Grade 2 Social Studies Curriculum
Family-facing version of the grade 2 social studies curriculum
Quarterly Overview of Grade 2 Social Studies
The objectives and outcomes for each unit are common across FCPS and based on the Virginia Standards of Learning. The pacing by quarter and by week provides an example of how the curriculum can be organized throughout the year. Teacher teams may adjust the pacing or order of units to best meet the needs of students.
Week 1Week 2Week 3
Week 4Week 5Week 6
Week 7Week 8Week 9
Quarter 1
Quarter 2
Quarter 3
Units and Details
Students will be able to:
- Demonstrate being a good citizen, on and offline, by:
- Respecting the rights and property of others.
- Describing actions that can improve school and community.
- Demonstrating self-discipline and self-reliance.
- Practicing honesty and trustworthiness.
- Describing the purpose of rules and laws.
Students will consider:
- What is the same and different about rules in our homes, our classroom, our school, online, and in our community?
- What makes a rule a “good rule”?
- How do our choices affect others?
Students will be able to:
- Construct an understanding of symbols (American flag, bald eagle, Washington Monument, Statue of Liberty) and traditional practices (Pledge of Allegiance) of the United States to understand patriotism.
- Explain why people honor and celebrate major holidays including:
- Labor Day
- Indigenous Peoples Day
Students will consider:
- What does the American flag mean to the diverse people in our community, nation, and world?
- How do people in our homes, classroom, and community define “patriotism”?
- How might people honor and celebrate traditions or events of the past?
Students will be able to:
- Use maps and globes of the world and the United States to locate:
- Seven continents and five oceans.
- Equator, Prime Meridian, and four hemispheres.
- Major rivers, mountain ranges, lakes, and other physical features in the United States.
Students will consider:
- How does where a person lives affect how a person lives?
- How might geographical features (rivers, mountains) impact daily life for people?
- How might food, clothing, and shelter be similar or different for people who live in different places around the world?
Students will be able to:
- Construct an understanding of and compare the lives and contributions of three American Indian cultures of the past and present, with an emphasis on the Powhatan of the Eastern Woodlands.
- Describe the relationship between the geography, climate, environment, and culture of the Powhatan of the Eastern Woodlands.
- Describe and evaluate the natural, human, and capital resources of the Powhatan of Eastern Woodlands.
Students will consider:
- How do diverse Native peoples shape their environments and cultures?
- How does climate and environment impact the way people live?
- How might geographical features (rivers, mountains) impact daily life for people?
- How have the cultures and lifestyles of Native peoples changed over time?
- What can Native peoples’ stories teach us about the past and present?
Students will be able to:
- Construct an understanding of and compare the lives and contributions of three American Indian cultures of the past and present, with an emphasis on the Lakota of the Plains.
- Describe the relationship between the geography, climate, environment, and culture of the Lakota of the Plains.
- Describe and evaluate the natural, human, and capital resources of the Lakota of the Plains.
Students will consider:
- How do diverse Native peoples shape their environments and cultures?
- How does climate and environment impact the way people live?
- How might geographical features (rivers, mountains) impact daily life for people?
- How have the cultures and lifestyles of Native peoples changed over time?
- What can Native peoples’ stories teach us about the past and present?
Students will be able to:
- Construct an understanding of and compare the lives and contributions of three American Indian cultures of the past and present, with an emphasis on the Pueblo of the Southwest.
- Describe the relationship between the geography, climate, environment, and culture of the Pueblo of the Southwest.
- Describe and evaluate the natural, human, and capital resources of the Pueblo of the Southwest.
Students will consider:
- How do diverse Native peoples shape their environments and cultures?
- How does climate and environment impact the way people live?
- How might geographical features (rivers, mountains) impact daily life for people?
- How have the cultures and lifestyles of Native peoples changed over time?
- What can Native peoples’ stories teach us about the past and present?
Students will be able to:
- Explain why people honor and celebrate major holidays including:
- Veterans Day
- Thanksgiving
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Students will consider:
- How might people honor and celebrate traditions and events of the past?
Students will be able to:
- Compare the ideas and contributions of explorers (Christopher Columbus and Christopher Newport) and the impact on our world today.
Students will consider:
- Why do people explore new lands?
- How does a place change when people explore and settle in new lands?
- How were the Native people, who already lived in North America, affected by European exploration?
Students will be able to:
- Describe natural resources, human resources, and capital resources.
- Evaluate the use of barter and the use of money in the exchange for goods and services.
- Use a decision-making model to make informed economic decisions.
Students will consider:
- In what ways do people make choices?
- How do people get the things they want and need?
- Why can’t people always have everything they want?
- In what ways do people use natural, human, and capital resources to get what they need (basic needs), or want?
Students will be able to:
- Explain why people honor and celebrate major holidays including George Washington Day (Presidents' Day).
- Recognize the ideas and innovations of American leaders (Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Lincoln) and how they continue to impact us today.
Students will consider:
- How might people honor and celebrate traditions and events of the past?
- How do the contributions of people help others?
- How do the contributions of some American leaders still impact people today?
Students will be able to:
- Explain why people honor and celebrate major holidays including:
- Veteran’s Day
- Thanksgiving
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Students will consider:
- How might people honor and celebrate traditions and events of the past?
Students will be able to:
- Describe and evaluate how the contributions of selected individuals changed the lives of Americans, with an emphasis on:
- George Washington Carver
- Helen Keller
- Thurgood Marshall
- Rosa Park
- Jackie Robinson
- Cesar Chavez
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
Students will consider:
- How have some individuals changed the lives of Americans?
- How can ordinary people change the world?
Students will be able to:
- Describe important developments and innovations in the United States related to communication and transportation.
Students will consider:
- In what ways do people invent new things to make life easier?
- In what ways does technology change over time?
- In what ways do people share developments and innovations?
Students will be able to:
- Describe why United States citizens celebrate major holidays including:
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Juneteenth
Students will consider:
- How might people honor and celebrate traditions and events of the past?
- How do the contributions of some American leaders still impact people today?
Assessments
Student assessments are part of the teaching and learning process.
- Teachers give assessments to students on an ongoing basis to
- Check for understanding
- Gather information about students' knowledge or skills.
- Assessments provide information about a child's development of knowledge and skills that can help families and teachers better plan for next steps in instruction.
For testing questions or additional information about how schools and teachers use test results to support student success, families can contact their children's schools.
In Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), second grade tests focus on basic literacy and numeracy development.
