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2nd grade · Social Studies · Unit 2 of 12

Citizens & Leaders

Voting, leaders and solving problems

What your child practices

Who can vote, how communities choose leaders, and how groups and nations work out problems, from classmates to countries.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) teks student expectation: 2.9(C); 2.9(D); 2.17(A) · how leaders are chosen, how citizens take part, and deciding together fairly

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Leaders: a mayor runs a city, a principal leads a school.
  2. People choose many leaders by voting.
  3. Changemakers, like Cesar Chavez, work to make things fairer.

Example: Who leads a public school? A school has one main leader. That leader is the principal. Answer: the principal

Citizens & Leaders in Texas

In the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), this is unit 2 of 12 in 2nd grade Social Studies, after Work, Saving & Resources and before Maps of Our World.

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: Texas Education Agency (TEA)

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

    Why do we vote?

    • to skip school
    • so everyone gets a say
    • so only one person decides

  2. Question 2

    A person born in the United States is…

    • a US citizen
    • not a citizen
    • a visitor only

  3. Question 3

    A public library helps…

    • only one family
    • only teachers
    • everyone in the community

  4. Question 4

    Countries trade so they can…

    • have fewer goods
    • lose money
    • get goods they don't make
    • stop working

  5. Question 5

    How do people choose a mayor?

    • the mayor picks a friend
    • by drawing pictures
    • they vote in an election

  6. Question 6

    Which is a fair way to pick a name for the class fish?

    • one student decides alone
    • nobody chooses
    • everyone votes

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