An interactive lesson to learn the letter sounds Aa, Tt, Nn, Dd, Ll, Oo, Cc, and Hh.

Students examine familiar car names for underlying connotations then proceed through a series of steps, increasing their control over language, until they select words with powerful connotations in their own writing.

This lesson will be turning heads and pages as students learn how to choose appropriate books for independent reading exercises and later evaluate their choices.

Reading is revamped in this lesson in which students use a multimedia approach to study the books by Seymour Simon.

In this biography-based unit, second graders explore biographies of famous leaders and change agents. The unit has three main sections. In the first section students research and learn about people who have changed the world by inventing things. In this section students will explore the ways in which inventions can change the world and what it takes to turn an idea into action. In the second section students research and learn about people who have changed the world by standing up for what they believe in and fighting for what others think is impossible. In this section second graders explore the ways some leaders have persevered in the face of obstacles and stood up for themselves or ideas when many had stopped believing in them. In the third section students research and learn about people who have changed the world by making the world and environment a better place for everyone. In each of the sections, students read biographies that expose them to a wide variety of themes, content, and history. It is incredibly important that the necessary framing is done prior to reading a text so that students can deeply engage with the biographies and fully understand the challenges and successes of the different people being studied. Without framing or context, students may miss why each person’s actions are inspirational. It is our hope that this unit will open students’ eyes to the multitude of ways in which a person, regardless of race or gender, can influence and inspire change.

For readers, this unit is a combination of read-aloud and shared reading. At this point in the year second graders have been exposed to almost all of the high-frequency informational reading standards; therefore, this unit is a chance to review some standards and skills students need to practice. Two new standards that are a focus in this unit, however, are describing how reasons support particular points the author makes in a text and also comparing and contrasting the most important points presented by two texts on the same topic. Compare and contrast in this unit should go deeper than text features and structures. Although students can note differences in text features, the main focus should be on comparing and contrasting the different points and the reasons the authors use to support the points in two texts about the same person.

To prepare for literature circles featuring historical novels, students research the decades of the 1930s to the 1990s and share their information using Prezi, a web application for creating multimedia presentations.

Students write a persuasive letter to the editor of a newspaper from a selected fictional character's perspective, focusing on a specific issue or situation explored in the novel.

Students must think critically to create comic strips highlighting six important scenes from a book they have read.

In this unit students explore the Taliban influence on the Middle East through the eyes of multiple young women. In the core text, The Breadwinner, students experience how the Taliban presence in Afghanistan drastically altered Parvana and her family’s life. Students will be challenged to think about what constitutes basic human rights and the way in which the Taliban violated the human rights of many Afghanistan citizens. Students will also be challenged to think about women’s rights, especially in regard to education and freedom, and how both were constantly at risk under Taliban rule. Finally, students will realize that a positive attitude, dedication to family, and drive to be self-reliant can help people survive, and thrive, in the worst of situations. In the second part of the unit, students read about the experiences of real children living in Afghanistan after the Taliban left. Through those experiences, students explore how education and women’s rights are still restricted in Afghanistan and grapple with what it will take to create a society where women have access to the same basic freedoms as men. In the last part of the unit, students meet Malala Yousafzai and analyze how her positive attitude and drive help her fight for women’s rights in Pakistan despite facing incredible challenges and threats. Over the course of the entire unit, it is our hope that students will build a deeper understanding of the importance of women’s rights and access to education around the world, particularly in the Middle East.

As readers, this unit builds onto unit one by pushing students to compare and contrast characters and analyze character point of view at an even deeper level. Students will be challenged to close read the text, make accurate annotations, and quote accurately in order to develop theories about key characters in and across texts. In this unit, students will also begin to use informational texts, particularly memories and first-person accounts, to help build a deeper understanding of fiction texts. The focus for informational reading is similar to the focus for fiction, and students will analyze how the point of view influences the way in which events are described.

Through a series of picture book read-alouds, students engage in critical discussion of complex issues of race, class, and gender.

In this historical fiction unit, students learn about the Great Depression through the eyes of a ten-year-old African-American boy by reading the core text Bud, Not Buddy. In Bud, Not Buddy, students join Bud on his quest to find his father. In doing so, students are exposed to what life was like during the Great Depression, especially for African-Americans. Over the course of the novel, students will grapple with lying, and if lying is always bad or if it can sometimes be a good thing, as they witness Bud lying as a way to survive. Students will also analyze and explore the idea of maturity and what it means to act one’s age versus acting more mature as Bud finds himself in situations most ten-year-olds will never experience. The theme of compassion and kindness also arises over the course of the novel. Students will analyze how the compassionate actions of others help Bud on his journey, while deepening their understanding of why it’s always important to help others, even when times are tough. It is our hope that this unit, in conjunction with the rest of the fourth-grade sequence, will help students develop empathy and understanding for the experiences of others.

As readers, this unit serves as the culminating unit for the year. Therefore, the majority of the unit focuses on spiraling strategies. Students should be pushed daily to summarize key events, analyze characters and setting, and figure out the meaning of unknown words. Students should also be pushed to use the information they learn from the nonfiction text about the Great Depression to confirm and deepen their understanding of what life was like during the Great Depression.

Opening A: I can feel and count the syllables (beats) in the words of a poem. (RF.K.2)
I can count the syllables in a spoken word.
I can segment (break apart) and pronounce separate syllables in a spoken word.
Opening B: I can add or change a phoneme (sound) in a one-syllable spoken word to make a new word. (RF.K.2)
I can listen to a CVC word and pronounce the initial phoneme (sound) in the word.
I can listen to a CVC word and pronounce the middle vowel phoneme (sound) in the word.
I can listen to a CVC word and pronounce the final phoneme (sound) in the word.
When given a spoken CVC word (example: "man"), I can change the final phoneme (sound) to another (example: "n" to "p") and say the new word.
When given a spoken CVC word (example: "man"), I can change the initial phoneme (sound) to another phoneme (sound; example: "m" to "p") and then say the new word.
Work Time A: I can read and spell CVC words with the phonemes (sounds) /m/, /o/, /a/, /i/, /p/, /b/, /t/, /g/, /r/, /h/, and /s/.
I can say the sound that each consonant letter makes in words.
I can identify the short sound for each vowel.
I can tell what sounds are different when I look at two words that are spelled with some of the same letters.
I can read two words that are spelled with some of the same letters (example: "jump" and "bump"). I can repeat with more words with some of the same letters (example: "lump," "lamp," "limp").

Opening A: I can feel and count the syllables (beats) in the words of a poem. (RF.K.2)
I can count the syllables in a spoken word.
I can segment (break apart) and pronounce separate syllables in a spoken word.
Opening B: I can add or change a phoneme (sound) in a one-syllable spoken word to make a new word. (RF.K.2)
I can listen to a single-syllable word and pronounce the initial phoneme (sound) in the word.
I can listen to a single-syllable word and pronounce the middle phoneme (sound) in the word.
I can listen to a single-syllable word and pronounce the final phoneme (sound) in the word.
When given a spoken single-syllable word (example: "man"), I can change the final phoneme (sound) to another (example: "n" to "p") and say the new word.
When given a spoken single-syllable word (example: "man"), I can change the initial phoneme (sound) to another phoneme (sound; example: "m" to "p") and then say the new word.
Work Time A: I can read and spell CVC words with the phonemes (sounds) /e/, /t/, /p/, /n/, /g/, and /b/.
I can say the sound that each consonant letter makes in words.
I can identify the short sound for each vowel.
I can tell what sounds are different when I look at two words that are spelled with some of the same letters.
I can read two words that are spelled with some of the same letters (example: "jump" and "bump").
I can produce words that follow a given pattern and are spelled with some of the same letters (example: "pen," "pin," "pig").

In this unit, students will explore the meaning of true friendship by reading Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. Charlotte’s Web, a classic novel written in 1952, clearly illustrates how difficult and scary it can be to make a friend, yet how rewarding a true friendship really is. Over the course of the novel, students will consider what it means to be a good friend, whether or not friendship is always easy, and whether or not conflicts and struggle really are an important part of strengthening friendships. By deeply connecting with the characters, students will learn about the power of helping others, how creativity and determination can help solve problems, and that people can and do change. Students will also begin to understand the cycle of life and beauty, and the emotional responses that come with death through the eyes of Wilbur. It is our hope that this unit, in connection with other units, will provide the foundation for developing empathy and understanding about true friendship and life.

Charlotte’s Web was chosen not only because of the strong theme of friendship and life, but because it is a classic in children’s literature. Charlotte’s Web was written in the early 1950s and contains themes and language that are more archaic than other texts from the year. Therefore, students will learn how to analyze themes, settings, characters and language that are less familiar and relatable.

In this first unit of second grade, students read multiple versions of a classic fairy tale, Cinderella. Through reading various versions of the same story, students are not only exposed to a wide variety of cultures, but they are also challenged to think about how the culture, or setting, of the story influences the plot. In first grade fiction, students took a trip around the world, exploring a wide variety of themes and stories from all over, in order to build a foundational understanding that our world is made up of many diverse and unique cultures. This unit builds on the exposure to new cultures students received in first grade and provides an opportunity for students to explore the idea that even though cultures may appear to be different, there are many things embedded within the unique characteristics of different cultures that make them similar. Storytelling, and the role of storytelling, is one of those similarities. It is our hope that this unit, in connection with others in the sequence, helps students build empathy and understanding of the world around them.

The different versions of Cinderella help students understand the components of a fairy tale and the lessons associated with traditional fairy tales. Over the course of the unit, students will be challenged to ask and answer questions about the text and illustrations as a way of deepening their understanding of plot, setting, and characters. In the first section of the unit, students will focus deeply on the setting, characters, and plot of the different versions of Cinderella, learning to compare and contrast the nuances across different versions. In the second section of the unit, students will read Cinderella stories that vary from the traditional plot structure but still include the underlying theme that a person’s actions (good or bad) influence his/her life outcomes. In this section students will dive deeply into three texts to analyze different characters’ traits and how the author uses those traits to help reveal the lesson of the story.

Children will segment and blend words orally. They will also learn to sort objects by their beginning sounds: W and P. Letter formation and sound are taught.

Children will practice breaking off the initial sounds in words orally and identify the corresponding letter.

Children will learn to rack the print in the nursery rhyme, understand the boundaries of words, and identify individual words.

Children will distinguish between words that rhyme and those that do not orally.

Children will be introduced to a garden. As they tour the garden, they will learn vocabulary.

Children will build background and vocabulary that will help them recite and comprehend "Humpty Dumpty".

Children will learn to track the print in the nursery rhyme, understand the boundaries of words, and identify individual words.