2nd grade Social Studies: how to help at home
What your child learns in 2nd grade social studies in the Alaska content standards, and simple things to try at home.
Focus areas this year
- Maps and the local community
- Local leaders, Alaska's symbols and working together
- Earning, saving and goods from near and far
Easy ways to practice social studies at home
- Look at a map of your community and find places you visit.
- Ask an older relative or neighbor what the area was like when they were young.
- Read stories from many communities, including Indigenous authors, and talk about what is the same and different.
- Talk about how rules and jobs help a community work.
What each unit covers
Needs & Wants
Telling needs from wants and how communities help meet people's needs.
Then & Now
Generations in a family, using photos, interviews and timelines, and how technology and traditions change from the past to the present.
Communities Compared
Comparing communities around the world: what they share (basic needs, school, play) and how they differ (size, climate, jobs, travel).
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.
Working Together Fairly
Cooperating, resolving conflicts peacefully, listening actively, using respectful language, leading with care, and valuing contributions to the community.
Citizens & Leaders
Who can vote, how communities choose leaders, and how groups and nations work out problems, from classmates to countries.
Reading Maps
Map titles, keys, compass directions and letter-number grids to find places in a neighborhood.
Work, Saving & Resources
Producers and consumers, wants and needs, saving, and how limited resources affect what people make and buy.
Maps of Our World
Using maps and globes to find continents, oceans and countries, physical and human features, and why people settle near water and flat land.
Alaska's Symbols
Alaska's state symbols and what they stand for: the flag Benny Benson designed, the capital and the Governor, the forget-me-not, willow ptarmigan, Sitka spruce, moose and king salmon, plus Denali, the midnight sun and Alaska's neighbors.
What the report card levels look like at home
- Beginning
- Just getting started with this idea. Short, regular practice with lots of support helps most.
- Approaching
- Understands parts of it and is building confidence. Keep practicing the tricky parts.
- Meeting
- Has it! Mixed review now and then keeps it strong.
- Exceeding
- Applies it confidently, even in new or harder situations. Try challenge mode and real-life problems.
Your child’s teacher decides the level on the report card. Read the Alaska report card guide.
Common questions
Look at a map of your community and find places you visit. Ask an older relative or neighbor what the area was like when they were young. Keep sessions short, about 10 to 15 minutes, and stop on a success.
The Alaska content standards 2nd grade social studies units include Needs & Wants, Then & Now, Communities Compared, Our Community Changes, Working Together Fairly, Citizens & Leaders.
Free printable 2nd grade social studies practice sheet
Questions from every unit, with an answer key.