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2nd grade · Social Studies · Unit 11 of 14

City, Suburb & Country

Urban, suburban and rural communities

What your child practices

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.

New York State Learning Standards 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

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Urban: a city, crowded with tall buildings.
  2. Suburban: houses with yards, near a city. Many people work in the city.
  3. Rural: the country, with farms and long roads.

Example: Which would you most likely see in a suburban community? Suburbs are near cities but less crowded. Many families live in houses with yards. Answer: houses with yards and a mall

City, Suburb & Country in New York

In the New York State Learning Standards, this is unit 11 of 14 in 2nd grade Social Studies, after Work, Saving & Resources and before Community Jobs & Taxes.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: New York State Education Department (NYSED)

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    A community with farms and lots of open land is…

    • urban
    • suburban
    • rural
    • downtown

  2. Question 2

    Buffalo is a city on which lake?

    • Great Salt Lake
    • Lake Erie
    • Lake Michigan
    • Lake Tahoe

  3. Question 3

    The Finger Lakes region of New York is known for…

    • skyscrapers
    • farms and orchards
    • deserts
    • volcanoes

  4. Question 4

    Many people who live in suburbs work in…

    • a nearby city
    • the ocean
    • outer space
    • another country every day

  5. Question 5

    Many people in New York City get around by…

    • horse and wagon
    • tractor
    • subway and bus
    • snowmobile

  6. Question 6

    Which is a reason someone might move to a suburb?

    • more space and a yard
    • to ride the subway more
    • to be on a farm far from town
    • to live in a skyscraper

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