The second grade classroom has a far reaching curriculum, with a focus on science and math. Seven and eight year-olds are at a developmental stage that necessitates making connections and finding patterns in the world around them. Through field trips and thematic projects we pursue all kinds of natural science investigations. We also focus on fine tuning verbal and writing skills for clear communication and lifelong learning. All this occurs under the umbrella of a caring and collaborative environment where expectations are high and there is a balance of freedom and responsibility.
Second Grade Science: Intertidal Life of the Rocky Shore
We begin our investigation of tide pool life with an assessment of what the students already know about the sea stars, anemones, urchins and other animals that live in the intertidal zone. We brainstorm using these questions: "What do we know?", "What do we wonder?", "How are we going to learn more?"
As a class we talk to experts, watch a slideshow, create a seashore museum and learn about zonation and predator/prey relationships through games. Gradually the children become well versed in the tide pool community and all its players. We even take the first graders to the ocean at low tide. There we view the animals firsthand and teach the first graders about how these creatures move, eat and protect themselves.
As a culmination to the study, students choose an animal about which they would like to become true experts. We use books, other experts and the Internet to gather information about each animal. Children learn to look for important information in their sources and put that information in notes. The notes are then transferred into a comprehensive and edited research report. To accompany their final report, students also build dioramas, which display a likeness of their animals in their natural habitat. The school community is then invited to view our class “aquarium.”
A Sample Second Grade Daily Schedule
