Physical Education 2
Description:
Personal fitness activities include yoga, participating in a team or individual sport, and Connections Academy’s own fitness plan.
CD/DVD:
Yoga DVDs (set of 2)
Supplies:
Jump rope
Art 2
Description:
Students learn how to observe and appreciate art. They continue to learn how to draw, paint, and create three dimensional artworks.
Art Kit:
Art Set (21 piece)
Colored pencils (set of 12)
Construction paper
Drawing pad
Paint, tempera (set of 4 colors)
Paintbrushes (set of 6)
Language Arts 2 A
Description:
In second grade your student is introduced to all parts of the reading process. In the first semester, student is given the opportunity to apply word attack skills to increasingly complex texts and build their oral and sight vocabularies through daily instruction. While practicing new skills, your student will take part in activities based on books he or she is reading. Your student will apply handwriting and grammar skills to daily journal entries as well as longer and more complex compositions.
CD/DVD:
Take Me To Your Readers CD
Manual:
Language Arts 2 A and B Course Guide
Supplies:
Letter Tiles
Textbook:
Scott Foresman Reading Street 2 (Volume 1)
Textbook (online access):
Scott Foresman Reading Street 2
Trade Book:
Frog and Toad Are Friends
Workbook:
Scott Foresman Grammar and Writing Practice Book 2
Scott Foresman Practice Book 2 (Volume 1)
SF Phonics and Spelling Practice Book 2
Zaner-Bloser Handwriting 2
Language Arts 2 B
Description:
In second grade your student is introduced to all parts of the reading process. In the second semester course student is given the opportunity to apply word attack skills to increasingly complex texts and build their oral and sight vocabularies through daily instruction. While practicing new skills, your student will take part in activities based on books he or she is reading. Your student will apply handwriting and grammar skills to daily journal entries as well as longer and more complex compositions.
CD/DVD:
Take Me To Your Readers CD
Manual:
Language Arts 2 A and B Course Guide
Supplies:
Letter Tiles
Textbook:
Scott Foresman Reading Street 2 (Volume 2)
Textbook (online access):
Scott Foresman Reading Street 2
Trade Book:
Amelia Bedelia and the Cat
Workbook:
Scott Foresman Grammar and Writing Practice Book 2
Scott Foresman Practice Book 2 (Volume 2)
SF Phonics and Spelling Practice Book 2
Zaner-Bloser Handwriting 2
Math 2 A
Description:
In second grade, problem solving is emphasized as your student furthers his or her understanding of numbers and operations, learning to add and subtract one- and two-digit numbers. In the first semester, hands-on activities help students study time, money, geometry, and fractions. Students will connect number concepts to statistics using basic algebraic concepts and simple graphs. Measurement concepts, such as weight, mass, capacity, time, and temperature, are investigated.
Manual:
Math 2 A and B Course Guide
Math Kit 1–2:
Base-ten rods, green (10)
Base-ten units, green (20 cubes)
Coins (44)
Connecting cubes (snap cubes) (20)
Counters, 2-color (20)
Dollar bills (40)
Number cubes, blank with 50 labels (2)
Textbook (online access):
Scott Foresman enVisionMATH 2
Workbook:
SF enVisionMATH 2 Interactive Homework Workbook
Math 2 B
Description:
In second grade, problem solving is emphasized as your student furthers his or her understanding of numbers and operations, learning to add and subtract one- and two-digit numbers. In the second semester, the student continues to learn hands-on activities help students study time, money, geometry, and fractions. Students will connect number concepts to statistics using basic algebraic concepts and simple graphs. Measurement concepts, such as weight, mass, capacity, time, and temperature, are investigated.
Manual:
Math 2 A and B Course Guide
Math Kit 1–2:
Base-ten flats, green (1)
Base-ten rods, green (10)
Base-ten units, green (20 cubes)
Clock face (1)
Connecting cubes (snap cubes) (20)
Counters, 2-color (20)
Number cubes, blank with 50 labels (2)
Pattern blocks (27)
Tiles, color (20)
Textbook (online access):
Scott Foresman enVisionMATH 2
Workbook:
SF enVisionMATH 2 Interactive Homework Workbook
Science 2 A
Description:
This course will stimulate students’ curiosity about the world around them. In the first semester, we will study clues to Earth’s past and learn about an archaeologist’s responsibilities. We will also investigate energy and changing states of matter, such as liquid water changing to water vapor, and create a weather chart. Your child will enjoy hands-on activities as he or she investigates the importance of water and vegetation in life science and explores forces in physical science.
Manual:
Science 2 A and B Course Guide
Science Kit:
Hand lens
Modeling clay
Textbook (online access):
McGraw-Hill Science: A Closer Look 2
Workbook:
McGraw-Hill Science: Reading and Writing 2
Science 2 B
Description:
This course will stimulate students’ curiosity about the world around them. In the second semester, we will study clues to Earth’s past and learn about an archaeologist’s responsibilities. We will also investigate energy and changing states of matter, such as liquid water changing to water vapor, and create a weather chart. Your child will enjoy hands-on activities as he or she investigates the importance of water and vegetation in life science and explores forces in physical science.
Manual:
Science 2 A and B Course Guide
Science Kit:
Battery holder
Goggles, safety
Lamp holder
Lamp, miniature
Magnet, bar
Thermometers (3)
Wire
Textbook (online access):
McGraw-Hill Science: A Closer Look 2
Workbook:
McGraw-Hill Science: Reading and Writing 2
Social Studies 2 A
Description:
Your child will continue to explore basic concepts of history, geography, economics, and government, while discovering more about world cultures. In the first semester, students will practice basic map, chart, graph, and thinking skills. We will also introduce your child to ordinary people who showed good citizenship and to famous people who have influenced our country and the world.
CD/DVD:
SF Digital Learning CD-ROM: People and Places
Manual:
Social Studies 2 A and B Course Guide
Textbook (online access):
Scott Foresman Social Studies: People and Places
Workbook:
Scott Foresman People and Places Workbook
Social Studies 2 B
Description:
Your child will continue to explore basic concepts of history, geography, economics, and government, while discovering more about world cultures. In the second semester, students will practice basic map, chart, graph, and thinking skills. We will also introduce your child to ordinary people who showed good citizenship and to famous people who have influenced our country and the world.
CD/DVD:
SF Digital Learning CD-ROM: People and Places
Manual:
Social Studies 2 A and B Course Guide
Textbook (online access):
Scott Foresman Social Studies: People and Places
Workbook:
Scott Foresman People and Places Workbook
Educational Technology and Online Learning 2
Prerequisites:
To participate in this course the student must have Microsoft Office including Paint, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint installed on his or her machine. It should be installed before the course begins.
Description:
Second graders learn to use the keyboard to create short paragraphs. We introduce students to child-safe search engines and Internet safety practices. They also learn how to use a printer and how to create simple multimedia projects.
Children's French I
Description:
The Children’s French I course introduces students to the French language through activities such as singing, acting, drawing, and telling stories. Interactive games allow students to master vocabulary from adventure-based stories. The differentiated activities in this course help the students to express themselves in French and gain a general understanding of French grammar.
Children's French II
Description:
Children's French II employs a unique approach to building French fluency quickly and effortlessly. The stories are first introduced in English and then retold a number of times with progressively more French. Although the course focuses on the oral aspect of the language, there is more exposure to reading and writing than in the previous level.
Children's French III
Description:
This course engages students through the use of storytelling and solving puzzles, allowing students the opportunity to be active participants. The vocabulary learned in Children’s French II will help students adapt to the faster pace of this course. The Children’s French III course encourages the development of language skills by incorporating more French into the adventure-based stories. By the end of the course, students are able to read and understand passages written entirely in the target language.
Children's Spanish I
Description:
The Children’s Spanish I course uses a series of creative stories and games to build motivation for learning the language. Through these adventure-based stories, students gain new vocabulary and start to understand sentence structure. The stories are first introduced in English and then retold a number of times with progressively more Spanish. Eventually, it becomes an all-Spanish story, and students are prepared to understand and retell the stories in Spanish.
Children's Spanish II
Description:
Children's Spanish II employs a unique approach to building Spanish fluency quickly and effortlessly. The stories are first introduced in English and then retold a number of times with progressively more Spanish. Although the course focuses on the oral aspect of the language, there is more exposure to reading and writing than in the previous level. Fascinating information on Hispanic culture is gracefully interwoven into the captivating adventure stories.
Children's Spanish III
Description:
This course engages students through the use of storytelling and solving puzzles, allowing students the opportunity to be active participants. The vocabulary learned in Children’s Spanish II will help students adapt to the faster pace of this course. The Children’s Spanish III course encourages the development of language skills by incorporating more Spanish into the adventure-based stories. By the end of the course, students are able to read and understand passages written entirely in Spanish.
Music II
Description:
The Music courses, with content developed by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, focus on teaching basic music concepts through traditional children’s songs and classical music examples. Students develop fine and gross motor skills that will enable them to keep a steady beat and learn rhythm instruments.
Units:
Opposites
In this unit your student will compare three basic elements in music: dynamics, loud and soft; tempo, fast and slow; and pitch, high and low. Through traditional folk and children's songs, he will begin to develop his singing voice. Your student will also learn important repertoire that will be used throughout the year to teach many music concepts and skills.
The Steady Heartbeat
In this unit your student will first move to music in a variety of ways to develop gross motor skills and keep a steady beat. After many opportunities to keep and feel the steady beat, your student will then identify the beat in music. Your student will identify the beat of a song as being fast or slow. Reading a heartbeat chart is another way to keep the beat and also prepares your student for music reading in units five and six.
Melody
In this unit your student will review and further develop his singing voice. He will identify the melody and tune or part of the song you sing. Your student will be introduced to musical phrases. The concept of "pitch" will be reviewed. Icons showing the relationship between pitches will be used, which will prepare the student for reading music in units five and six. Finally, form, the way a composer puts phrases together to create a melody, will be explored.
The Orchestra
In this unit your student will discover four families or groups of instruments in the orchestra. She will discover how all the instruments in one family are related by the way their sound is produced. The instruments of the percussion and brass sections will be further explored.
Rhythm
In this unit your student, using traditional folk songs and children's songs, will identify, read, write, and perform, basic rhythm patterns. He will define the music term rhythm and distinguish between the steady heartbeat and the rhythm of a song. He will play on rhythm instruments and perform rhythmic ostinatos with songs.
The Pentatonic Scale
In this unit, your student through folk songs and children's songs, will identify, read, write, and perform melodic patterns. She will distinguish between pitches that are higher and lower than each other. Additionally she will sing in canon and perform a melodic ostinato.
Sign Language
Description:
In this course, students are introduced to the fundamental concepts of American Sign Language. Students explore vocabulary, grammar, and conversational skills using basic signing and fingerspelling techniques.
Units:
Intro
In this unit, your student will be introduced to American Sign Language, or ASL. He will study the history of ASL and learn how it became the standard language for deaf and hard of hearing people in North America. He will also learn about some of the accepted rules of etiquette in Deaf culture. This introductory unit also teaches your student how to sign the letters of the alphabet and the mechanics of fingerspelling.
Numbers
This unit introduces the signing of numbers. Your student will learn how to sign numbers 1–100, as well as the signs for dollars and cents. A variety of fun activities give your student a chance to practice using ASL to discuss counting and using money.
Time
In this unit, your student will study various aspects of time. Not only will he learn how to communicate time using ASL, he will also learn the signs for the 7 days of the week and the 12 months of the year. The signs for various holidays as well as the four seasons are also taught in this unit.
Nouns
Your student will learn the signs for some commonly used nouns. The categories of family, places, food, colors, and animals are explored as your student practices these signs to add to her growing library of American Sign Language knowledge.
Descriptions
The lessons in this unit will teach your student how to sign various descriptions using American Sign Language. He will learn how to sign descriptive words that express feelings, sizes, possessions, and locations. In addition, he will combine some previously taught signs for numbers, time, and nouns, with descriptive signs taught in this unit.
Frog and Toad Quest
Description:
Students help scientists monitor frog and toad populations across the country using Frogwatch USA™. Managed by the National Wildlife Federation in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey, Frogwatch USA™ uses data collected by students to develop new ways to protect amphibians, which are extremely sensitive to ecological changes. Students visit a local wetland site once a week, make careful observations, and submit their data online. This online project joins Connections Academy students and scientists around the country as they gather and analyze data.
Home Life I
Description:
Here, students select from a number of projects that develop the skills they will need for daily living. Activities include cooking, crafts, sewing, home maintenance, family outings, and genealogy. Recently added projects include model bridge building and orienteering, the sport of navigating with a map and compass.