Engaging students in elementary science is often done within the confines of the classroom. Citizen science projects, however, bring students, families, teachers, and communities together to help scientists with their research. Students become active participants in real research, use their three-dimensional understanding of science, and…

Earth Day is celebrated annually on April 22. Teachers often commemorate Earth Day with their classes by planting trees, discussing important conservation topics (such as recycling or preventing pollution), and encouraging students to take care of planet Earth. To promote observance of Earth Day in an intermediate elementary school classroom, this…

The activity described in this article engages students in learning about proper meat storage procedures by using the Internet. They apply their knowledge practically through creation of a pamphlet to be displayed in their kitchen at home and a follow-up report on their parents' kitchen procedures; they may also participate in a classic food…

The WWC practice guide "Improving Reading Comprehension in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade" presents a set of evidence-based practices that teachers and other educators can use to successfully teach reading comprehension to young readers. The guide, developed by a panel of experts, presents a set of evidence-based practices that teachers…

One of a series of social studies curriculum guides, this publication outlines a second-grade course on neighborhoods. Material is presented in two parts. Part 1, an overview of the program, contains an introduction, a statement of philosophy, an outline of the elementary level scope and sequence, a description of Michigan mandated essential skill…

Explains author's visions and expectations for the development of a community in his second grade classroom. Proposes that positive emotional bonds are basic to learning. Describes how specific literacy rituals provided safe contexts for sharing literacy and lives in ways that have an impact on both literacy learning and on building a community of…

Shares the authors' thinking about building classroom community and the importance of offering students choices within grade 2-3 urban classrooms. Discusses how an atmosphere of caring where students feel safe taking risks is the result of deliberate planning by teachers who realize that learning is indeed social in nature. (SG)

Describes the author' spelling program for her second-grade classroom, a program grounded in the writing process, especially developing strategies for writing, learning, and proofreading words. Lists elements of a print-rich environment and lists spelling strategies. (SR)

Takes readers to a second grade classroom to see how children's meanings of a story grow as they engage in a variety of related activities. Discusses how the meaning of a story grows to become multifaceted as children use the story for different personal and social purposes in the classroom. (MG)

A practicum was designed and implemented to foster 24 second graders' literacy and language development via child-centered as opposed to curriculum-centered experiences. The primary goal was to improve students' quality and quantity of writing by allowing extra time, much exposure to more and various non-basal literature, hands-on activities, and…

This curriculum guide is structured around 10 key concepts of the K-6 social studies program including change, citizenship, culture, empathy, environment, identity, interdependence, nation-state, scarcity, and technology. The guide is divided into two sections. Section 1, the teachers's notebook, encompasses: (1) the concept goals of the…

The unit focuses on the lifestyles of two social groups in East Africa: the traditional nomadic Masai and the traditional agrarian Kikuyu. The activities engage students in an exploration of the dynamic interactions between these people and the animals that share the same land. Activities include: (1) "Houses"; (2) "Elephants";…

Second-grade classrooms are exciting places to visit. Children are consolidating their growing reading and writing expertise, exploring new genres, and becoming more effective communicators. This book takes the reader into several exemplary second-grade classrooms to demonstrate what teachers can do to optimize literacy learning for their…

Noting that reading and writing in second-grade classrooms have undergone dramatic changes in the past 10 years, this book provides ideas that engage the second grader and transform the classroom into a more meaningful place in which to learn. The book discusses reading and writing from the developmental point of view, how to organize and set up…

This guide presents a discussion on how constant new discoveries cause science to endure, which necessitates successive alterations in inquiry and methodology. The curriculum was formulated based on the author's perception of child development levels. The cognitive, social and physical characteristics of second-grade students are listed. The main…