2nd grade Social Studies
14 units matched to the New York State Learning Standards. Kids see this subject as “Our World”.
Focus areas
- My community and other United States communities
- Urban, suburban and rural communities in New York and beyond
- Leaders, laws, voting and community service
- Community jobs, money, taxes and change over time
Units
Unit 1
Communities Compared
Comparing communities around the world: what they share (basic needs, school, play) and how they differ (size, climate, jobs, travel).
Learning standard: 2.1a; 2.1b; 2.1c · comparing urban, suburban and rural communities and how land is used in each
Unit 2
Climate & Ways of Life
How people dress, build, farm and work to suit their weather and land, and reading photos and maps for clues about climate.
Learning standard: 2.5b · how land, water and climate affect where people settle and how they live
Unit 3
Talking and Deciding Together
Democratic habits start small: listening to every idea, waiting for a turn, giving reasons, disagreeing kindly and voting fairly. These help children take part in class and community decisions.
Learning standard: 2.3a; 2.3c · fairness, sharing ideas and voting to make decisions together
Unit 4
Working Together Fairly
Cooperating, resolving conflicts peacefully, listening actively, using respectful language, leading with care, and valuing contributions to the community.
Learning standard: 2.4c · working together fairly and taking on roles that serve the group
Unit 5
Citizens & Leaders
Who can vote, how communities choose leaders, and how groups and nations work out problems, from classmates to countries.
Learning standard: 2.4b; 2.4c · community leaders, citizens and the ways people serve their community
Unit 6
Then & Now
Generations in a family, using photos, interviews and timelines, and how technology and traditions change from the past to the present.
Learning standard: 2.6a; 2.6b · what has changed and what has stayed the same in communities, from photos and other evidence
Unit 7
Our Community Changes
Practices how communities change over time: daily life long ago and today, changes made by people and by nature, finding out about the past from photos, museums and older people, and timelines. It follows the Grade 2 outcome on change in the community.
Learning standard: 2.6a; 2.7a · putting community events in order and the causes and effects of change
Unit 8
Needs & Wants
Telling needs from wants and how communities help meet people's needs.
Learning standard: 2.8b · deciding how to use money based on needs and wants
Unit 9
Work and Prices
Introduces why prices go up or down when something is hard to find or easy to find, and how jobs and work have changed over time.
Learning standard: 2.8c · how scarcity and price affect what people choose to buy
Unit 10
Work, Saving & Resources
Producers and consumers, wants and needs, saving, and how limited resources affect what people make and buy.
Learning standard: 2.8b; 2.9a · earning, saving and the resources used to make goods and provide services
Unit 11
City, Suburb & Country
How urban, suburban and rural communities differ in population and land use, with New York examples such as New York City, Long Island suburbs, the Finger Lakes and the Adirondacks, and what every community shares.
Learning standard: 2.1a; 2.1b; 2.1c; 2.1d; 2.2b · urban, suburban and rural communities, how many people live there and how land is used, and what makes each community strong
Unit 12
Community Jobs & Taxes
Goods and services, community workers such as teachers, firefighters, sanitation workers and police officers, how taxes pay for community services, and how neighboring communities share resources.
Learning standard: 2.9a; 2.9b; 2.9c; 2.8a; 2.8d · community workers and the goods and services they provide, taxes, and how communities share resources and workers
Unit 13
Reading Maps
Map titles, keys, compass directions, grids and scale, physical and human-made features, and finding New York places on a map.
Learning standard: 2.5a; 2.5d · locating communities on maps and describing places with symbols, map keys and geography words
Unit 14
Who Runs Our Community?
Mayors, city councils, judges and the governor of New York, why communities have laws, voting in elections, and services paid for by taxes.
Learning standard: 2.3b; 2.3c; 2.3d; 2.4a; 2.4b · community leaders who make and enforce laws, voting in elections, symbols of democracy and laws for the common good
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