.
identify triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons by number of angles and three dimensional shapes by number of faces.
partition a rectangle into equal rows and columns of squares to find area.
partition circles and rectangles into equal shares.
WPS Elementary Family Math Resources
Bridges Family Support
Math at Home
Music
Students will be able to use a more in-depth knowledge of musical elements to analyze musical examples, perform individually and as an ensemble, and to compose music. Students will be able to use various forms of iconic notation to read and write down their musical ideas.
Students will
create and improvise short, original, musical ideas.
individually sing and play simple phrases following iconic notation (Half Note, Half Rest, Do and Re).
identify basic elements in familiar songs (tempi, dynamics, rhythm vs. steady beat, melody).
Physical Education
Students will
understand safety issues.
develop lateral and cross lateral locomotor skills.
develop body, spatial and temporal awareness.
develop tracking skills through manipulative exploration.
understand general function and structure of the body through fitness exploration.
develop interpersonal relations through team building experiences.
develop basic gymnastic skills through exploration of skills.
experience rhythmic development through rhythm exploration activities.
explore movement concepts in low organized games.
explore interpersonal relations in group settings.
practice skills with low organized games.
explore movement concepts with academics.
develop teamwork and cooperation.
Science and Technology/Engineering
Students will answer the following questions:
What do plants and animals need to live and grow?
What are the characteristics of living and non-living things?
How can we classify living things?
What are the stages of plant/animal life and how do they vary?
How do plants/animals resemble their parents?
What do you need in your habitat to survive?
How can objects move in various ways?
How does force influence the motion of an object?
What is the earth composed of?
How does the sun support life on earth?
How are years, seasons, days, and nights impacted by the events around us?
How do human beings and animals use parts of the body as tools?
Social Studies
Students will
use correctly temporal words and phrases (now, in the past, in the future).
read historical time lines and put in chronological order events in their lives.
describe the difference between maps and globes and use them following historical narratives.
define qualities that make a good leader.
demonstrate the rights and responsibilities of a good student and citizen.
give examples of producers and consumers in school and in the community.
identify buyers and sellers in the community and the goods and services bought and sold.
on a world map locate seven continents, five major oceans, five major rivers and major mountain or mountain ranges.
locate boundaries of the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
explain the difference between a continent and country.
read about their families’ traditions or customs and traditions and customs from different countries.
describe and compare different ways people have achieved great distinction.
Contacts
Brendan Dearborn, Boyden School Principal
Carrie Ruggiero, Elm Street School Principal
Brian Bemiss, Fisher School Principal
David Barner, Old Post Road School Principal