Amy Dudley and Kadie Boggs
Theme: Famous People
Second Grade
1. History
II. Time, Continuity, and Change
2. People in Societies
I. Culture
IV. Individual Development and Identity
V. Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
3. Geography
III. People, Places, and Environments
IX. Global Connections
4. Economics
VII. Production, Distribution, and Consumption
5. Government
X. Civic Ideals and Practices
6. Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities
VI. Power, Authority, and Governance
X. Civic Ideals and Practices
7. Social Studies Skills and Methods
VIII. Science Technology and Society
Famous Person: Christopher Columbus
Activities:
1.
Christopher Columbus Day Acrostic Poem. Write a poem about
Christopher Columbus. Start each line with a letter from the
word “COLUMBUS.”
2.
Sentence Writing. Write a sentence for each Columbus Day
word. Words: explore, ocean, sail, world, map, spices,
compass, ship, island, voyage.



http://teacherlink.edu.usu.edu/tlresources/units/Byresfamous/sacajawe.html
http://www.proteacher.com/cgibin/outsidesite.cgi?id=15881&ext
ernal=
http://abcteach.com/Reading/comps/electing%20out%20preside
nt.pdf&original=

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/word-finds/presidents.html

www.enchantedlearning.com
Famous Person: Christopher
Columbus
Activities:
3. Columbus Day Spelling Word
Questions. Use the list of
spelling words: ship,
explorer, voyage, compass,
ocean, Columbus, Europe,
island, Santa Maria.
(Source: www.enchantedlearning.com)
Famous Person: Christopher
Columbus
Activities:
4. A map activity on Columbus’
1492 voyage to the new
world.
(Source:
www.enchantedlearning.com)
Activities:
Famous Person: Christopher Columbus
5. Christopher Columbus Timeline (1451-1506). Students will
arrange the following sentences in chronological order on a
sentence strip:
a. Christopher Columbus was born in Italy in 1451.
b. Christopher Columbus went to Spain to ask Queen Isabella for money
to make the trip.
c. Columbus bought three ships called The Pinta, The Nina, and The
Santa Marie.
d. Columbus sailed west with his supplies and men.
e. Christopher Columbus landed in America.
f. Columbus took riches from the Native Americans for Queen Isabella.

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/history/us/MLK/
timeline.shtml
http://www.arthur.k12.il.us/arthurgs/mlkquiz.htm
 http://k6educators.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?
zi=1/XJ&sdn=k6educators&cdn=education&tm=12&gps=
90_275_788_371&f=00&su=p554.2.150.ip_&tt=2&bt=0
&bts=0&zu=http%3A//curry.edschool.virginia.edu/go/wi
l/MLK.pdf
 http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson046.shtml
 http://www.gpschools.org/ci/ce/elem/holidays/mlkk5.ht
m

Famous Person:
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Activities:
1.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Timeline: Read a timeline of Dr.
King’s life and answer yes/no questions on his life
(http://www.enchantedlearning.com/history/us/MLK/timelin
e.shtml).
2. I have a dream…Martin Luther King, Jr. Book: A short,
printable activity book in which the student writes about a
personal dream, how it can be attained, and what the effects
of this dream would be on the world.
Famous Person: Martin
Luther King, Jr.
Activities:
5. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Printable Worksheet. A
printable worksheet on
Martin Luther King, Jr., who
did extraordinary work for
civil rights. The printout
has information on Martin
Luther King, Jr., questions,
and a picture to color.
Answers: 1. Georgia, 2. 15
years old, 3. Montgomery,
Alabama, 4. April 4, 1968, 5.
January.
Source:
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/history/us/aframer/bioprint
outs/mlk
/
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nwa/sacajawea.html
http://library.thinkquest.org/J0110072/famous/sacajawea.htm
http://sacajawea.idahostatesman.com/pdf/LearningActivities.pdf
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/us-history/native-american-
history/26332.html
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/native-americans/lesson-
plan/3843.html
Activities:
1.
2.
Famous Person: Sacajawea
Mini Lecture: After discussing some of the hard things that the
students in the class have done before, introduce Sacajawea. Give
them the background on her life and the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Compare the hardships she had to face to some that were mentioned
earlier in class.
Turn-2-Think: Have the students divide into groups of four by
counting off 1-4. Have them count off again within their groups so
that each member has a number. Instruct them to draw a card from
the question pile (cards can be found at: www.
Teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresoures/units/Byrnesfamous/sacajawe.html). Each member is to think of the answer and
then they are to draw an answer card to see who will answer.

http://www.globaled.org/curriculum/tomcollins.html

http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/socialstud.html

http://www.netstate.com/states/index.html

http://www.greece.k12.ny.us/task/links/elem/elemSS.htm
Activities:
3.
4.
Famous Person: Sacajawea
Think-Pair-Share: Remind students of some of the gestures
Sacajawea made to communicate with both those of her own tribe
and those from other tribes, for example, sucking her fingers,
throwing the blanket around her brother, and painting their cheeks
red. Then ask them to get into groups of two and think of some of
the gestures we use today to communicate with one another. Some
examples would be shaking hands, waving, kissing on the cheek, or
pointing at certain things like our ears to indicate that we can’t hear.
Then have each group pair up with another group to share their ideas.
Each group will then share three ideas with the class.
Picture this: Have each student choose three things Sacajawea did
that they think demonstrates courage of resourcefulness and have
them illustrate each thing, adding a one line caption to explain the
picture.
Activities:
Famous Person: Sacajawea
5. Mapping Activity: Using Rhoda Blumberg’s book, The Incredible
Journey of Lewis & Clark, as a reference, show the students the
general route of the expedition from North Dakota to the Pacific
Ocean. Discuss the geography of each are and brainstorm ideas of
how they used the natural resources of each area to meet their basic
needs. Blumberg’s book also gives examples of what the group ate in
each different area they were in, buffalo in Montana, salmon in Idaho,
and whale blubber from near the ocean, as well as how they used
different materials to make clothes. Compare the student’s ideas to
those in the book and ask the students if they have any more
suggestions. Then have each child make a small flag of something the
group used or may have used to meet their basic needs and let them
put it up on the map in the area that they would have used it.
•http://www.usmint.gov/kids/campCoin/funWithCoins.cfm
•http://www.ustreas.gov/kids/
•http://www.moneymanagement.org/Education/Resources/Mama/in
dex.asp
•http://www.moneymanagement.org/Education/Resources/Penguins
/index.asp
•http://www.moneyinstructor.com/elementary.asp
Activities:
Famous Person: Alexander Hamilton
(Source for all: http://www.usmint.gov/kids/campCoin/funWithCoins.cfm)
1. 'PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS' NOTECARDS
Make your own notepaper with a coin rubbing design. It would make a nice gift!
Make the Cards

Place a sheet of tracing paper over a sheet of heavy white paper. Hold them together with 4 paper clips, one near
each corner.

Place the attached papers in front of you vertically; then, with a ruler and a pencil, draw a very fine line dividing the
papers in half horizontally. Cut them in half along this line.

You should now have two 8½ x 5½ sets of tracing and heavy paper. Fold each set in half (with the tracing paper on
the outside) to make 2¾ by 4¼ inch note cards.
Create the Design

Write Penny For Your Thoughts on the tracing paper front of your note cards, leaving space for your coin rubbing
design.

Place a coin between the tracing paper and heavy white paper, then rub it with a brown or copper colored crayon or
colored pencil to make a coin rubbing design around the words.
Put Them Together

Staple the two papers together in the crease formed when you fold them in half, or glue the two papers together
with a very thin line of glue around the edges of the heavy paper.

These cards can be used without envelopes, but you can also use leftover envelopes from old note card collections or
purchase note card envelopes in some party goods stores or card shops.

Famous Person: Alexander Hamilton
Activities:
(Source for all: http://www.usmint.gov/kids/campCoin/funWithCoins.cfm)
4. CENTS-SATIONAL COOKIES
Use your favorite sugar cookie recipe to bake round, coin-shaped cookies. With a small tube
of icing, decorate the cookies and mark them with denominations of 5 cents, 10 cents,
etc. Make the coins different colors and designs.
5. GROW YOUR MONEY
Any time is the right time to open your own savings account. You can deposit your allowance,
the money you've earned, or whatever you've got. If you add to your account every time you
get a little extra cash, you'll see your savings grow. Your money will earn interest, too.*
Just get your savings together, and then ask your parent or guardian to take you (with your
Social Security card) to a local bank, where they'll set up an account for you.
*Interest is the money the bank pays you for keeping your money in their savings
account. Typical interest payments for a savings account might start at about 1%. At that
rate, you would earn about $1 a year for every $100 you keep in the bank

http://www.cyberbee.com/election/elechunt.html

http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/676.html



http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/election
-day/index.html
http://www.teacherplanet.com/resource/electionday.
php
http://k6educators.about.com/library/blelection2000
.htm
Famous Person: The Founding Fathers
Activities:
1. Hold mock elections in the classroom.
2.
Our Classroom Declaration. Review Declaration of
Independence and have students develop a classroom
declaration of rules. Students will sign and post in the
classroom.
3.
"Your Vote Counts!" Election Activity. Concepts taught:
voting, counting, graphing values and citizenship. Source:
http://teachers
http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/676.html.net/lessons/posts
/676.html
Famous Person: The Founding Fathers
Activities:
4. Election Facts Worksheet. (can be done in teams, groups, or individually)
http://www.proteacher.com/cgibin/outsidesite.cgi?id=15881&external=http://abcteach.com/Reading/comps/electing%20o
ut%20president.pdf&original=http://www.proteacher.com/090181.shtml&title=Elections
5. Using the K-W-L strategy, brainstorm with students what they already know about
elections and ask them to generate questions they would like developed about the topic.
Record on chart paper. Examples of student questions might be:
How do you vote?
Why can't kids vote?
Why do we need a president?
Why do presidential elections happen every four years?
What do presidents do?
What is a poll?
Use their questions as focal points for class research, activities, and discussions
•
http://www.apples4theteacher.com/word-finds/presidents.html
•http://abcteach.com/Reading/comps/electing%20out%20presiden
t.pdf&original=
•http://www.proteacher.com/090055.shtml
•http://www.leg.wa.gov/legislature/studentspage/billtolaw_element
ary.htm
•http://www.sec.state.vt.us/Kids/free.html
Famous Person: The President of the United States
Activities:
1. Interactive Word Search. Play this interactive word search game against the clock. You may choose
to play interactively online or print the word search out to play on paper. Each time you play, there
will be a different set of president last names. Hundreds of games built into one!
Ten names are randomly chosen from this last name list associated with Presidents of the United
States. 37 names are included and ALL President's are represented. There have been 43
Presidents of the United States. Can you explain the difference in numbers?
(source: http://www.apples4theteacher.com/word-finds/presidents.html)
2.
United States Presidential Trivia. http://www.apples4theteacher.com/prestriv.html
3.
Presidential Thoughts Bulletin Board. After learning about George Washington and Abraham
Lincoln students pretend they are the President. They will write autobiographies including
interesting facts about the two presidents. They will write their stories inside of books that are
shaped like the silhouette of the president¹s head
Famous Person: The President of the United States
Activities:
4.
5.
Hail to the Chief.
Students will acquaint themselves with different styles
of music that are available to American musicians and compose variations on the
theme of “Hail to the Chief” using these various styles. From “The National
Anthem” to “Happy Birthday,” there are lots of songs we all recognize because
we hear them so often. Some songs are played or sung during special occasions.
One such song is, “Hail to the Chief;” and you can bet that the president of the
United States has heard it many times!
KWL Chart. Make a KWL chart using any presidential fact book.

http://www.proteacher.org/a/19137_map_skills.html

http://www.cdli.ca/CITE/maps.htm

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/geography/mapreading/


http://teachers.net/cgibin/lessons/sort.cgi?searchterm=Geography
http://www.cloudnet.com/~edrbsass/edgeography.htm
Famous Person: Galileo Galilei
Activities:
1.
Make your own flag activity. Students will use various materials
to create their own representation of a new flag for the United
States.
2. School Map. Students will design an accurate model of their
school indicating points of interest.
3. Where I live. Students create a map to indicate important
landmarks and terrain in reference to the community in which
they live.
4. Follow the Path. Teacher created world map, students follow
the path and journey of famous expeditionary travels.

http://teacherlink.edu.usu.edu/tlresources/units/Byres-famous/sacajawe.html

http://www.proteacher.com/cgibin/outsidesite.cgi?id=15881&external=

http://abcteach.com/Reading/comps/electing%20out%20president.pdf&original
=

http://www.proteacher.com/090181.shtml&title=Elections

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/word-finds/presidents.html

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/geography/mapreading/1.shtml

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/prestriv.html

http://www.usmint.gov/kids/campCoin/funWithCoins.cfm


www.enchantedlearning.com
http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/676.html