In second grade, children and their teachers explore the overarching theme is "Me and My Community" as we build on the skills that have been acquired in first grade and apply them when asking questions, creating theories and collaboratively building deeper understandings. We begin the year by considering the community that is developing in the classroom and school. The concept of Structure is explored through a study of the new building and the roles of individuals within the school community. A focus on architecture moves us into the neighborhoods surrounding the school. As we begin to move farther throughout the city, we focus on the concept of Custom as we consider the rituals and traditions in our own families and discover commonalities with other members of the community. We also discover the potential for and value of diversity as we focus on the notion of Expression in the last trimester. The year ends with student-led projects designed to make positive contributions to our neighborhood community.
Theme: Me and My Community
Grade/Theme Level Goals:
Formulates broad based and specific questions relevant to topics of discussion.
Understands that making mistakes is an essential part of learning.
Establishes achievable goals and strategies to reach those goals.
Examines and interprets works of art form a variety of historical and contemporary cultures.
Communicates thoughtfully when working collaboratively
Concept: Custom
Concept Questions:
Can communities survive without customs?
In what ways are communities defined by their customs?
Unit of Study: The Architecture of Education(Goals)
Understands how to create a sense of community in a new social setting
Understands how smaller communities exist within larger ones and examine the relationships between them
Recognizes how to create a sense of community in a new social setting
Unit of Study: The Architecture of Education(Questions)
How does a building define what happens inside it?
How is the way education is done influence learning?
Topic of Study: The Architecture of Education(Learning Objects)
Measuring Our School Mapping Project (collaborative project)
Patterns in Architecture (Classroom assignment)
