Capitol Hill
2 Grade Curriculum Overview
nd
Reading:
Capitol Hill’s 2nd grade reading curriculum consists of literature based
units used in conjunction with the district’s adopted basal series. The
literature-based books used for unit studies include fiction, nonfiction,
mysteries, folk tales, biographies, fantasy and poetry. During unit studies,
books at a variety of reading levels are used to accommodate different
reading levels. Skill presentations follow the district’s basal scope and
sequence of reading skills.
A variety of authors and illustrators are featured during the various
unit studies throughout the year. And we also incorporate the other areas of
study including Science and Social Studies into our reading curriculum.
Second graders are expected to read aloud to someone at home for 10
minutes each school day.
Math:
The 2nd grade math curriculum consists of a scope and sequence that
addresses individual students needs combined with strategic problem
solving. Students are placed in ability groups based on their skill levels. The
math standards from the National Council of Mathematics Teachers are
incorporated into the Everyday Math Series. You can expect your 2nd grader
to have math homework Mondays - Thursdays.
Science:
2nd Grade is moving towards an inquiry based approach to many of
our science units. Students will have many opportunities to develop
questions and then plan investigations to find answers to their questions.
Units in 2nd grade include life, earth and physical sciences and
engineering. Some of the units are:
 Life Cycles: Amphibians, Insects, and Plants
 Investigations of Bubbles or Popcorn
 Solids, Liquids, and Gasses
 Insects
 Soil Science
Global Studies:
The 2nd grade global studies focuses on communities. Some of the
units are: friendship, cultural celebrations, black history, women’s history,
personal safety, geography and how people lived, current events,
expectations, responsibilities, time lines and graphs.
Language Arts:
The main components of the language arts curriculum are Writers’
Workshop word study, grammar and handwriting.
We use the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum for reinforcing the
manuscript alphabet.
The Writers’ Workshop is a curriculum that has students writing every
day. There is a mini-lesson which teaches or reinforces a skill or craft and
then the students put into practice what they’ve learned during the minilesson. There are five major units of study in Writers’ Workshop. They are:
personal narrative, poetry writing, mentor author, procedural writing, and
nonfiction writing. The students will be writing each day in their journals
and will have several published pieces of work at the end of the school year.
Current Events:
Each month students are expected to share an appropriate current
event with the class. The current event presentations not only help us to
assess the students’ understanding of Social Studies standards, but also help
us to assess their listening and speaking skills. It is very important for the
students to practice their presentations at home before sharing them with the
class.