Enduring Understanding

 

Reading

Students will understand:

• Good readers use many strategies to interact with a text.
• Different genres of text have different structures.
• Our country is made up of people from many different lands, each of which bring their own cultural identities, beliefs, and traditions.
• Courage can be demonstrated in many different ways.

 

Writing

Students will understand:

• Audience and purpose (inform, persuade, entertain) influence the use of literary techniques.
• Punctuation marks and grammar rules guide readers through the text to help avoid confusion.
• A writer selects a form based on his purpose.
• A writer’s point of view is influenced by his experience.
• Conventions of language help readers understand what is being communicated.
• A writer’s words choice and syntax are characteristics of voice, which help personalize text.

 

 

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Essential Questions

 

Reading

• Why is it difficult to move to a new place and start over?
• Why do people want to hold on to their past after moving to a new land?
• How do our differences make our country stronger?
• Can people be brave all the time? Explain your thinking.
• What does it mean to be a hero?
• How can there be dangers in taking a stand for what you believe in?
• Why does it take courage to tell the truth or admit failure?

 

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Additional Resources Needed

Textbooks
Student Resources:
Reading New Beginnings: Reading New Beginnings
Publisher: Scott Foresman & Company
ISBN: 0-328-03933-0

Reading My Time to Shine: Level 2.2
Publisher: Scott Foresman & Company
ISBN: 0-328-02231-4

Teacher Resources:
Reading Grade 2 Teacher's Resource Book
Publisher: Scott Foresman & Company
ISBN: 0-328-02231-4

Teacher's Resource Book Blackline Masters and Answer Key Grade 2
Publisher: Scott Foresman & Company
ISBN: 0-328-04058-4

General Art Supplies
General School Supplies

Various Trade Books

(Please see Materials list in the online course information)

 

 

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Standards Alignment:

PA State Standards

Pennsylvania State Academic Standards
PENNSYLVANIA CONTENT STANDARDS
GRADE LEVEL BENCHMARKS

The State of Pennsylvania has established learning standards for each grade level to insure that the elementary curriculum has consistent objectives and expectations for all students.
In this section the Pennsylvania Content Standards Grade Level Benchmarks for second grade will be stated. We will explain how each component of this second grade curriculum will provide instruction for each benchmark.

Standard 1.1 Learning to Read Independently
You will be given books that you will be expected to read using appropriate strategies to solve unknown words.

A. Before reading, you will establish a purpose for reading. For example, a purpose for reading may be to find out how an apple seed grows, or to find out about the life of Johnny Appleseed. You will decide what type of book you are going to read. For example, is the book fiction or non-fiction.
B. You will preview each book before reading with a picture walk, or a review of what you have read so far.
C. You will use phonemic strategies and word analysis to solve unknown words. You will be given a ¿reading hand¿ diagram to remind you of what you should do to solve unknown words. In the language point part of each lesson you will practice identifying and using short and long vowels, variant vowels, consonant digraphs, consonant blends and diphthongs.
D. In the guided reading section of the lesson you will be taught to read stories using strategies to be sure that the story makes sense, and the words sound right, and look right.
E. Vocabulary will be directly taught in these lesson sections: sight word instruction, language point, guided reading, and writing. Vocabulary will be taught as needed in all other sections of the language arts lessons.
F. Vocabulary understanding and usage will be monitored in guided reading and writing.
G. After reading you will be asked to demonstrate understanding of the text through different writing and retelling tasks throughout the unit.
H. In guided reading you will be expected to develop a phrased and fluent reading style, especially in the familiar reading section of the lesson.
I. In all sections of the lesson there will be opportunity provided to practice following written directions. Parents will be asked to provide opportunity for and monitor following oral directions.

Standard 1.2 Reading Critically in All Content Areas
A. In guided reading you will read to understand the essential content of informational texts, differentiate between fantasy and reality, make inferences and draw conclusions, and apply comprehension strategies to construct meaning.
B. In the read aloud section and the extensions and activities section, you will be directed to sources of additional information about subjects. These sources will include internet websites, television programs, and videos.
C. You will read a variety of genre to include biographies, poems, tales, fables, and more, in the guided reading and read aloud sections of the lesson.

Standard 1.3 Reading, Analyzing and Interpreting Literature
You will read and analyze a variety of literature in the real aloud, guided reading, and extensions sections of the lesson.
A. In guided reading you will read and understand a variety of literature.
B. In the read aloud and guided reading sections you will learn to identify literary elements: characters, setting, problem, events, and ending.
C. In the read aloud and guided reading sections you will identify literary devices like rhyme and figurative language.
D. You will be expected to identify literary devices in poetry in the warm-up and read aloud sections.
E. In warm-up, read aloud, and guided reading sections of the lesson you will identify dialogue.
F. In the writing section and on reading performance tasks you will read and respond to nonfiction and fiction.

Standard 1.4 Types of Writing
A. In writing, you will write narrative pieces, or stories. Your stories will contain descriptions of people, places and things in the story. Your story will have a clear beginning, middle and end, and a plot which is a logical sequence of events. You will also do an illustration, which is a picture, to go with your story.
B. You will write informational pieces about topics you study. Informational pieces can be things like letters, reports, and instructions about how to do things. You will also do illustrations with informational pieces.
C. You will write your opinion about some things. You will use two or more reasons to support your opinion.

Standard 1.5 Quality of Writing
A. Your writing will have focus which is a clear topic and reason for writing. You will write your piece for an audience which is someone you expect to read what you write like a teacher, a parent, or a friend.
B. When you write you will gather and organize information that you want to include. You will use a graphic organizer. Your writing will have one central idea and several supporting details.
C. You writing will have a good sequence of events or facts. You will use sequencing words like first, next, then, last, finally, etc. All your writing will have a clear beginning, middle, and end.
D. Your writing will have style which includes sentences of different lengths and types. You will use describing words and action verbs.
E. Using the steps of the writing process, you will revise which is improve what you have written. After you write your first draft you will reread what you have written and add more detail as needed to be sure that your piece is clear and interesting. You may also want to take out some things that don¿t fit well with your topic. You will be sure that you have a clear beginning, middle, and end.
F. Using the steps of the writing process, you will edit what your have written,
which is to make sure that words are spelled correctly, capital letters are used correctly, and proper end punctuation is used. You will be sure that you have used complete sentences, and properly used nouns, pronouns, verbs, and adjectives.
G. You will publish some of your writing. Publishing will include sending stories to your teacher; sending letters to friends; sending information to websites; reading reports to others; displaying poems, stories, and reports, etc.

Standard 1.6 Speaking and Listening
A. In the read aloud section of the lesson you will ask questions. You will discuss facts and opinions.
B. In the real aloud section of the lesson you will listen to different types of literature like fiction and nonfiction. You will use your own experiences to tell more about the literature you listened to. Sometimes you will be asked to predict what will happen next in a story. You will also be able to retell a story in the proper sequence, identify characters in a story, and identify new words and ideas.
C. You will present ideas using appropriate speaking skills. Some times you will publish your writing by making an audio or video tape. When make the tape you will speak loudly enough to be clearly understood. You will pronounce most words correctly. You will use an appropriate pace, not speaking too fast or too slow. You will use good expression, gestures, and body language.
D. With a parent or others you will discuss what you have read or written.
E. With a parent or others you will have conversations about what you have learned. In audio or video tapes you will present oral readings, give reports, and give simple directions and explanations. You will also practice reporting an emergency.
F. You will use media for learning purposes. The media you will use to gather information will include television, radio, videos, and the internet. You will recognize advertising and how it is used to sell products. You will explain what you have learned using audiotapes, computer downloads, etc.

Standard 1.7 Characteristics and Functions of the English Language
A. In the guided reading, read aloud, and language point sections of the lesson you will recognize some words from other languages that are used in the English language.
B. You will identify dialogue. You will recognize how dialogue and language changes because of the setting of the story, or because different characters use different kinds of language.

Standard 1.8 Research
A. In the writing and extensions sections of the lesson you will choose topics for research.
B. You will find information about the topic you chose using appropriate sources and strategies. Sources of information can include the dictionary, newspapers, magazines, encyclopedias, and electronic media like the internet or television.
In finding information you will use table of contents, key words, and guide words in some sources.

C. In the writing and extension sections of the lesson you will organize and present
the main ideas from your research. You will write a draft using the information you have gotten from your sources. You will summarize your information orally and/or in writing

 

National Standards

IRA/NCTE standards

1. Students read a wide range of print and non-print texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.

2. Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical, aesthetic) of human experience.

3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).

4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.

5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.

6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and non-print texts.

7. Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and non-print texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.

8. Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.

9. Students develop an understanding of and respect for diversity in language use, patterns, and dialects across cultures, ethnic groups, geographic regions, and social roles.

10. Students whose first language is not English make use of their first language to develop competency in the English language arts and to develop understanding of content across the curriculum.

11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.

12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).