2nd grade
The Local Community
The second grade social studies curriculum addresses concepts in geography, history, government, and economics through the lens of the local community. Students examine what is a community, how citizens live and work together in community, how communities change over time, and the role of citizens in a community. Using historical thinking, students create timelines of key events from their community’s past, explore changes over time, and investigate how descriptions of common events can differ. Students draw upon prior knowledge of spatial awareness, physical and human systems, and human-environment interaction from earlier grades to create more complex understandings and apply these concepts to the local community. They begin to understand how people, goods, and services move within the community. By exploring the role of local businesses in the community, students consider what happens when people cannot produce everything they want and how they depend on trade to meet those wants. Students are also introduced to local government and its functions. Through an examination of local public issues, students practice public discourse and decision making around community issues.
The second grade social studies curriculum addresses concepts in geography, history, government, and economics through the lens of the local community. Students examine what is a community, how citizens live and work together in community, how communities change over time, and the role of citizens in a community. Using historical thinking, students create timelines of key events from their community’s past, explore changes over time, and investigate how descriptions of common events can differ. Students draw upon prior knowledge of spatial awareness, physical and human systems, and human-environment interaction from earlier grades to create more complex understandings and apply these concepts to the local community. They begin to understand how people, goods, and services move within the community. By exploring the role of local businesses in the community, students consider what happens when people cannot produce everything they want and how they depend on trade to meet those wants. Students are also introduced to local government and its functions. Through an examination of local public issues, students practice public discourse and decision making around community issues.