Teresa Vibar, Principal 1700 Saunders Ave., St Paul, MN 55116 (651) 293-8770 | Get Directions
Welcome to Second Grade! At Highland Park El. we utilize the students’ prior knowledge and real life experiences. This inquiry based learning encourages students to go in-depth with the concepts they are exploring and to think globally. Our curriculum is interwoven with the state and district standards. We focus on the assessment piece first and this drives the teaching of our units of inquiry. We incorporate transdisciplinary skills like self management, social, research, thinking and communication skills. Our program helps students learn through authentic experiences. This makes their learning valuable and important to them. We have six unit planners we teach throughout the year.
They are under six global organizing themes: How We Express Ourlselves, How the World Works, Who We Are, Where We Are in Time and Place, Sharing the Planet and How We Organize Ourselves.
Below are the second grade units of inquiry:
Second
Central idea
Nutrition and exercise are factors in a healthy lifestyle.
Key Concepts
Responsibility, Causation, Function
Related Concepts
Consequences, impact, initiative, behavior
Lines of Inquiry
· Effects of geography and culture on food choices
· Nutrients and how they contribute to good health
· Physical activity
Maps, charts and graphs help people understand information.
Form, Function, Connection
Features, operations, systems
· The use of maps, charts and graphs
· The different types of maps, charts and graphs
· How maps, charts and graphs organize information
Theatrical performances combine music and drama into a unique form of communication and expression.
Function, Perspective and Responsibility
Sequences, modification, initiative
· Elements of a story
· The importance of music in a theatrical production
· The role that movement plays in drama
· The role of costumes, props, and scenery
Plants are a part of all ecosystems.
Change, Causation, Function
Cycles, Adaptation, Patterns
Lines of Inquiry:
· Needs of plants
· Life Cycles
· Adaptations that allow plants to live in specific environments
People worldwide live in communities
Causation, Change, Responsibility
Impact, Citizenship, Adaptation
· The reasons people live in communities
· Different types of communities
· Community members
Human actions can change the environment
Causation, Connection, Responsibility
· Human impact
· Waste reduction
· Garbage management
· Properties of waste