Grade 2
Social Studies
Scope
My Community and Other United States Communities
Units
Unit — Active Citizenship
Essential Questions
What does active citizenship mean? What kinds of things do good citizens do?
Enduring Understandings
Responsible citizens show support for their country and community by being patriotic and helping others.
Citizens of a country have responsibilities. These include obeying laws, voting, and paying taxes.
Guiding Questions
What kinds of things do good citizens do?
Available Resources
Title may include the following:
Books
A Picture Book of Abraham Lincoln" by David Adler.
A Picture Book of George Washington" by David Adler.
A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr. by David Adler
All Different Now, the First Day of Freedom" by Angela Johnson
Bowwow Powwow by Brenda Child
Christopher Columbus by Stephen Krensky
Citizenship by Ann-Marie
Coyote Columbus Story" by Thomas King and Monkman.
Duck For President by Doreen Cronin
Elephants Cannot Dance! by Mo Willems
Elizabeth Leads the Way: by Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Right to Vote by Tanya Lee Stone
Free for You and Me: What Our First Amendment Means by Christy Mihaly
Granddaddy’s Turn to Vote: A Journey to the Ballot Box by Michael S. Bandy and Eric Stein
Holidays Around the World: Celebrate Independence Day by Deborah Heiligman
I Did It, I’m Sorry by Caralyn Buehner
I Know My Rights" by Mysonne Linen and Heddrick McBride
I Pledge Allegiance by Bill Martin, Jr.
Independence Day by Davis F Marx
Know and Follow Rules by Cheri J Meiner
Labor Day by Carmen Bredeson
Let's Talk About Race by Julius Lestery
Lillian’s Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by Jonah Winter
One Vote Two Vote, I Vote You Vote" by Bonnie Worth
Rules and Laws by Ann-Marie Kishel
The Bill of Rights in Translation: What It Really Means by Amie Jane Leavitt
The Bill of Rights" by Norman Pearl
The Pledge of Allegiance" by Douglas, Lloyd D.
The President Sang Amazing Grace by Zoe Mulford
The Wall by Eve Bunting
Veterans Day by Jacqueline Cotton
Vote for Our Future! by Margaret McNamara
Skills Taught
Students will:
identify that responsible citizens show support for their country and community by being patriotic and helping others.
identify that citizens of a country have responsibilities. These include obeying laws, voting, and paying taxes.
know key vocabulary .
know the responsibilities of an individual in a community.
know examples of rules and laws.
know how to express patriotism.
know how to cast an informed vote.
compare/contrast ideas.
identify cause/effect.
draw inferences/make conclusions.
make decisions.
organize/get information.
support a position.
define terms.
identify basic assumptions.
recognize different points of view.
work collaboratively with others.
decode images.
New York State Social Studies Framework
Key Ideas: 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.8
Conceptual Understandings: 2.2a, 2.2b, 2.3a, 2.3b, 2.3d, 2.4a, 2.4b, 2.4c, 2.8d
Next Generation English Language Arts Learning Standards
RI: 2.4, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.11
RL: 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.6,
W: 2.1, 2.2, 2.5, 2.6
SL: 2.2
L: 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 2.5
Unit — Economics
Essential Questions
How do economic decisions and challenges affect people, businesses, and communities?
Enduring Understandings
The availability of resources to meet needs and wants can vary across individuals, groups, businesses, and communities.
People make decisions to buy, sell, and use money based on their needs, wants, and the availability of resources.
Scarcity, the price of goods and services, and choice all influence economic decisions made by individuals, businesses, and communities.
Taxes are collected to provide communities with goods and services individuals could not afford to pay for by themselves.
A community requires the interdependence of many people performing a variety of jobs and services to provide for needs and wants.
Guiding Questions
Do communities have to change over time to meet their needs?
Available Resources
Titles may include the following:
Books
A Chair for my Mother by Vera Wiliams
A Good Night for Mr. Coleman by Kathy Izard
Berenstain Bears Trouble with Money by Jan and Stan Berenstain
Do I Need It Or Do I Want It? by Jennifer S. Larson
Go-Around Dollar by Barbara Johnson Adams
Helpers in My Community by Bobbie Kalman
Our Little Kitchen"by Jillian Tamaki
Paying Taxes by Sarah DeCapua and Nanci Vargus
Tara Pays Up by Kirsten Larson
Taxes, Taxes, Taxes: Where the Money Goes by Nancy Loewen
Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts
Skills Taught
Students will:
know key vocabulary.
know needs, wants, and available resources affect choices made about spending, saving, and sharing.
know a budget is a plan for spending, saving, and sharing based on goals.
know economic goals are based on needs, wants, and available resources.
know scarcity of resources can affect what people spend their money on, how much they may need to save to make a purchase, and whether or not they are able to share.
know money refers to both coins and paper money (bills). The U.S. Treasury Department’s role is to make money and control the amount of money in circulation.
use decision making skills to determine needs and wants for a specific purpose and stay within a budget.
explain how available resources affects spending, saving, and sharing.
identify economic goals and tell how the availability of resources can impact those goals.
explain what it means to spend wisely.
identify the role of U.S. Treasury Department as it pertains to money.
identify the services a bank provides.
identify the purpose of taxes.
identify factors business owners need to consider if they want their business to be successful.
New York State Social Studies Framework
Key Ideas: 2.1
Conceptual Understandings: 2.1a, 2.1b, 2.1c, 2.1d
Next Generation English Language Arts Learning Standards
RI: 2.4, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.11
RL: 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.6
W: 2.1, 2.2
SL: 2.1, 2.2
L: 2.2, 2.4. 2.5
Unit — Rural, Urban, Suburban
Essential Questions
Are rural, urban and suburban communities more different than similar?
Enduring Understandings
Rural, urban, and suburban communities have distinct characteristics but they also share many similarities.
Guiding Questions
Do rural, urban, and suburban communities have different characteristics as well as similarities?
Available Resources
Title may include the following:
Books
A City Grows by Susan Ring
A Street through Time by Anne Millard
Home in the Sky" by Jeannie Baker
Larry Gets Lost in New York City by Michael Mullin and John Skewes
Letting Swift River Go" by Jane Yolen
Living in Rural Communities by Kristen Sterling
Living in Suburban Communities" by Kristen Sterling
Living in Urban Communities by Kristen Sterling
Living on Farms" by Allan Fowler
Maybe Something Beautiful by Isabel F. Campoy and Theresa Howell
New York City by David F. Marx
School Then and Now by Robin Nelson
The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth, and Harlem’s Greatest by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson
The House on Maple Street by Bonnie Pryor
The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
Then and Now by Glen Connor
Walk Around a City by Peter and Connie Roop
Walk Around a Farming Town by Peter and Connie Roop
Walk Around a Suburb by Peter and Connie Roop
Walk Around a Town by Peter and Connie Roop
Where is My Home? by Robin Nelson
Skills Taught
Students will:
know and use key vocabulary for the unit.
identify characteristics of each type of community.
identify the connection between the type of community and lifestyle.
compare and contrast ideas.
identify cause and effect.
draw inferences and make conclusions.
evaluate the type of community they live in.
distinguish fact from opinion.
handle diversity of interpretations.
gather information.
organize information.
interpret information.
apply information.
analyze information.
support a position using information gained from the unit.
define terms.
recognize and avoid stereotypes.
recognize those who have a different point of view.
participate in group planning.
cooperate to accomplish goals.
assume responsibility.
decode images.
draw conclusions.
make predictions.
New York State Social Studies Framework
Key Ideas: 2.5
Conceptual Understandings: 2.5a, 2.5b, 2.5c, 2.5d
Next Generation English Language Arts Learning Standards
RI: 2.4, 2.5, 2.7, 2.8
W: 2.1, 2.8
SL: 2.1, 2.2, 2,3
L: 2.4
Unit — Geography of Communities
Essential Questions
Can geographic tools help us understand the similarities and differences of communities?
Enduring Understandings
Geography influences the lifestyles of different communities.
Maps help people understand the geography of their surroundings.
Map skills help individuals read maps.
Guiding Questions
How does geography influence the lifestyles of different communities?
Available Resources
Titles may include the folllowing:
Books
A City Grows by Susan Ring
A Street through Time by Anne Millard
Communities Change by Liz Sonneborn
From Cocoa Bean to Chocolate by Robin Nelson
School Then and Now by Robin Nelson
The House on Maple Street by Bonnie Pryor
The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
Then and Now by Glen Connor
The Oxcart Man by Donald Hall and Barbara Cooney
Skills Taught
Students will:
know and use key vocabulary.
be able to use map key/legend, compass rose.
know that earth is our planet.
know that earth is made up of seven continents and four oceans.
know that continents are made up of countries.
know that our country is made up of 50 states.
know that states are made up of towns, cities, villages.
know that environmental factors in the United States include climate, vegetation, and, animals.
know that geographic factors in the U.S.include landforms and bodies of water.
apply map skills.
identify and compare different environmental factors.
examine the connections between geographic/environmental factors and the lifestyle of a community.
analyze photos of different communities in terms of geographic/environmental factors and lifestyle.
evaluate how the geographic/environmental factors of their own community affect the lifestyle of the people in their community.
New York State Social Studies Framework
Key Ideas: 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9
Conceptual Understanding: 2.6a, 2.6b, 2.7a, 2.8a, 2.8b, 2.8c, 2.9a
Next Generation English Language Arts Learning Standards
RI: 2.1, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.7, 2.8. 2.9
RL: 2.1,
W: 2.1, 2.3, 2.8
SL: 2.1, 2.1d, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4
L: 2.4,2.5, 2.6