Social Studies - 2nd Grade

Content Overview:

Social Studies in grades Kindergarten through 8th grade is focused around a theme for each grade. In second grade the theme is People Working Together.  Work serves as an organizing theme for the second grade. Students learn about jobs today and long ago. They use biographies, primary sources and artifacts as clues to the past. They deepen their knowledge of diverse cultures and their roles as citizens. The units taught throughout the year are Government, Past History, Economics, and Geography. People Working Together is reflected within these units.

Textbooks:

Variety of authentic literature

Assessments:

Classroom activities and projects

 

Standards/Learning Goals:

Ohio’s Learning Standards in Social Studies are comprised of 4 strands: History, Geography, Government, and Economics. The content statements listed below state what students should learn and understand in each discipline.

1st Quarter - Government

Civic Participation and Skills

  • Personal accountability includes making responsible choices, taking responsibility for personal actions and respecting others.
  • Groups are accountable for choices they make and actions they take.

Rules and Laws

  • There are different rules that govern behavior in different settings.

2nd Quarter - History

Historical Thinking and Skills

  • Time can be shown graphically on calendars and timelines.
  • Change over time can be shown with artifacts, maps, and photographs.

Heritage

  • Science and technology have changed daily life.
  • Biographies can show how people's actions have shaped the world in which we live.

3rd Quarter - Geography

Spatial Thinking and Skills

  • Maps and their symbols can be interpreted to answer questions about location of places.

Places and Regions

  • The work that people do is impacted by the distinctive human and physical characteristics in the place where they live.

Human Systems

  • Human activities alter the physical environment, both positively and negatively.
  • Cultures develop in unique ways, in part through the influence of the physical environment.
  • Interactions among cultures lead to sharing ways of life.

4th Quarter - Economics

Economic Decision Making and Skills

  • Information displayed on bar graphs can be used to compare quantities.

Scarcity

  • Resources can be used in various ways.

Production and Consumption

  • Most people around the world work in jobs in which they produce specific goods and services.

Markets

  • People use money to buy and sell goods and services.

Financial Literacy

  • People earn income by working.