Academics

Grades 2 through 3 Curriculum :: 2009-2010

Community Building

The foundation for all learning at the Village School is a strong sense of community. The children view themselves as integral members of their classroom and of the larger school community. Cooperation and kindness support the learning process. Academic learning is enhanced when the children feel their own original ideas are valued, and at the same time, they listen to and value the ideas of others. Community-building activities are present throughout the day, from morning meetings to group book talks to cooperative games.

Thematic Studies

Our theme this year is Native Americans, with a focus on the Northeast Woodland tribes. Story is the vehicle through which we will learn and explore Native American culture. We will hear a story of the week (or every other week) and think about how the story reflects a tribe’s beliefs and way of life. When fitting, we will use stories from other regions of the United States. We will investigate questions that we have about Native American culture and explore the lives of early and contemporary Native Americans. Children will have experiential and visceral experiences to gain an understanding of theme. The students will have a myriad of learning opportunities including: cooking, making cornhusk dolls, making and playing game, creating a diorama of a local woodland animal’s habitat and researching that animal, visiting local Native American sites, drumming and canoeing. Theme will be interwoven into the other disciplines and will culminate with an end of the year celebration.

Reader’s Workshop

During Reading, children immerse themselves in a wide variety of books. Children will be exposed to many different genres, from fascinating non-fiction to engrossing chapter books to artful poetry. This year’s units of study will help students to build the strategies they need to decode as well as to help them to think deeply about the books they read. Students are given time to read independently each day; they will spend a majority of their time reading Just Right books. These are books that will help practice skills and offer the right challenge to extend their learning. Students are also given time to engage in conversations about their books. To enhance continuity between home and school, children carry their books and reading notebooks home in their book bag each day. Their reading notebooks serve as a tool to keep track of what they are reading and what they are thinking. Students should spend at least 20 minutes each evening reading independently, with additional time spent listening to stories read by adults. Engaging in conversations about what your child is reading (predicting, connecting, and questioning) can lead to amazing discussions. Children will also take part in literature circles where the whole class will read the same book and have rich discussions about the story. Children have frequent opportunities to listen to stories during read aloud. Some of the stories they will hear are: Rascal, Sees Behind Trees, and My Side of the Mountain.

Word Study

Word Study is a time for students to practice building English language skills. Students learn decoding strategies by recognizing and studying word chunks, spelling patterns, and syllables. Dictionary skills are incorporated into Word Study. During Word Wall, a component of Word Study, students learn atypical spelling words, words that break patterns or rules. Word Wall also includes correct words that are commonly used in invented spelling. Students are expected to spell words on the Word Wall correctly in their writing. Word Wall helps students increase their sight word list and serves as a bridge to help them make the transition from invented spelling to conventional spelling.

Writing Workshop

Writer’s workshop is a time for students to think about the stories they have and to communicate with others through their writing and drawing. While becoming more skilled with the technical aspects of writing, students are also learning to find their own voice, craft their writing pieces, explore different types of writing and think carefully about the language they choose. Because it is important for students to let their writing flow and get their words on paper, they are encouraged to use their “best choice” spelling. Teaching students a variety of strategies to spell unknown words empowers them to record their fullest stories onto paper. Some units of study for this year are: Poetry, Personal Narrative, Report Writing and Short Fiction.

Journal

Through journaling, students learn to record, value and reflect upon their own experiences. They are also creating seeds that may be used for later writing. Journal is a time to think about what is important to them and to record it with drawings and/or words. Students are given prompts to help them pick subject matter but almost always will have the opportunity to free-journal. Of course, after a field trip, they will journal about their experience. Students learn to reflect upon their experiences by ‘sifting’ through their journals and by sharing their entries with the class.

Math

The Investigations math curriculum offers students opportunities to have multiple experiences with mathematical concepts through games and other hands-on activities. The students construct their own understanding and have a true sense of ownership of mathematical strategies and ideas. Children are encouraged to use multiple strategies to solve problems and engage with peers to stretch their thinking. The mathematical strands of number sense, geometry, data, and measurement are woven throughout the year. A letter explaining the mathematics is sent home at the beginning of each unit. Students receive homework that reinforces math concepts explored in the classroom.

Spanish

Spanish is taught through movement, stories, games and songs, and is based on the TPR (Total Physical Response) system. Students will become comfortable with using and understanding basic vocabulary, and will have the opportunity to act out stories and develop their own play or puppet show.

Art

This year’s Native American theme will lend itself to rich art explorations, including studies of pattern, symbolism, and the "spirit" in art. We will also do some basic color blending and compositional work. Pottery in the style of native peoples will be studied, with weaving and bead work as well. Projects include gourd rattles, coil pots, "birch bark" portfolios, and seasonal art work. As always our goal for the young artist is FUN as well as building skills and stimulating the imagination.

Music

Music class includes singing, drumming and dancing. This year’s theme lends itself to exploration in rhythm, dynamics and tone. Challenges will include singing in rounds or parts, and using rhythm instruments while singing. Students will also continue to learn Recorder, and to develop the skills of reading music and playing by ear. Through original compositions, students will learn basic music theory. Recorder students should practice for at least 5 minutes a day at home.

Science

Our focus is connecting children with the natural world, building observational skills, hands-on experiences, and touching on an overview of selected basic scientific concepts. The children will use a number of types of scientific equipment in their lessons, including magnifying glasses, dissection microscopes, compound microscopes, thermometers, pulleys and gears. Topics are tied to theme as often as possible.

The science curriculum is planned so topics can be introduced during an appropriate theme and developmental stage. Some of the topic areas to be covered this year are listed below. A number of the topic areas will take more than one class period to explore.

  • Insects
  • Amphibians
  • Reptiles
  • Mammals
  • Camouflage
  • Animal skull collection
  • Animals getting ready for winter
  • Special Place: develops observational skills and connection to nature by visiting a special place several times through the year
  • Birds-migration
  • Flight and paper airplane design
  • Prehistory-dinosaurs
  • Moon and moon stages
  • Native American constellations
  • States of matter
  • Water experiments
  • Water cycle
  • Biodiversity Day
  • Seeds and seedlings, growing experiments
  • Native American Three Sisters Garden
  • Incubation of chicks and life cycles