Our Curriculum › 2nd Grade
2nd Grade: the whole year
Every subject a 2nd grade student takes, and what each one covers. Each subject is 180 daily lessons; open any course to see its units and lessons.
Math
Math 2
A full year of 2nd-grade math: numbers to 1,000, adding and subtracting 3-digit numbers with regrouping, measuring, time, money, arrays and skip-counting, shapes, graphs, and halves, thirds and fourths.
- Place value to 1,000
- Adding and subtracting 3-digit numbers
- Length and time
- Money and graphs
- Arrays, skip-counting, equal groups and shapes
- Regrouping, word problems, measuring and patterns
- Halves, thirds and fourths
- Hundreds, multi-step problems and a measurement project
- Shapes and grids, cumulative practice, games and real life
- Challenges, review, final project and celebration
See the whole year →
Reading
Reading 2
Second grade reading builds on phonics with word parts, syllable types and new vowel patterns, then spends most of the year on understanding: characters, story structure, nonfiction features, vocabulary, and a book of their own choice.
- Prefixes, suffixes & word parts
- Syllable types & new vowel patterns
- Fluency, longer passages & characters
- Story structure & nonfiction features
- Vocabulary, kinds of texts & sounds
- Reading a book & writing a book report
- Review & "superstar" challenges
- Games, stories & looking ahead
- Final showcase & year-end fun
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Writing & Grammar
Writing 2
Second grade writing builds from sentences to full paragraphs, then to personal narratives, opinion pieces, informative reports, made-up stories and poems, with the grammar, punctuation and revising skills that support them. It ends with a final illustrated story and a portfolio.
- Sentences and paragraphs
- Personal narratives
- Opinion and informative writing
- Grammar, punctuation and revising
- Fiction, poetry and creative genres
- Research reports and practical writing
- Portfolio, review and word study
- Writing games and looking ahead
- Final story project
- Reflection, final portfolio and celebration
See the whole year →
Science
Science 2
Second-grade science built around plants, habitats, the changing Earth, and matter: how seeds travel, how living things depend on each other, how land and materials change, and a hands-on engineering strand with structures and simple machines.
- How seeds travel
- Ecosystems and habitats
- Landforms, water, rocks, soil and Earth changes
- Properties of matter and changing materials
- Strong structures, machines and engineering
- Habitats, plants and pollinators again
- Slow land changes, water on Earth and caring for it
- Year-long review and Science Superstar challenges
- Experiments, scientists and a final project
- Building models and the year-end celebration
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History & Social Studies
History 2
A second-grade tour of the Americas' geography and ancient India, China, Japan and Greece, then American history from the Constitution and War of 1812 through westward growth, slavery and the Civil War, immigration, and seven heroes of fairness.
- The Americas and map skills
- Ancient India, China and Japan
- Ancient Greece
- The Constitution and the War of 1812
- Heading west
- Slavery, the Civil War and freedom
- Coming to America & being a citizen
- Fighting for fairness
- Americas map review and arts
- Grand review & capstone
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Electives at this grade
Add any of these alongside the core subjects.
Art
Art 2
A year of second-grade art: trying and repurposing materials, studio safety, the seven elements of art (value is the newest), talking about and displaying art, mood in pictures, art from two cultures, and an art show.
- Experimenting with materials, and repurposing
- Studio habits, value, movement and proportion
- Talking about art with others
- Exhibits: sorting and presenting art
- Art in the community, and beauty around us
- Mood and feeling in art
- Using art words to explain what you like
- Art about life events, and two cultures
- The art show
See the whole year →
Music
Music 2
A full year of 2nd-grade music: making up rhythms and melodies on the spot, drawing music in pictures, hearing music from Jamaica, China and Hawaii, reading rhythm and melody shapes, using loud, soft, fast and slow on purpose, and concert manners.
- Improvising rhythms and melodies
- Improvising in major, minor, twos and threes
- Choosing and drawing musical ideas
- Music from Jamaica, China and Hawaii
- Reading rhythm and melody shapes
- Dynamics and tempo
- Concert manners
- Why people choose the music they do
- Does the music fit?
- Year in review and celebration show
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PE & Health
PE & Health 2
A second-grade year of dance and jump rope alongside how the body works during exercise, eating and drinking to fuel play, sportsmanship, world games, water, helmet, poison and emergency safety, managing big feelings and solving disagreements.
- Dance, jump rope and food choices
- How your body works when you play
- Water safety and scenario days
- Sportsmanship, world games and safety
- Managing big feelings and personal space
- Getting care, kindness, choices and disagreements
- Skills showcase and a five-day health goal
- Year recap, quizzes and celebration
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Social Skills
Social Skills K-3
A parent-friendly social and emotional course meant to be used across kindergarten through 3rd grade, at the pace that suits the child. It covers naming feelings, calming down, empathy, kind words, friendship, teamwork and good choices, taught with short stories and practice.
- Naming feelings & calm-down tools
- Staying calm, routines & goals
- Reading others, empathy & fairness
- Words, turns, listening & apologies
- Friends, fair play & teamwork
- Making good choices
- Year in review & celebration
See the whole year →