Second Grade - Social Studies

Second Grade - Social Studies Indicators
History

Chronology	Measure calendar time by days, weeks, months and years. List the days of the week and months of the year in order. Place a series of related events in chronological order on a time line.
Daily Life	Use historical artifacts, photographs, biographies, maps, diaries and folklore to answer questions about daily life in the past. Identify the work that people performed to make a living in the past and explain how jobs in the past are similar and/or different from those of today. Identify and describe examples of how science and technology have changed the daily lives of people and compare: a. Forms of communication from the past and present; b. Forms of transportation from the past and present.
Heritage	Recognize the importance of individual action and character and explain how they have made a difference in others' lives with emphasis on the importance of: a. Social and political leaders in the United States (e.g., George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Tecumseh, Harriet Tubbman, Abraham Lincoln, Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony and Martin Luther King Jr.); b. Explorers, inventors and scientists (e.g., George Washington Carver, Thomas Edison, Charles Drew, Rachel Carson and Neil Armstrong).

Cultures

Describe the cultural practices and products of people on different continents.

Diffusion

Describe ways in which language, stories, folktales, music and artistic creations serve as expressions of culture and influence the behavior of people living in a particular culture.
Explain how contributions of different cultures within the United States have influenced our common national heritage.
Describe the contributions of significant individuals, including artisans, inventors, scientists, architects, explorers and political leaders to the cultural heritage of the United States.

Location	Read and interpret a variety of maps. Construct a map that includes a map title and key that explains all symbols that are used. Name and locate the continents and oceans.
Places and Regions	Describe and locate landforms (plateaus, islands, hills, mountains, valleys) and bodies of water (creeks, ponds, lakes, oceans) in photographs, maps and 3-D models.
Human Environmental Interaction	Compare how land is used in urban, suburban and rural environments. Identify ways in which people have responded to and modified the physical environment such as building roads and clearing land for urban development.

Scarcity and Resource Allocation	Explain how resources can be used in various ways (e.g., a bushel of corn could be fed to cows, used to make sweetener or converted to fuel).
Production, Distribution and Consumption	Explain how people are both buyers and sellers of goods and services. Recognize that most people work in jobs in which they produce a few special goods or services. Explain why people in different parts of the world earn a living in a variety of ways.
Markets	Recognize that money is a generally accepted medium of exchange for goods and services and that different countries use different forms of money.

Role of Government

Identify leaders such as mayor, governor and president, and explain that they are elected by the people.
Explain how voting can be used to make group decisions.
Explain how a system of government provides order to a group such as a school or community and why government is necessary including:
a. Making and enforcing laws;
b. Providing leadership;
c. Providing services;
d. Resolving disputes.
Explain the importance of landmarks in the United States and the ideals that they represent including:
a. The Washington Monument;
b. The Jefferson Memorial;
c. The Lincoln Memorial.

Rules and Laws

Explain the purpose of rules in the workplace.
Predict the consequences of following rules or violating rules in different settings.

Participation	Demonstrate skills and explain the benefits of cooperation when working in group settings: a. Manage conflict peacefully; b. Display courtesy; c. Respect others.
Rights and Responsibilities	Demonstrate self-direction in tasks within the school community (e.g., classroom, cafeteria and playground). Demonstrate citizenship traits including: a. Honesty; b. Self-assurance; c. Respect for the rights of others; d. Persistence; e. Patriotism.

Obtaining Information	Obtain information from oral, visual and print sources. Identify sources used to gather information: a. People; b. Printed materials; c. Electronic resources.
Thinking and Organizing	Predict the next event in a sequence. Distinguish the difference between fact and fiction in oral, visual and print materials.
Communicating Information	Communicate information in writing.
Problem Solving	Use problem-solving/decision-making skills to identify a problem and gather information while working independently and in groups.