Second Grade Activities

Computer as a Tool

We viewed a PowerPoint and discussed:

* Rules and Safety Issues in the Lab
* Computer as a Tool
   (Why is a computer considered a tool like a hammer, saw or lawn mower?)
* Parts of a computer
        - which part looks like a television
        - which part is the "brain" of a computer
        - which part do you use to help you type
        - which part helps you move things around the screen
        - what is another name for the "arrow"

The following page contains some matching cards and a color page for review:
http://www.bridgingthedigitaldivide.org/files/computer_parts.doc

All About Me

In order to get to know each other and to learn a new program, Kidspiration2, we completed an "All About Me" project. Students chose symbols to represent different topics and then switched to writing view and wrote about each.

You can learn more about Kidspiration by visiting their website.

English 2.11 ~ Use available technology to write.

Fall Sensory Poems

Students wrote Fall Sensory Poems using Kidspiration. They were only to choose one or two pieces of clipart because we put them on pumpkin cutouts for our hallway display. We got our inspiration from Mrs. McGowan's class!

Some students finished early and decided to experiment with KidPix and drew Fall scenes.

English 2.11 ~ Use available technology to write.

Famous American Mini Books

Students used a PowerPoint template to create a mini book on Famous Americans. They had to type in the important facts about each American, as well as navigate through the template. On the last page, they were surprised to see a picture of themselves and they wrote about how they were famous! After viewing their slide show, they printed the PowerPoint as Handouts with 6 slides to a page and cut them apart to make the book. They also played some review games.

H/SS 2.11 ~ Identify George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Susan B. Anthony, Helen Keller, Jackie Robinson, and Martin Luther King, Jr. as Americans whose contributions improved the lives of other Americans.

Famous Americans and their Contributions

Template

Student Sample

Family Trees
As part of geography and social studies lessons on diversity, the second graders investigated their family trees to find out where their ancestors came from. Once they had the information, they completed the Family Tree using Kidspiration2. Students then wrote about their ancestors and they made a class book. They also used post-it notes to mark areas that each child had ancestors from on a world map. H/SS 2.12 ~ Understand that the United States is a land of people who have diverse ethnic origins, customs, and traditions, who make contributions to their communities, and who are united as Americans by common principles.

Thanksgiving Word Quiz with Little Explorers

Enchanted Learning has a great picture dictionary for students to use! Students had to use the Little Explorers Picture Dictionary to answer questions related to Thanksgiving.

Students also had the opportunity to use the Paint Tool in KidPix to complete a Turkey Glyph.

English 2.9 ~ Use dictionaries to demonstrate comprehension of information.

Thanksgiving "Look it Up" Quiz

First American Blocks

Creating our First American blocks was one of our favorite activities!

We explored a First Americans website to gather information and review before we created our blocks using Kidspiration2. We printed our blocks on card stock and assembled them so that we could use them to review and to compare and contrast.

The inspiration for this lesson came from Tech4Learning.

First Americans Reference Chart

First Americans Blank Chart

H/SS 2.2 ~ Compare the lives and contributions of American Indians (First Americans), with emphasis on the Powhatan of the Eastern Woodlands, the Sioux of the Plains, and the Pueblo people of the Southwest.
H/SS 2.4 ~ Locate the regions of the Powhatan, Sioux, and Pueblo Indians on United States maps.

Jan Brett ~ Gingerbread Glyphs

During Library, the students read the book, "Gingerbread Baby" by Jan Brett. We decided to take that a step further by visiting Jan Brett's website. We viewed a video clip where Jan Brett talked about the book and read it to the students. She told us how she decides what to draw. It takes her one hour to draw ONE INCH! She also talked about why she draws on the borders of her pages.

Students created a Gingerbread glyph using KidPix that accurately represented his or her answers to a series of questions. We purposefully left the names off of the Glyphs so we could play a game of "Who am I?".
(This activity has some great Math possibilities!)

Gingerbread Glyph Directions

Martin Luther King, Jr. Hunt

First, we watched a short video clip from United Streaming about Martin Luther King, Jr. It discussed his life and why we celebrate his birthday.

Then we visited 2 websites that had to do with Martin Luther King, Jr. Students had to navigate through a timeline to answer questions and learn more about Martin Luther King, Jr. The websites were created by 1st and 2nd grade teachers and students.
(A number of students did not get to the 2nd timeline... I included this one if students finished early.)

To make navigation easier, we put the websites on the 2nd Grade Learning Links page.

We discussed how to read a timeline and how to look for key words in the question to help us find the information on the timeline.

H/SS 2.11 ~ Identify Martin Luther King, Jr. as an American whose contributions improved the lives of other Americans.
English 2.8 ~ Locate information to answer questions.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Hunt

Ancient Comparisons ~ China and Egypt

Students explored an Ancient China and Ancient Egypt website to gather information and review before they completed a graphic organizer using Kidspiration2. Students had to choose symbols to represent the important features of each ancient culture.

H/SS 2.1 ~ Explain how the contributions of ancient China and Egypt have influenced the present world in terms of architecture, inventions, the calendar, and written language.
H/SS 2.4 ~ Locate China and Egypt on a map.

Ancient Cultures Reference Sheet

Ancient Cultures Blank Chart

Chinese Characters and Egyptian Hieroglyphics

Students were very interested in how the Ancient Chinese and Ancient Egyptians wrote. Because of this, we viewed a United Streaming video clip on Chinese Characters and one on Egyptian Hieroglyphics. After that, we visited two different websites to see our name using characters and hieroglyphics. Students practiced with copying and pasting, as they copied and pasted their Hieroglyphic name to a Word document so that it would print out on one sheet of paper.

Get Your Own Chinese Name

Write Your Name in Hieroglyphics

Clouds

First, we watched a United Streaming video clip about clouds. To learn more, students visited a website to gather information. We viewed pictures of different clouds in the Cloud Gallery to get an idea of what the different types looked like. Using Kidspiration2, we "tested" our knowledge by sorting pictures of clouds. Students were also able to further explore clouds by visiting the link on the 2nd Grade Learning Links page.

Science 2.6 ~ Investigate and understand basic types and patterns of weather.

Cloud Worksheet

Weather Quiz with Little Explorers

Students once again used the Little Explorers Picture Dictionary to look up words, but this time the topic was weather.

When we finished, we explored the weather site on the 2nd Grade Learning Links page and also played some online games.

Science 2.6 ~ Investigate and understand basic types and patterns of weather.
English 2.9 ~ Use dictionaries to demonstrate comprehension of information.

Weather "Look it Up" Quiz

Water Cycle

We really love United Streaming! First we watched a video clip to review the different parts of the water cycle. Then we visited a website to help us answer some questions. After that we completed a Water Cycle chart using Kidspiration2.

Science 3.9 (PWC 2.5.2) ~ Investigate and understand the water cycle and its relationship to life on Earth.

The Water Cycle

What's the "Matter"?
For this activity, we visited several links on the 2nd Grade Learning Links page to help us learn about Matter. We used a worksheet to help guide us through the process. When we were finished, we got to play a game of Concentration. Science 2.3 ~ Investigate and understand basic properties of solids, liquids, and gases.	Matter Worksheet

Matter Matters

Once again, United Streaming came to the rescue and we watched a short clip on the three states of matter. After that, we visited an interactive website to "Wise Up!" on matter. Once finished, we completed a Kidspiration2 activity that we received from a school in Virginia Beach. There were also review activities available on the 2nd Grade Learning Links page.

Science 2.3 ~ Investigate and understand basic properties of solids, liquids, and gases.

Magnetic or Not?

To get us started, we watched a short video, "Why Do Magnets Work?". Then we went through a PowerPoint from a teacher in Loudoun County about "Matty the Magnet". After that, we visited an interactive website to "Wise Up!" on magnets. Once finished, we completed a Kidspiration2 activity that we received from a school in Virginia Beach. There were also review activities available on the 2nd Grade Learning Links page.

Science 2.2 ~ Investigate and understand that natural and artificial magnets have certain characteristics and attract specific types of metals.

Mousercise
Students love to practice using their mouse with Mousercise! Give it a try!

Second Grade Learning Links
Bennett second graders have their own website with links that they can explore both at school and at home!!!

Type to Learn 3
Students enjoy practicing and learning more about Keyboarding using the program Type to Learn 3.