About Second Grade

Language Arts

Topics	Milestones in Learning
Complete sentence review Ending punctuation Spelling Nouns Rhyming words Pioneer Story Verbs Personal narrative Writing instructions Writing with adjectives Writing a description Contractions Capitalization Personal paragraph book	Recognize a complete sentence Copy a complete sentence Locate the beginning of a sentence and the end mark Be able to sort words by their vowel sounds Learn spelling strategies Compose several written sentences using nouns and proper nouns Write an advertisement using nouns and spelling words Make a poster using spelling words Write an invitation using spelling words Identify what a noun is and the uses for different types of nouns Decode single and multi-syllable words Pantomime verbs Use verbs in past and present tense Write an e-mail message using spelling words Organize ideas in a prewrite using a web Discuss keeping to the topic and telling enough details Work through steps of the writing process Write an invitation to a party using spelling words Write a slave story Transfer knowledge of mastered spelling patterns into independent writing Learn spelling words corresponding to targeted phonic rule Write a letter describing something using spelling words Learn the proper steps to write instructions Write a greeting or message to a friend using adjectives Write a bulletin board note about a school event using spelling words Write a letter using homophones from spelling list Play “I spy” using adjectives Write a description Use prompts for writing a description Share writing and make revisions in response to peer suggestions Sort words by their vowel sounds Write a thank you note using contractions Capitalize days, holidays, months, titles, and book titles Use commas in dates and places Use question marks appropriately Revise writing for content and organization Use past and present tense when writing Write in full sentences in paragraph form

Reading

Topics	Milestones in Learning
Summer reading Realistic fiction Humorous fiction Guided reading Shared reading Mysteries Biographies Civil War historical fiction Folk tales	Describe setting Interpret literal versus intended meaning Identify problems and resolutions in stories Reread and self correct Answer inference questions Locate information to answer questions Recall details of a story Describe problems, settings and important events during the pioneer era Identify main characters Draw important events in correct sequence Identify humorous parts of a story Discuss personal reaction to stories Make a list of “play on words” Compare and contrast the traits of two historical figures Identify the importance or contributions of specific historical figures Identify the importance and contributions of Abraham Lincoln Create a character web Record the main character’s traits chapter by chapter in order to create a class character map Discuss facts learned in nonfiction books about India Create a Hindi counting book Retell folktales Identify how characters change during a story Relate reading to personal experience Follow plot sequence Discuss facts learned in nonfiction books about China Create a Panda fact book Create a response journal on the Chinese Folktales Answer comprehension questions in full sentences

Mathematics

Topics	Milestones in Learning
Addition and subtraction strategies to 100 Understand numbers up to 100 Ordinal positions Characteristics of numbers Picture graphs, bar graphs, and pictographs Money Telling time Calendar Two digit addition with and without regrouping Story problems with and without regrouping Estimating sums up to 2 digits Adding 2-digit numbers Mental math operations Subtracting 2-digit numbers Using addition to check subtraction Plane shapes and solid figures Distance, capacity, weight and temperature Metric and standard measurements Fractions Arrays Multiplication Division Line of symmetry and transformations Edges, vertices, and faces	Understand properties of numbers Add multiple numbers Find missing numbers Use fact families Understand tens and ones Use counting strategies Use manipulatives to identify the position of objects Model even and odd numbers Make and interpret graphs Count and show how to make amounts of money Use coins to show amount of money in multiple ways Use coins to purchase items and make change Use analog clocks to tell time Identify AM and PM Recite days, months and years Use base-ten blocks to practice addition Add with 2-digit numbers Use base-ten blocks to regroup Practice horizontal and vertical addition Use a number line and rounding Use base-ten blocks to practice subtraction Make a graph to solve problems Do horizontal and vertical subtraction Record the inverse relationship between addition and subtraction Identify shapes and figures Count sides and corners Measure to the nearest inch and foot Measure to the nearest centimeter and meter Identify, model and record equal parts of a whole Identify fractions of a group Use base-ten blocks to model 3-digit operations Review dollar signs and decimal points Solve 3-digit money problems Explore multiplication through skip counting Model equal groups and use repeated addition and multiplication sentences Model arrays for multiplication Learn different formations Do skip counting by 2’s, 5’s and 10’s Multiply mentally Use logical reasoning to multiply Learn division concept of equal groups and equal shares Use repeated subtraction to divide Identify and use operation signs to solve problems Identify solid and plane figures Identify lines of symmetry and flip, slide and turn Make plane figures Estimate and measure distance and capacity with standard and metric measurements Interpret a thermometer

Science

Topics	Milestones in Learning
Rocks Plants Balance Rotation	Identify rocks as the solid material of the earth Identify the properties of rocks Sort rocks by their properties Categorize rocks by size Use screens and water to sort earth materials Describe how soils vary from place to place Define humus Describe how crystals can be grown from common household materials like salt and sugar Participate in an in-depth study of brassica plant, recording growth and development Explain how plants are alive Explain how seeds are alive and grow into new plants Explain why plants need water, air, nutrients and light Describe parts of a plant Explain how flowers need pollen to get to the flower’s ovary to produce seeds Describe how bees and other creatures help plants by moving pollen from flower to flower Participate in study of bulbs, recording growth and development Describe bulbs as enlarged stems that have food for new plants Explain why bulbs need water to start growing Describe how bulbs produce stems, leaves, and flowers Describe how bulbs reproduce asexually Explain how new plants grow from pieces of stems placed in water Explain how roots grow from “nodes” on the stems under water Explain how leaves grow from nodes above water Explain why plants need water and light to grow Explain how grass and alfalfa can be grown from seeds in a cup of soil Explain why grass grows back, but alfalfa dies when lawn is mowed Balance flat two-dimensional objects in different ways Describe a “stable” position Describe how counterweights and wires can help balance an object Describe a mobile as a system of balanced beams and objects Explain how objects and systems that turn on a central axis exhibit rotational motion Describe how the amount and position of mass affects how an object rotates Describe how “Initial force” makes an object rotate Explain conditions in which objects can rotate Explain how objects rotate on an axis in a circular motion, while wheels and spheres roll down a slope in a linear direction Explain how axles support wheels Explain the effects of different size wheels on rotation Describe “potential” force Describe “kinetic” energy

Social Studies

Topics	Milestones in Learning
Mapping skills Revolutionary War review Constitution Branches of Government War of 1812 review Pioneers and westward expansion Civil War Slavery Harriet Tubman Frederick Douglas Abraham Lincoln Underground Railroad Famous African-Americans India China Ancient Greece	Describe and identify map symbols and map key Locate east, west, north, and south on a map Identify a compass rose on a map Use a map grid to find locations on a map Make, draw and use maps Write a class constitution Color the American flag Read about the pioneers Listen to stories about pioneers Identifying factual information from pioneer stories Identify the Northern and Southern States Identify factual information from slave stories Take notes from a biography read to students Create a flip book about the lives of famous African Americans Locate India on the map Illustrate the flag of India Identify the Taj Mahal Create a jigsaw puzzle of the Taj Mahal Understand the caste system Write numbers and words in Hindi Listen to Indian folktales Write a matrimonial advertisement Set up an Indian Bazaar Locate China on a map Illustrate the flag of China Define a Chinese commune Identify Confucius Explore facts about the panda bear Write characters and numbers in the Chinese language Identify the Great Wall of China Listen to Chinese folktales Locate Greece and its borders on a map Illustrate the Greek flag Demonstrate knowledge of Sparta and Athens Recognize some of the Greek Gods and Goddesses Understand the significance of the Olympics for the Ancient Greeks

The Hebrew Language program is driven by the belief that mastery of Hebrew will promote students’ understanding of their history, culture and tradition, excite them about lifelong Jewish learning, foster a sense of belonging to the Jewish people, and cultivate strong ties with Medinat Yisrael(the State of Israel) and Am Yisrael (the Jewish people). The multi-dimensional program focuses on the four major communication skills — listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Student language acquisition is promoted through immersion in the target language and exposure to everything from classical Hebrew texts to Israeli music, and from historical documents to poetry and drama.

The curriculum is sequential and based on a structured linguistic progression. Lessons are centered on themes of interest to children, ranging from the child’s close surroundings, leisure activities to friendship and freedom. Each theme is presented using different instructional approaches so that the student will have multiple options for taking in the information, absorb it naturally, and use it effectively in the appropriate settings.

Hebrew language acquisition is attained primarily through “ivrit b’Ivrit (Hebrew in Hebrew). We use books, songs, poems, games and arts and crafts projects to build vocabulary and comfort with the language. Our belief in the “natural learning method” requires, in an engaging manner, that students use their newly acquired Hebrew to communicate in a variety of settings.

Through this curriculum students will

Read and write independently
Sort items or experiences according to the senses
Begin to describe their own feelings in Hebrew
Read and write simple sentences
Answer questions in Hebrew both orally and in writing
Describe pictures from magazines
Pick out masculine and feminine words
Recognize and differentiate all the letters of the Alef Bet.
Read texts from the Nitzanim series fluently with comprehension
Sustain a period of about 20 minutes of Hebrew dialogue without reverting to English
Describe personal traits and features
Write family descriptions
Answer Chanukah riddles
Answer content questions
Sing holiday songs
Use holiday vocabulary in oral and written responses
Write in a journal and in paragraph format
Read and understand the Havdalah service
Read and understand the text from “Chaverim b’Ivrit”
Complete basic grammar activities stressing descriptive sentences, the use of present tense and identifying masculine and feminine words
Write in journals as characters from the Megillah
Continue building oral and written communication in Hebrew
Follow basic directions given in Hebrew
Recognize masculine and feminine words based on prefixes and suffixes
Conjugate simple verbs in the present tense and begin to recognize the past tense
Create a Hagadah with pictures, poems and journal entries
Navigate the Hagadah
Focus on the four sons and the importance of seeing oneself as though we experienced the Exodus
Write about Israel
Build a strong sight word vocabulary based on the year long study of Hebrew

Chagim (Jewish Holidays)

The study of Jewish Tradition is designed to provide students with the core knowledge, skills, and perspectives that will enable them to be active participants and potential leaders of the Jewish community. Gesher’s students are engaged in a variety of significant cultural, religious and academic activities that allow them develop an understanding of and appreciation for Jewish history and culture as expressed through our prayers, our sacred texts, and our religious rituals. Throughout these experiences the students will develop a strong sense of Jewish identity and pride. Students will incorporate Jewish practices and Jewish values in their lives.

By studying Jewish communities around the world and throughout time, our students come to learn about the multiple perspectives existing within Judaism while respecting individual traditions in their home and synagogue environment. Families play an important role as participants in school life and as partners in Jewish learning.

As we arrive at the various Jewish holidays, we will review previously learned rituals, prayers and customs. We will then build upon that foundation to help the students engage deeper with our tradition. We will explore the various connections to the Torah and spend time studying the liturgy unique to each holiday. As a way to create a global experience, we use the holiday topics as an extension of Hebrew language class, using the Hebrew stories at the core of the Chagim program.

Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Tu B’Shevat, Purim, Pesach, Yom HaAtzmaut, Lag BaOmer, Yom Yerushalayim, Shavuot

Through this curriculum students will

Know the holiday brachot
Read about the chagim both in the Torah and stories including Mi BaSukkah and Sukkah BaGeshem
Look at a Chumash and identify the various sections
Look at a Sefer Torah and identify the pieces that “dress the Torah”
Write descriptive paragraphs about Sukkot and fruit
Do a variety of crafts to decorate the home and the sukkah
Identify key vocabulary words
Identify major characters in the Chanukah story
Identify symbols — Chanukiyah, sufganiyot, levivot, shemen, nerot, sevivon, menorah
Comprehend the relationship between Israel and Tu B’Shevat
Compare Tu B’Shevat in Israel and in USA
Retell the story of Purim
Recognize the main characters and key words in the story
Follow the Megillah reading
Create own Hagadot
Recognize the format of the Pesach Seder and the key parts
Recognize key elements of the holiday
Locate Israel on the map
Navigate the map of Israel
Find important landmarks in the map
Write about Israel
Learn about Rabbi Akiva and Bar Kochva
Be aware of the spiritual meaning of Israel for Jews in the world
Recognize the different names of Shavuot and its traditions

Tefillah (Prayer)

Each day at Gesher begins with the morning services and we will extend that experience into our classroom as well. Prayer is an opportunity to connect with our community, our feelings and God, and we will explore each of these modes during the course of the year. As the students better understand the liturgy, both concepts and vocabulary, they will concurrently develop a greater comfort and facility with it as well. The students learn the Havdalah service, and the program culminates with a special siyum Havdalah ceremony in January.

Beginnings of the Shacharit Service, Birchot HaShachar, Ashre, Halleluyah, Ashre, Barchu, Yotzer Or, El Baruch, Ahavah Rabbah, Vehaer Libeynu, Havdalah

Through this curriculum students will

Find the following prayers in the siddur: Modeh/Modah Ani, Mah Tovu, Ahava Rabbah
Identify known vocabulary and key words in the Tefillot
Recite the following Tefillot: Modeh/Modah Ani; Mah Tovu; Ahava Rabbah
Explain how they thank G-d, friends, and parents for the things they have
Listen to Classical music- assign a feeling and a Tefillah to each instrument
Identifiy, recite, and locate each of the Tefillot
Discuss how they fit into the Shacharit Service
Identify which Torah stories have life lessons and personalize those lessons
Sort mitzvot by things we do now, things we are sure we will do as we get older, and things we will strive to do later in life
Perform Havdalah
Recognize Havdalah as the final act of Shabbat as we begin a new work week

Tanach

Tanach (Bible) study is universally at the core of Jewish day school curricula across denominations as befitting our identification as the “People of the Book”. As such, it is a main objective to help the students become independent and literarily astute readers of the biblical text in Hebrew, developing skills to navigate through the text as well as increasing their familiarity with the different stories. Through their studies, the students will learn to appreciate Tanach as a multi-vocal text and as the formative narrative of the Jewish people. They will be able to understand and value the central importance of the Land of Israel in shaping the historical, theological and sociological experiences of the Jewish people throughout time.

The students will develop an appreciation for the sacredness of Tanach as the primary record of the meeting between God and the people of Israel and as an essential text through which Jews continue to grapple with theological, spiritual, and existential questions. Students will understand, through the study of Tanach and its interpretations, the role of mitzvot (commandments) in the shaping of the ethical character and religious practices of the individual and the Jewish people. They will develop a love of Tanach study for its own sake and embrace it as an inspiring resource, informing their values, moral commitments, and ways of experiencing the world.

In 2nd grade, Torah study is conceived in a way that helps our students develop a greater understanding of the text as well as acquire crucial skills that enable the students to study the Chumash in the original Hebrew. In earlier grades, the focus was upon the stories found in the Bible. In this year’s program will use Sefer Bereshit (the Book of Genesis) as a bridge to the in depth Torah study program that begins in third grade. We will also be doing an in depth study of the Parashat HaShavua (portion of the week).

Through this curriculum students will

Find a verse knowing the Perek and Pasuk
Identify the days of creation
Recite the Noah narrative
Identify Abram as the first person chosen by G-d to lead the nation
Begin to create Abraham’s family tree
Identify the major characters in each Parashah
Recall the dream sequences and interpret the dreams
Recall Abraham’s family tree as it is growing
Follow as the parashah highlights are read from the Chumash
Continue to be able to identify the book, parasha, perek and pasuk
Describe Joseph and his family
Describe Joseph’s dreams and the dreams he interprets
Describe Joseph’s rise in Egypt
Show how the Children of Israel came to Egypt
Find the 10 plagues, and record their locations in the Torah
Write own 10 commandments for home and for school
Recreate the Mishkan in art form
Analyze the sin of the Golden Calf
Recount the story of the Exodus and how we incorporate Biblical passages into our Pesach experience
Explain the laws related to leprosy
Relate the idea that leprosy relates to Lashon HaRa

Art

Topics	Milestones in Learning
Sukkot Drawing Painting Collage Monet and Matisse Georgia O’Keefe Watercolor Self-portraits Architecture Chinese art Calder	Symbolize the holiday of Sukkot through an art project Learn about the artists’ styles Learn how color affects the mood of a painting Create two paintings showing different moods Learn about the art of Georgia O’Keefe Represent her style with a crayon-resist watercolor painting Learn how to use a mirror to draw a self-portrait Learn about the variety of techniques used in creating a self-portrait Learn about various types of architecture including the Taj Mahal Create a whimsical interpretation of the Taj Mahal using a variety of materials Learn about dragons and China Learn how to use a Styrofoam printing plate to make a dragon print Learn about Calder and his art Learn how to create a balanced mobile using a variety of objects Create a stabile out of paper

Physical Education

Topics	Milestones in Learning
Rules and fair play Gross motor movement Benefits of physical activity Offensive and defensive strategies Aerobic training Strength and flexibility	Demonstrate good sportsmanship Apply gross motor skills in various games and sports activities Demonstrate principles of gross motor skill refinement Use basic offensive and defensive strategies in modified versions of team and individual sports Develop transitional skills from offence to defense and understand the importance of both aspects of the game Refine techniques to achieve consistency in performance of fundamental skills Demonstrate dribbling using balance with control of the ball Demonstrate passing the ball to a partner Demonstrate goal keeping by staying in ready position, clearing goal using hands and feet by overhead throw or punting Demonstrate safe play and knowledge during lead-up games Demonstrate proper warm and cool down including stretching for aerobic and anaerobic activities Interpret resting and exercise heart rate Demonstrate an understanding of the connection between rhythm and sports

Music

Topics	Milestones in Learning
High Holy Days Record songbook Songs of Sukkot and harvest time Songs teaching U.S. geography Autumn music Pitched percussion Chanukah music Mallet work and ensemble playing Songs of Havdalah service Agriculture and environment Homemade instruments Escaping slavery Indian music Passover seder	Shofar blowing: make any sound; identify standard sounds Match pitch and volume when singing together Observe recording etiquette: starting and stopping together; controlling volume; quiet when not singing Know Hebrew months, in order Know words for seasons of the year Maintain steady rhythmic pulse Participate in and lead the Havdalah service Explain how songs helped African Americans escape slavery Explain why the “New Year for the Trees” is sung in Israel during the North American winter Explain how Indian music influenced Western music Explain why the most important parts of the Passover seder are set to music that we all sing together Explain if Israelis learn music the same way we do

Computer Education

Topics	Milestones in Learning
Rules and expectations for the computer lab Review parts of the computer Keyboard recognition Microsoft Publisher — intermediate skills Kid Pix — advanced skills	Enter text Identify keys on the keyboard Insert a text box and then enter text Change font, size, color of text Use Word Art Insert clip art Use mouse to move or resize objects Demonstrate proficiency in use of Kid Pix tools Insert finished pictures to create Kid Pix slide show Insert transitions and sounds to slide show

Library

Topics	Milestones in Learning
Selecting books at independent reading levels Stories with similar problems but different resolutions Discussions about story elements Tall tales Westward expansion Civil War period in the U.S. African-American biographies Author unit - Robert D. San Souci Folktales of India Folktales of China Greek myths	Preview a book using the five finger rule Read a page of a book to determine if the student likes the author’s style Compare/contrast story elements Discuss story elements Exhibit proper library behavior Distinguish real from fantastical Identify the traits exhibited by characters in tall tales which were important in the pioneer period Use background knowledge to aid in comprehension Identify and discuss the main issues of this period in history Employ personal connections to enhance comprehension of characters and their struggles Understand the reasons for reading biographies Use background knowledge to aid in appreciation of a person’s accomplishments Compare story elements in books by one author and illustrator Identify the moral of a folktale Identify information about India that a folktale provides Identify information about China that a folktale provides Identify information about Ancient Greece that a myth provides

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About Second Grade

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Mathematics

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Social Studies

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Tefillah (Prayer)

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