• globe  
    Social Studies

     

     

    Grade 2 Social Studies Curriculum

    The grade two program studies what a community is and what factors impact on the development of that community. Students will focus on social, political, geographic, economic, and historic characteristics of U.S. communities. By studying rural, suburban and urban communities in Western New York and elsewhere in the United States, the students will have a greater understanding of how communities develop, function, and change over time. At the end of this course of study, students will understand how diverse and similar U.S. communities are.

    Concepts to be addressed throughout all units of study:

    • geography influences how people meet their needs and wants

     

    • climate influences how people meet their needs and wants

     

    • resources influence how people meet their needs and wants

     

    • people make choices due to unlimited needs and wants and limited resources

     

    • communities provide facilities and services help meet the needs and wants of the people who life there

     

    • communities are interdependent – when a community lacks a resource, they turn to other communities to fulfill their needs and wants

     

    • as needs and wants and resources change, so will communities

     

    • community members collect taxes and make decisions on how to spend those taxes in order to provide services to meet their needs and wants

     

    • communities develop rules and laws to govern and protect their members

     

    • communities elect and appoint leaders who make, enforce, and interpret rules and laws

     

    • citizens can work with others to make decisions, solve problems, and resolve conflicts within their communities