LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Social Studies — Grade 2

Goal 3: The learner will analyze how individuals, families, and communities are alike and different.

Objective 3.03. Compare similarities and differences among cultures in various communities.

Additional related resources

We’re in the process of aligning our content for students to the Standard Course of Study. As we do, you’ll find it here.

General resources

Aligned lesson plans

Resources on the web

Xpeditions express: City scavenger hunt
Students take a virtual trip on National Geographic's Xpeditions Express through Europe to the cities of London, Paris, Innsbruck, Venice, Budapest, and Istanbul. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 Social Studies)
Provided by: National Geographic
What should a house do?
This is a set of nine lesson plans which compares and contrasts the homes built by the first American settlers with those of the Native American peoples. Students will look closely at the design, construction and materials of at least one Native American... (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade K and 2 Social Studies)
Provided by: ESITEment
Traditions and Languages of Three Native Cultures: Tlingit, Lakota, and Cherokee
Students learn about the environment, history, language, and culture of the Tlingit, Lakota, and Cherokee. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 Social Studies)
Provided by: National Endowment for the Humanities
Olympic competition
This Xpeditions lesson introduces students to the ancient and modern Olympic Games. They discuss the concept of competition, see pictures of people participating in Olympic sports, and compare and contrast ancient and modern sports. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 2 Social Studies)
Provided by: National Geographic
Native American cultures across the U.S.
Students discuss the differences between five Native American tribes within the U.S. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 Social Studies)
Provided by: National Endowment for the Humanities
The land of the Inca
Students learn basic facts about the Inca and show where they lived on a map. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 Social Studies)
Provided by: National Geographic
King Tut's treasures
In this Xpeditions lesson that focuses on King Tut, students explore what artifacts can tell us about culture. This lesson introduces research skills, uses scaffolding, and provides opportunities for integrating technology. Students will: ... (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 2 Social Studies)
Provided by: Xpeditions
Immigrating to America
In this ARTSEDGE lesson, students learn about what it was like for new immigrants to come through Ellis Island at the turn of the century. Through first-hand accounts, students discover where the immigrants were from, the reasons they fled their homelands,... (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade K–4 Social Studies)
Provided by: The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Human migration: The story of a community
In this Xpeditions lesson, students come to understand some key concepts of human migration through the examination of maps and migration patterns. Students research and document the impact of migration on a region's cultural landscape. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 2 Social Studies)
Provided by: National Geographic
Egyptian symbols and figures: Scroll painting
This lesson plan from EDSITEment introduces students to the writing, art, and religious beliefs of ancient Egypt through hieroglyphs, one of the oldest writing systems in the world, and through tomb paintings. The lesson plan is in two parts. In this second... (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 Visual Arts Education, English Language Arts, and Social Studies)
Provided by: EDSITEment
Egyptian symbols and figures: Hieroglyphs
This lesson plan from EDSITEment introduces students to the writing, art, and religious beliefs of ancient Egypt through hieroglyphs, one of the oldest writing systems in the world. The lesson plan is in two parts. In this first lesson, the class creates... (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 Visual Arts Education, English Language Arts, and Social Studies)
Provided by: EDSITEment
Culture goggles: Same holy land, different holidays
Students visit the Culture Goggles exhibit in National Geographic's Xpedition Hall, where they will select a religion to see how a Christian, a Jew, or a Muslim might view the Old City of Jerusalem in Israel. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 Social Studies)
Provided by: National Geographic
America, a home for every culture
In this ARTSEDGE lesson, students explore how various cultures have contributed to making the United States the unique and diverse country that it is today. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 Music Education and Social Studies)
Provided by: The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts