2nd Grade Project Challenge Curriculum



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|2nd Grade Project Challenge Curriculum |

|Timeline |Topic |Essential |Content/ |Activities |Assessment |Resources |

| | |Questions |Focus | | | |

|Timeline |Topic |Essential Questions|Content/ |Activities |Assessment |Resources |

| | | |Focus | | | |

|December |Insects |What are insects? |Life Science |Identify different parts |Research and write a report on a |Various classroom books on insects |

| | |What | |of an insect |chosen insect; | |

| | |external | | | |Specimens |

| | |characteristics do | |Observation of different |Describe this insect’s habitat, | |

| | |all insects share? | |specimens |what they eat, natural defenses, |Insects activity packet |

| | | | | |and any unique characteristics | |

| | |What is the life | |Field trip to Insectarium| |Videos |

| | |cycle of an insect?| |in Philadelphia | | |

| | | | | | |Websites for kids about insects |

| | |How do insects | |Observe and identify | | |

| | |adapt to their | |insects at home, in | | |

| | |environment? | |school, and outside | | |

| | | | | | | |

| | |How can insects be | |Compare/contrast insects | | |

| | |helpful and harmful| |with other animals | | |

| | |for us and the | | | | |

| | |environment? | |Vocabulary development: | | |

| | | | |pest, pupae, | | |

| | |How are insects | |metamorphosis, | | |

| | |different from | |habitat, larvae, | | |

| | |spiders? | |environment, | | |

| | | | |thorax, shelter, | | |

| | | | |exterminator, | | |

| | | | |antennae, adult, | | |

| | | | |function, external, | | |

| | | | |life cycle, arachnid, | | |

| | | | |exoskeleton | | |

|Timeline |Topic |Essential Questions|Content/ |Activities |Assessment |Resources |

| | | |Focus | | | |

|January |Animals and |What animals and |Life Science |Feed and observe winter|Write a research report on an animal|Various classroom books on animals |

| |Birds in |birds are found in | |birds by making bird |and describe how the animal adapts | |

| |Winter |our area in the | |feeders to hang outside|to winter; Report must include a |Videos: |

| | |winter? | | |list of new vocabulary, at least two|“Christmas in Yellowstone” |

| | | | |Compare/contrast |sources, and a sketch of their | |

| | |What is migration? | |behavior and |animal |Websites for kids about animals and winter |

| | | | |adaptations of various | | |

| | |How do they survive| |animals in winter |Oral presentation of animal report | |

| | |the winter months? | | | | |

| | | | |Observe and describe | | |

| | |What is their | |animal tracks | | |

| | |winter habitat? | | | | |

| | | | |Birds in Winter | | |

| | |What animals and | |experiment | | |

| | |birds do we not see| | | | |

| | |in this area during| | | | |

| | |winter that return | | | | |

| | |for spring and | | | | |

| | |summer? | |Vocabulary development:| | |

| | | | |climate, hibernation, | | |

| | | | |adaptation, migration, | | |

| | | | |camouflage, insulation,| | |

| | | | | | | |

| | | | | | | |

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|Timeline |Topic |Essential Questions |Content/ |Activities |Assessment |Resources |

| | | |Focus | | | |

|February |Maple Sugaring |What is the maple sugaring |Environmental |Identifying maple leaves|Creating poems and writing |Various classroom books about maple sugaring |

| | |process? |Science | |letters about their field | |

| | | | |Listen to the Native |trip experience |Maple Sugaring activity packet |

| | |Where are maple trees found? | |American legend about | | |

| | | | |how |Writing and performing a |Websites for kids on maple sugaring, maple trees, and |

| | |Which maple trees make the | | |“commercial” to advertise a |maple syrup |

| | |best maple syrup? | |Reading about making sap|maple syrup product | |

| | | | |into syrup | | |

| | |What climate is needed to | | | | |

| | |turn sap into syrup? | |Field trip to | | |

| | | | |Stoneybrook Millstone | | |

| | |What is the difference | |Watershed | | |

| | |between imitation and pure | | | | |

| | |maple syrup? | | | | |

| | | | |Vocabulary development: | | |

| | | | |tap, sugarbush, run, | | |

| | | | |sugar maple, sugar | | |

| | | | |house, grade | | |

| | | | | | | |

| | | | |Tasting – students will | | |

| | | | |taste different kinds of| | |

| | | | |maple syrup and foods | | |

| | | | |made with maple syrup as| | |

| | | | |an ingredient | | |

| | | | | | | |

|Timeline |Topic |Essential Questions |Content/ |Activities |Assessment |Resources |

| | | |Focus | | | |

| |Our United States |How are the regions of the |Geography |State reports – students |Discussion |Various classroom books on U.S. history, the fifty states and |

|March | |United States alike and |U.S. History |will research and create | |patriotic symbols |

| | |different? How does a specific| |a report and travel |Reports – written and oral| |

| | |region affect how people live | |brochure for one of our |presentations |Videos: |

| | |and work? | |fifty states | |“United States Flag” |

| | | | | | |“Washington, D.C.” |

| | |How does the geography of a | |Patriotic symbols – | | |

| | |place influence the choices | |students will work in | | |

| | |made by people? | |cooperative groups to | | |

| | | | |research one of our | |Websites for kids on U.S. history, the fifty states, and |

| | |How is our country and our | |patriotic symbols: flag, | |patriotic symbols |

| | |state’s geography unique? | |eagle, Pledge of | | |

| | | | |Allegiance, National | | |

| | |How can symbols unite those | |Anthem, White House, | | |

| | |they represent? | |Washington Monument, Mt. | | |

| | | | |Rushmore | | |

| | |What do selected American | | | | |

| | |symbols represent from past | | | | |

| | |events, legends, and | | | | |

| | |historical accounts? | | | | |

| | | | | | | |

| | |What significance have symbols| | | | |

| | |had in our history and to the | | | | |

| | |people of our country? | | | | |

| | | | | | | |

|Timeline |Topic |Essential Questions |Content/ |Activities |Assessment |Resources |

| | | |Focus | | | |

| |Magnets and |What are the different |Physical Science |Experimentation with |Observation |Magnets kit |

|April |Electricity |types of magnets? | |magnets of various | | |

| | | | |shapes and sizes to |Discussion |Magnets and Electricity activity packet |

| | |What are the properties | |investigate what is | | |

| | |of magnets? | |magnetic |Lab reports |Videos |

| | | | | | | |

| | |What can a magnet | |Teacher-led experiment | |Websites for kids on magnets and electricity |

| | |attract? What can a | |with electricity – | | |

| | |magnet repel? | |using a battery to | | |

| | | | |create a circuit | | |

| | |What can a magnet work | | | | |

| | |through? | | | | |

| | | | | | | |

| | |Are magnets found in the | |Vocabulary development:| | |

| | |Earth? | |Magnet, pole, attract, | | |

| | | | |repel, circuit, | | |

| | |What is electricity? Why | |electricity, conductor,| | |

| | |is electricity important | |current, insulator | | |

| | |to us? | | | | |

| | | | | | | |

| | |How is electricity | | | | |

| | |created? | | | | |

| | | | | | | |

| | |How is electricity | | | | |

| | |conducted? | | | | |

| | | | | | | |

| | | | | | | |

|Timeline |Topic |Essential Questions |Content/ |Activities |Assessment |Resources |

| | | |Focus | | | |

| |Marine Biology |What are some key features|Life Science |Research and write a report|Discussion |Various classroom books on marine biology and ocean|

|May | |of an ocean? | |about a marine animal or | |life |

| | | | |plant; Students will create|Observation | |

| | |How is life in the ocean | |sculptures to go with their| |Videos |

| | |different than life on | |reports and present their |Research project | |

| | |land? | |reports | |Marine Biology/Oceanography activity packet |

| | | | | | | |

| | | | | | |Websites for kids on marine biology, the ocean, and|

| | |How do scientists learn | |Experiments | |sea life |

| | |about the ocean and its | | | | |

| | |inhabitants? | |Field trip to the Adventure| | |

| | | | |Aquarium | | |

| | |What are some adaptations | | | | |

| | |that marine animals and | |Writing poetry using our | | |

| | |plants have that helps | |aquarium visit as | | |

| | |them to live in an ocean | |inspiration | | |

| | |habitat? | | | | |

| | | | |In-class visit from a | | |

| | |How can people help to | |marine biologist | | |

| | |preserve marine habitats? | | | | |

| | | | |Vocabulary development: | | |

| | | | |Ocean, oceanography, | | |

| | | | |currents, tides, salinity, | | |

| | | | |erosion, waves, continental| | |

| | | | |shelf, coral reef, | | |

| | | | |plankton, food chain, | | |

| | | | |predator, prey | | |

| | | | | | | |

| |The following activities will be done throughout the year in our Project Challenge sessions and are ongoing parts of the program: |

|Ongoing Throughout the Year | |

| | |

| |Contests |

| |Games |

| |Discussion |

| |Tangrams |

| |Attributes |

| |Logic |

| |Inventing |

| |Art interpretation |

| |Puzzles |

| |Vocabulary development |

| |Creative writing |

| |Critical thinking |

| |Presentations |

| |Plays |

| |Current Events |

| |Problem Solving |

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