Welcome2nd grade Curriculum

NightLuAnne Hershberger

480-541-4346lhersh@kyrene.org

• School wide emphasis on leadership

• Fosters creating a sustainable, safe-and-friendly school culture for students and staff.  It provides world-class professional development for teachers and administrators as it meets parent desires to be involved and for their children to be prepared for life to come. 

• Common Language (7 Habits for Happy Kids)

• The Leader In Me fosters independence in students and staff through teaching goal setting, organization, time management, and planning skills. 

• It fosters interdependence through teaching teamwork, conflict

management (often a big one for elementary-aged children), providing opportunities for creativity, and through teaching analytical skill development. It also fosters renewal by presenting things in fun ways, creating a desire to learn, and practicing good health and hygiene habits. 

Seven HabitsWhat are the 7 Habits of Happy Kids? Habit 1 — Be proactiveYou're in ChargeI am a responsible person. I take initiative. I choose my actions, attitudes and moods. I do not blame others for my wrong actions. I do the right thing without being asked, even when no one is looking.

Habit 2 — Begin with the End in MindHave a PlanI plan ahead and set goals. I do things that have meaning and make a difference. I am an important part of my classroom and contribute to my school's mission and vision. I look for ways to be a good citizen.

Habit 3 — Put First Things FirstWork First, Then PlayI spend my time on things that are most important. This means I say no to things I know I should not do. I set priorities, make a schedule and follow my plan. I am disciplined and organized.

Habit 4 — Think Win-WinEveryone Can WinI balance courage for getting what I want with consideration for what others want. I make deposits in others' "Emotional Bank Accounts". When conflicts arise, I look for third alternatives.

Habit 5 — Seek First to Understand, Then to Be UnderstoodListen Before You TalkI listen to other people's ideas and feelings. I try to see things from their viewpoints. I listen to others without interrupting. I am confident in voicing my ideas. I look peoplein the eyes when talking.

Habit 6 — SynergizeTogether Is BetterI value other people's strengths and learn from them. I get along well with others, even people who are different than me. I work well in groups. I seek out other people's ideas to solve problems because I know that by teaming with others we can create better solutions than anyone of us can alone. I am humble.

Habit 7 — Sharpen The SawBalance Feels BestI take care of my body by eating right, exercising and getting sleep. I spend time with family and friends. I learn in lots of ways and lots of places, not just at school. I find meaningful ways to help others.

Typical Day• Opening • Math IFG Block• Specials• Math Block• Lunch• Read-aloud• Reading and Language Arts Writing/ Spelling/ Grammar• Social Studies/Science/Health

MathKyrene adopted a combined series for

our math resources• Investigations in Data and Space

• an activity based math resource• Scott Foresman (SFAW)

• a traditional textbook approach

• Curriculum still consists of the 6 math strands

– Numbers & Operations– Measurement– Geometry– Data Analysis– Patterns/Algebra– Problem Solving

Helping Your Child At Home

*Relax!*You are a “guide”

*Don’t take over for your child*Believe that your child can successfully

learn mathematics *Expect your child to work hard to learn

mathematics *Have your child explain the problem and

his/her thinking out loud*Show all work

*Examine why solutions are correct and incorrect

*Help your child connect math with daily life*Point out your own activities that involve

mathematics *Ask questions

•Tell me about your thinking.•What do you remember after reading the problem? What can you tell me without looking?•Do you think there will be more than ___ or less than ___ at the end? •Why did you decide to +/- your numbers? What parts of the story helped you make your decision?•What tools would be helpful to your thinking? (100’s chart, number line, place value blocks etc)•What might a picture of your thinking look like? Record it!•What equation do you think matches your thinking, picture or strategy?•Can you tell or show me what each number represents from the problem?•Can you put in your own words how you got your answer?•ALWAYS DOUBLE CHECK! What’s another way you can show your work?

Great Questions for Building Number Sense At Home

Language Arts Block• Harcourt Reading Program

– A research based Core Reading Program which uses an anthology of stories to cover the “BIG FIVE”

1. Phonics2. Phonemic awareness3. Vocabulary4. Comprehension5. Fluency

• Students work in different groupings– Whole class– Individualized Focus Groups– Small guided reading groups– Independently

Writing Workshop

• Six Trait Writing Model for instruction and assessment– Taught by using students’

writing as models, through literature, class practice, student practice and sample work

– Students have writer’s notebooks to jot down ideas and observations

Grammar & Writing Skills

First Semester

Types of SentencesPunctuation (period, question

mark, exclamation point)Capital letters (beginning of

sentence and names)Synonyms and Antonyms

Alphabetical OrderNouns

AdjectivesElements of Literature

Prewriting

Second Semester

ContractionsCapital Letters (Proper nouns)

VerbsPlurals

Compound wordsAlphabetical order (second and third

letter)Dictionary Skills (guide words)

Elements of LiteratureEditing and Writing reports

Personal NarrativeLetters

Spelling

• Harcourt Spelling program– 15 words a week (works with word

families)

– Challenge words are available each week. These words are derived from our weekly vocabulary words.

– Also responsible for first 200 high frequency words

• Tests on Fridays

Science

• Most activities are hands-on and student centered.

• Covering these topics:– Science process skills– Weather– Solids, Liquids, & Gases– Insects– Human Body– Mammals

AmericanHistory

•Timelines/Past/ Present/Future

•Technological Changes

•Individual’s impact on Am. History(e.g. Christopher Columbus, Benjamin Franklin, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King Jr.)

•Communities

Govt./Civics

•Compare/contrast past/present

•National symbols

•Interaction/ Interdependence

•Citizenship

•Government leaders/branches

•Voting

•U.S. Constitution

Geography

•Map/Globe skills

•Landforms

•Legends and directions`

•Environmental impact on daily life

•Recycling

Economics

•Careers/Work Places

•Goods and services

•Comparing the use of barter and money in exchange for goods and services.

•Scarcity affects on daily lives

•Producers and consumers

World History

•Recognize how archaeological research adds to our understanding of the past

•Recognize the origins and contributions of early civilizations

Social Studies

Technology

• Taught in conjunction with other subject areas– Projector, 6 laptops, 2 desktop computers,

document camera, and a Smart Board– Some programs children will be exposed to:

Pixie 2, Word, Kidspiration, PowerPoint, Share, and Typing Agent

– The internet may be used for research with direct supervision

– Anywhere, anytime learning

Homework• Handed out Monday • Due back the following Monday• As a family you may choose how to divide up the homework so

that it is completed for Monday. • District guidelines state 20-40 minutes/day• Star Homework is based on the Universal Homework Model

used in Whole Brain Teaching• allows for a great deal of student choice and ownership of the

learning at home, as well as the opportunity to focus on and develop specific individual interests.

• has built in differentiation and encourages student to engage in a diverse set of learning experiences not afforded in the traditional structure of homework. It provides greater balance and flexibility, as well as fostering greater creativity at home.

• helps students develop a positive appreciation for learning and setting aside time to do so at home. Students work together in the classroom towards a common goal and often encourage one another.

Fluency Builder

• Copied on the back of the weekly calendar – completed on

Fri.

• Correlates with the phonics elements taught in the weekly

lessons

• Practices priority or high frequency words

• Reinforces key vocabulary from weekly story

• Numbered sentences incorporate the words from 3 lists

• Divided into phrases to help students improve natural,

smooth phrasing

• Should take about 5-10 minutes

Reading At Home

• Your child should be reading at least 20 minutes independently and 10 minutes orally each night.

• Although second graders are capable of reading independently, it is important to continue to read aloud to him/her as well. Reading aloud enhances comprehension, reading fluency, and vocabulary development.

I encourage students to bring in healthy snacks. The students need “brain food”. All students need to bring their own individual snack. We do not have a class snack. In second grade we use the 5 & 15 Rule:

5 or fewer grams of fat and 15 or less grams of sugar

NO cookies, candy, cakes, or donuts even if they fit the “rule”. I tell the kids it is a snack not a treat. It is “brain food” and fuel for their bodies to make it until lunch.

Children are encouraged to bring in water bottles.

Snacks and Water Bottles

• Kept next to their desks• Easier to keep them drinking water all day

long

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Rights and ResponsibilitiesClassroom Behavior Policy- Clip Chart

Birthdays

All invitations have to be mailedNo treats

PartiesChildren and I will do the planning but we will need parent assistance to provide food Thank you for everyone who volunteered

DismissalParent pickup - Please make & place a name card on your visorIf any changes with transportation PLEASE provide a note or email

Book Orders Checks or money orders made out to Scholastic - No cash please.

Teacher Communication Please email me

24 hourslhersh@kyrene.org