Social Studies: 2nd Grade

The 2nd grade social studies curriculum includes specific topics that vary from state to state, but overall focuses on helping students develop their reading, writing, research, and critical thinking skills as they gain a deeper understanding of history and society and share the new knowledge they learn. Teachers may use texts, photographs, film, art, class trips, and visitors to help students learn about a specific topic from different types of media and various perspectives. In 2nd grade, there is often a strong emphasis on comparing differences between groups and appreciating these differences.






To build his social studies skills, your sceond grader:

Learns about the history of his community and family.	Compares his own community to others, specifically with an appreciation for valuing difference and multiculturalism.	Gains a deeper understanding of geography, and specifically that of North America, using maps to locate and identify different places such as bodies of water, mountains, the equator, etc.	Learns more about government, its roles, and how officials are chosen.	Learns about important historical figures.	Uses reading, writing, and art to deepen his understanding of concepts and portray what he has learned.