Standard Course of Study :: Social Studies — Grade 2

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

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Aligned lesson plans

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Your special town: This Xpeditions lesson asks students to consider the unique and special features of their hometown and to create a presentation or performance that could be used to welcome visitors to the town. (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade 2 Social Studies); Provided by: National Geographic

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

Wildebeest migration: Students will make maps of the wildebeest migration route in eastern Africa. (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade 1–2 Science and Social Studies); Provided by: National Geographic

Where in the U.S. would you want to live?: In this Xpeditions lesson, challenges students to think about why objects, in the classroom, and in their community, are placed where they are, and how this affects our daily lives. Activities in this lesson engage students in whole class discussion and... (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 Social Studies); Provided by: Xpeditions

A vacation to the polar regions: In this lesson plan, provided by National Geographic, students will learn about the characteristics of the Arctic and Antarctic by looking at a globe and at pictures of the polar landscape and animals. They'll plan a vacation to one of these regions and... (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 Social Studies); Provided by: Xpeditions

Using maps to see regions: Students will use basic observation, data collecting, and mapmaking skills to explore their school grounds and create regional maps. (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade 2 Social Studies); Provided by: National Geographic

Traditional towns and modern suburbs: Students will visit a virtual community and view aerial photographs to compare and contrast these two types of towns. (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 Social Studies); Provided by: National Geographic

To build an island: Students gain a basic overview of the geography of islands. (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade 1–2 Social Studies); Provided by: National Geographic

Pioneer America: Journey west: In this ARTSEDGE lesson, students learn about the early pioneers in America and their motivations for moving West. They discover what life was like for these explorers and list items necessary for westward travel during the mid-1800s. Students also create... (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade K–3 Social Studies); Provided by: The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

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 Middle East region: Flags and facts: Students will learn basic facts about the Middle East by exploring maps of the region. (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 Social Studies); Provided by: National Geographic

Mars mobiles: Students compare the landscapes of Mars and Earth and create mobiles showcasing some of the features of the Martian landscape. (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 Social Studies); Provided by: National Geographic

Life in the mountains: Students are introduced to the idea that people in different parts of the world have different customs and habits of daily life, even if they live in similar landscapes. (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade 1–2 Social Studies); Provided by: National Geographic

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

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

Geography skills and your town: In this Xpeditions lesson, students relate the five themes of geography (location, place, human/environment interaction, movement, and regions) to their own home town. (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade 2 Social Studies); Provided by: National Geographic

Exploring physical and human characteristics of earth's spaces: Students travel around the world on a visual scavenger hunt. First select a handful of important natural and cultural characteristics of places. Then ask them to search through magazines such as National Geographic for photographs that illustrate the range... (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade 1–2 Social Studies); Provided by: Xpeditions

Explore your state with maps: In this Xpeditions lesson, students create maps of their state using information from National Geographic's MapMachine. They then make their own maps from memory after studying the original maps they created. (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade 2 Social Studies); Provided by: National Geographic

Designing a native plants garden: Students compare native vegetation in different parts of the United States. (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 Science and Social Studies); Provided by: National Geographic

Caribou migration: Students will learn some basic facts about caribou and map the migration route of the Porcupine caribou herd of Alaska and northwestern Canada. (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade 1–2 Science and Social Studies); Provided by: National Geographic

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