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Social Studies Curriculum Social Studies - 2nd Grade (2024)
Lesson Plans

Strand 2: Geography

Students develop an understanding of the relationship between people and their physical environment using geographic tools, technology, and map skills.

Compelling Questions:

  • Why do people use maps?
  • How is learning to read a map similar to and different from learning to read a story?
  • What are different ways our natural environment helps meet human needs of living, working, and playing?
  • What relationships do you, your family, and your community have with the vegetation, animal life, and physical features of your region?


Standard 2.2.1

Locate and identify the poles, equator, continents, oceans, the United States, Utah, and their town or city. Identify and name the states that border Utah and the countries that border the United States.
  • 2nd Grade - Act. 22: The World Game
    Playing the World Game will make students more familiar with continents, oceans, countries and states.
  • Continents and Oceans
    This is a lesson plan that fits the core curriculum for 2nd grade social studies. Students will be able to identify and label the seven continents, five oceans, two poles, and the equator on a map. Thumbnail: "World Political Map." Gale Elementary Online Collection, Gale, a Cengage Company, 2020. Gale In Context: Elementary, link.gale.com/apps/doc/LJQVQK451405211/ITKE?u=onlinelibrary&sid=bookmark-ITKE&xid=c47a5c55. Accessed 31 July 2022.
  • Off to See the World!
    This activity includes several games that use the atlas and the globe.


UEN logo 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 These materials may not be published, in whole or part, or in any other format, without the written permission of the Utah State Board of Education, 250 East 500 South, PO Box 144200, Salt Lake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.