1. SOCIAL STUDIES UNIT OUTLINES – SECOND GRADE
      2. Unit Outlines for Second Grade:
      3. Unit Outline 1: Our Community
      4. Unit Outline 2: Communities Meeting Their Needs and Wants
      5. Unit Outline 3: Participating in Our Community


      SUGGESTED UNIT OUTLINES FOR SOCIAL STUDIES GLES   2nd GRADE  

       





      SOCIAL STUDIES UNIT OUTLINES – SECOND GRADE

       


      In second grade, students apply their emerging understanding of civics, economics, geography, and history to their communities and others around the world. Students learn about how their community works as well as the variety of ways that communities organize themselves. To develop conceptual understanding, students examine the geographic and economic aspects of life in their own neighborhoods and compare them to those of people long ago.

       

      The following pages organize the required social studies standards for the 3rd grade by suggested unit plans related to the concept of community and the common good. As with the other grade levels, these suggested unit outlines are framed along two dimensions: chronological era and major developments or themes. Civics, economics, geography, and social studies skills are embedded in this framework. They start with possible essential and guiding questions to help frame the unit. The sample guiding questions focus on the specific issues that connect with the particular era, developments, or themes. The sample essential questions are meant to remind us of how the themes and eras addressed in a particular unit relate to timeless important issues and concepts.

       

      Please note that while the GLEs (in bold) are required, the examples are merely suggestions. Since it would be impossible to address all of the important people, cultures, and events from Washington state history that promotes in-depth understanding, these examples are meant to provide some possible contexts in which to teach these standards. They are not meant to be followed like a recipe or as a one-size-fits-all curriculum. Ultimately, it is up to teachers and administrators in each district to decide how to tailor this course and these examples to their students’ and community’s particular interests and needs. The document is in Word format to facilitate this tailoring. Local educators will have to help decide which themes and developments in world history and geography students will examine deeply and which they will look at as points of comparison. By balancing depth and breadth, students will have the opportunity to gain enduring understandings that social studies teaches us about ourselves and our world. To help develop these enduring understandings, these unit outlines include recommended placement of several of the state’s Classroom-Based Assessment models (CBAs). To see the full requirements of the CBAs referenced below, visit OSPI’s social studies assessment web page.

       





      Unit Outlines for Second Grade:
      1. Our Community
      2. Communities Meeting Their Needs and Wants
      3. Participating in Our Community
       





      Unit Outline 1: Our Community
      Essential Question(s):


      ·   What makes a community?

      ·   What causes communities to change?

      ·   How are communities alike and different?

       
      Guiding Question(s):
      · How is our community organized?
      · Who has shaped our community in the past? Who shapes it now?
       
        Required GLE Suggested Examples
      CIVICS
      1.1.1
      		Understands the key ideal of public or common good within the context of the community. ·   Explains one’s responsibility to obey the law of not littering for the public good of the community.

      ·   Explains how people can respect the rights of others to live safely in the neighborhood by obeying speed limits.
       
      1.2.1
      		Understands the basic organization of government in the community.   Explains that cities are governed by mayors and city councils.

      ·   Explains that police and judges enforce laws.
       
      1.2.2
      		Understands the basic function of government and laws in the community.   Explains that city governments make and enforce laws to support a safe community.

      ·   Explains that city governments support local businesses and neighborhoods by improving and maintaining streets and sidewalks.
      GEOGRAPHY
      3.1.1
      		Understands and applies basic mapping elements such as compass rose, labels, and a key to read and construct maps that display information about neighborhoods or local communities.   Explains how maps of the local community can be used to describe where people live, work, and play.

      ·   Constructs maps that display information about the local community using a compass rose, labels, and a key.
       
      3.1.2
      		Understands the physical characteristics of places in the community. Describes physical characteristics such as rivers, lakes, mountains, and parks

      of the community in which they live.
      HISTORY
      4.1.1
      		Understands and creates timelines for events in a community to show how the present is connected to the past. Creates and explains a community timeline that displays events that are still celebrated or remembered today.
       
      4.2.1
      		Understands individuals who have shaped history in the local community Explains how Marcus and Narcissa Whitman played a role in the settlement of Walla Walla.

      ·   Explains how Chief Sealth played a role in the development of Seattle as a city.


       





      Unit Outline 2: Communities Meeting Their Needs and Wants

       
      Essential Question(s):


      ·   What goods and services do communities provide?

      ·   How do communities make decisions that affect the whole community?

       
      Guiding Question(s):


      ·   How do communities pay for the goods and services they need and want?

      ·   What jobs do people have in a community--public and private?

      ·   How do consumers make decisions about what to buy and how do producers make decisions about what to sell?

      ·   How does advertising influence people's choices in the marketplace?
        Required GLE Suggested Examples
      ECONOMICS
      2.2.1
      		Understands the basic elements of a community’s economic system, including producers, distributors, and consumers of goods and services. ·   Explains that goods sold in local stores are used by people living in the community to meet their needs and wants.

      ·   Explains that people in communities are consumers of the public safety services that police officers or fire fighters provide.
       
      2.1.1
      		 

      Understands that members of the community make choices among products and services that have costs and benefits.       		·   Explains how people’s choice of purchasing goods from a large business can result in the loss of smaller businesses.

      ·   Explains the costs and benefits that food banks and thrift stores provide for people in the community.
      GEOGRAPHY
      3.2.1
      		Understands that people in communities affect the environment as they meet their needs and wants. Explains how people affect their environment by clearing land or developing farm land to meet their need for homes and businesses.

      ·   Explains how people affect the community’s environment by making parks for recreation.


       





      Unit Outline 3: Participating in Our Community

       
      Essential Question(s):


      ·   How do communities solve problems?

      ·   What are the roles and responsibilities of community members?

      ·   How can we make a difference in our community?

       
      Guiding Question(s):


      ·   What challenges does our community face?

       
        Required GLE Suggested Examples
      CIVICS
      1.1.2
      		Applies the key ideal of the public or common good to uphold rights and responsibilities within the context of the community. ·   Explains what effect following park rules has on the common good.
      SOCIAL STUDIES SKILLS
      5.1.1
      		Understands multiple points of view on issues in the community. Explains points of view on how to stop littering.
       
      5.3.1
      		Engages in discussions to learn about different points of view on issues. Engages in discussions to learn about different points of view on neighborhood recycling.

      ·   Engages in discussions to learn about different points of view on where to build parks in the community.
       CIVICS
       
      1.4.1
      		Understands that citizenship and civic involvement in the neighborhood and community are the rights and responsibilities of individuals.   Explains that citizens have the right to live in a safe community.

      ·   Explains that citizens have the responsibility to obey the laws of the community.

      ·   Explains that citizens have the responsibility to take care of the environment in the community.

      Back to top