Social Studies - 2nd Grade (2024)
Lesson Plans

Strand 1: History

Students use historical thinking skills to explore continuity and change in their community, Utah, and the United States.

Compelling Questions:

• What is history, and what lessons can we learn by studying history?
• What criteria should be used to determine the significance of historical events?
• Why are historical events often interpreted differently through different points of view?
• How has your personal and family history helped influence who you are?
• Why do historians look at multiple primary sources to interpret historical events?

Standard 2.1.5

Identify the achievements of significant Americans, including those from local and other diverse perspectives, and explain their importance.

• 2nd Grade Social Studies Standard 1-Cultures
  This is a lesson plan for 2nd grade students in Social Studies.  Students will recognize and practice civic responsibility in the community and the nation.  This lesson will take approximately 4 lesson periods of 1/2 hour each.  This lesson plan is designed for face-to-face instruction.Image created by Tamara Baggett on Canva 
• A Cinderella Story (Grade 2)
  2nd grade Students will be integrating social studies cultural awareness with cultural stories of Cinderella. Students will listen to the Charles Perrault version of Cinderella and identify the main characters, plot and conflict. They will read another version and identify similarities and differences of the two stories. They will create Venn diagrams to look at similarities and differences of their own school cultures and then use Venn diagrams to look at similarities and differences of Cinderella stories. With this information, they will create their own Cinderella story.
• ART, TECHNOLOGY, & SOCIAL STUDIES: Edward Curtis Style Portraits
  This is an art lesson incorporating the Art element of Value with black and white photography. We are also incorporating Language arts & social studies standards as well. Preview image: "iPad" by Sean MacEntee is marked with CC BY 2.0.
• Algebra I Unit/Algebra II Intro Unit
  This unit was created as an introductory/review unit for Algebra II to allow for a review of main concepts needed to progress in Algebra II. However, it could also be used in Algebra I to introduce for the first time real numbers; number operations; and equations, expressions, and inequalities.
• Cottontail Tames Wood, Water, and Rock
  This lesson shares a Ute tale with students to help them to use illustrations to help clarify text details and sequence. The story is then used to help engage students in a discussion on bullying, how actions have consequences and what the characteristics are of a good friend.Background information gives teachers resources to help their students learn more about the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation. The lesson is an integrated English Language Arts, Social Studies, Health lesson. 
• Coyote and Frog Race
  According to Goshute tradition, Coyote tales should only be told during the winter time. Please use this lesson and story in the winter months. This lesson utilizes the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute (CTGR) tale, ?Coyote and Frog Race? to decode common words with suffixes. The students will also be introduced to why eagle feathers are significant in Native cultures and its similarity to present day ways of honoring those who accomplish great things. Students will also participate in cooperative activities to build teamwork in the classroom.Native peoples tell stories about Coyote and other animals to their children. Based on Coyote?s mistakes, the elders teach children about proper behavior and positive attitudes. The lessons taught help children to avoid making the same mistakes as Coyote and suffering the consequences in their own lives. 
• Document Analysis
  The National Archives provides primary source sets, educator resources and articles, and printable primary sources analysis sheets. This page on the site outlines how to analyze primary source documents. Document analysis is the first step in working with primary sources. Teach your students to think through primary source documents for contextual understanding and to extract information to make informed judgments.
• Legend of the Sleeping Ute: A Ute Mountain Ute Tale
  Our earth has so many different intersting facts about land formations and the impact of those landforms on our communities. Students will practice identifying different landforms and focus on one landform through a Native American story - "The Legend of the Sleeping Ute: A Ute Mountain Ute Tale"The Ute Mountain Ute people are one of three Ute tribes living in southeastern Utah and southwestern Colorado. The Ute Mountain Ute tribal headquarters are located at Towaoc, Colorado.
• Paiute Storied Rocks
  Read Paiute picture writing and learn some Native American universal sign language. Compose a new song by rearranging parts of a known tune. Compare the English and Southern Paiute languages.
  This lesson was written in partnership with Dorena Martineau, the Paiute Cultural Resource Director, and Shanandoah Martineau Anderson, a member of the Shivwits band of Paiutes that specializes in Native American universal sign language as well as petroglyphs and pictographs. It was approved by the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah?s Tribal Council. Before teaching this lesson, please explain to your students that there are many symbol Indigenous tribes in the United States and that this lesson specifically focuses on the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah and does not represent other Native American groups. It is the hope of the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah that other native tribes will respect their...
• Predicting with Coyote and the Rolling Stone
  This lesson utilizes the experience-text-relationship method to enhance comprehension and prediction skills of the story "Coyote and the Rolling Stone," a traditional tale shared by the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation. It also helps students become familiar with cultural storytelling and its importance in Native cultures. Students will have a brief introduction to the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation and its location in Utah. The lesson includes an experience-eliciting discussion/activity, a discussion about the students' reading of the story, and a discussion relating students' experiences to the content of the story.
• The Cinderella Projects
  The use of multicultural versions of the story Cinderella helps students make comparisons and observations.

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http://www.uen.org - in partnership with Utah State Board of Education (USBE) and Utah System of Higher Education (USHE).  Send questions or comments to USBE Specialist - Robert  Austin and see the Social Studies website. For general questions about Utah's Core Standards contact the Director - Jennifer  Throndsen.

These materials have been produced by and for the teachers of the State of Utah. Copies of these materials may be freely reproduced for teacher and classroom use. When distributing these materials, credit should be given to Utah State Board of Education. These materials may not be published, in whole or part, or in any other format, without the written permission of the Utah State Board of Education, 250 East 500 South, PO Box 144200, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-4200.