CJDS Grade Two Program of Studies

Program of Studies

Grade

2

Table of Contents Introduction.................................................................................................................1 Chicago Jewish Day School..................................................................................................... 2

Our Mission........................................................................................................2 Our Vision...........................................................................................................2 Educational Philosophy Statement........................................................................................ 4 Developmental Overview....................................................................................................... 7

Philosophy...........................................................................................................7 Description of 7-Year-Olds and 8-Year-Olds.......................................................7 Social and Emotional Development.....................................................................8 Curricular Highlights.............................................................................................................. 9

Experiential Learning..........................................................................................9 Integration...........................................................................................................9 Grade Two Theme and Highlights......................................................................9 The City as Our Classroom............................................................................... 10 Academic Curriculum............................................................................................................ 11

Language Arts................................................................................................... 11 Portrait of a Literate Individual.......................................................................... 12 Hebrew and Judaic Studies................................................................................28 Mathematics...................................................................................................... 30 Social Sciences................................................................................................... 34 Science............................................................................................................... 36 Fine Arts, Physical Education, and Health......................................................... 37 Technology........................................................................................................40

Š 2019 Chicago Jewish Day School. All rights reserved.

Introduction The curriculum of any school represents the integration of philosophy and practical application. The curriculum is the working, breathing, and organic tool which serves as a guide — a compass if you will — for our faculty. One of the most essential components in the creation of curriculum materials is the ownership and investment of the faculty. Another essential element is the internalization of academic standards by the faculty so that the standards are integrated into the objectives; therefore, curriculum documents inform practical application, unit development, and lesson planning.

The partnership between parents and teachers is always important and, therefore, it is important for parents to understand that curriculum documentation is an ongoing process that is subject to review and change as a school’s curriculum evolves over time, always reflecting mission, vision, philosophy, and standards.

We hope this curriculum summary serves as a guide for you, our parents, to navigate and understand in the broad strokes the skills, core concepts, and objectives that are part of your child’s experience at Chicago Jewish Day School.

Introduction

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Chicago Jewish Day School Educating our children in the richness of their past, the diversity of their present, and the possibilities for their future.

Our Mission Chicago Jewish Day School creates for its students a standard of excellence in both Judaic and General Studies. Our students develop a passion for learning and a strong sense of themselves as Jews and as human beings.

We inspire our students to: • develop a strong Jewish identity through an integrated curriculum within a nurturing, stimulating, and creative environment • become a community of Jewish learners • respect and appreciate diversity • love Torah, Israel, Hebrew language, and prayer • be contributing, caring, and knowledgeable members of our community, our country, and the world

Our Vision Chicago Jewish Day School provides a standard of excellence in both Judaic and General Studies through an integrated, multisensory curriculum that is attentive to students’ individual needs. Students learn a rich system of Jewish values, which stresses the practice of mitzvot and the development of ethical character. Through school experiences, our students gain creative-thinking and critical-thinking skills and develop a passion for lifelong learning.

Chicago Jewish Day School serves the entire Jewish community and is a leader in promoting togetherness, cooperation, and respect across all Jewish denominations.

Our educational approach appreciates and affirms differences in Jewish philosophy and background and values the range of Jewish religious practices among its students.

At Chicago Jewish Day School, Jewish tradition informs our curriculum, calendar, celebrations, and daily schedule. We are committed to transmitting an in-depth knowledge of sacred Jewish texts and rituals, tradition and customs, and Jewish history. Our students gain fluency in reading, speaking, and understanding Hebrew language and literature, both classical and modern.

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Grade Two Program of Studies

Students also discover how to have a significant and joyful relationship with God, how to pray as a Jew, and to appreciate the centrality of Israel — the people and the land.

Through this knowledge and experience, our students build meaningful Jewish lives.

We are equally dedicated to excellence in our General Studies program, encompassing language arts, mathematics, social and natural sciences, the humanities, and technology.

Chicago Jewish Day School weaves values of Tikun Olam (repairing the world) into every aspect of the school experience. Faculty, students, and parents are strongly encouraged to participate in activities that improve the world and promote justice, peace, compassion, and respect.

Our school operates as a community of learners with students, teachers, and families all partaking in the educational process. Our teachers and school staff care deeply about the school, the children with whom they work, and Jewish education. They understand and embrace the school’s mission, adopting and supporting the principles we value as a school community. Because we believe that students are inspired by adults who appreciate learning and who pursue their own emotional, intellectual, and religious growth, the school encourages and provides ongoing educational opportunities for teachers, parents, and all community members.

Chicago Jewish Day School establishes a safe, supportive environment that fosters the kind of trust and warmth that lets students take risks and rise to challenges. Such an environment allows each student to shine, to strive for personal excellence, and to develop a strong sense of self.

Mission and Vision

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Educational Philosophy Statement At Chicago Jewish Day School we educate children to think clearly and deeply, to gain knowledge and acquire judgment, and to respect diversity. We are committed to developing critical thinking and socially engaged intelligence that enables each individual to understand and participate effectively in the affairs of their community, country, Israel, and the world at large in a collaborative effort to achieve a common good. At Chicago Jewish Day School, we strive for learning to be authentic and meaningful and to inspire a passion for life-long learning. This document defines our vision of excellence in education.

Deep Understanding At Chicago Jewish Day School, we focus our teaching around thinking, stressing knowledge over information. Our inquiry-based curriculum encourages a curious, questioning and critical stance and develops a deepening understanding of important ideas. Facts and skills are important in a context and for a purpose. We challenge students by inviting them to think deeply about the issues that matter, helping them understand ideas from the inside out, and making connections between ideas and concepts. Students can then actively use these insights to apply what they have learned to their daily lives, expand understanding and even take action.

Through school experiences, our students gain creative-thinking and critical-thinking skills and develop a passion for lifelong learning.*

Active and Experiential Learning At Chicago Jewish Day School, curriculum is authentic and meaningful. Students understand that what they learn in school is applicable to the broader outside world.

Learning is integrated between the disciplines to demonstrate to students how ideas span the different content areas. Students play a vital role in formulating the questions, seeking out and creating answers, thinking through possibilities, and evaluating how successful they have been. Students’ own questions are truly valued and integral to the learning process. Learning is a matter of constructing ideas rather than passively absorbing information or practicing skills.

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Grade Two Program of Studies

Student-Centered Learning At Chicago Jewish Day School, we take our cue from the students — and are particularly attentive to student individuality. The question, “What is best for the student?” is at the core of all decisions. Each student is unique. Therefore, policies as well as learning and behavioral expectations are established in a broad manner that allows for individualized decision-making that reflects our respect for the individual student and his/her needs. We celebrate the developmental stages of learning and provide for each student’s unique timetable for unfolding his/her abilities.

Chicago Jewish Day School provides a standard of excellence in both Judaic and General Studies through an integrated, multisensory curriculum that is attentive to students’ individual needs.*

Intrinsic Motivation At Chicago Jewish Day School, we offer our students more choices — and more responsibilities. Our educational policies and practices are driven by the central question, “What is the effect on students’ interest in learning, their desire to continue reading, thinking, and questioning?” This question helps to determine what students will and won’t be asked to do. Our goal is for each student to leave Chicago Jewish Day School with a passion for learning along with the academic tools they need to be life-long learners.

Social Justice (Tikun Olam) “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am not for others, what am I? And if not now, when?” –rabbi hillel

A sense of community and responsibility for oneself and others isn’t confined to the classroom; indeed, students are helped to explore how they fit into widening circles of care that extend beyond self, beyond friends, beyond their own religious/denominational group, and beyond their own country. Opportunities are offered not only to learn about, but also to put into action, a commitment to diversity and to improving the lives of others.

Chicago Jewish Day School weaves values of Tikun Olam (repairing the world) into every aspect of the school experience.*

Collaboration The greatest cognitive growth occurs through social interactions. At Chicago Jewish Day School children learn with and from one another in a caring community in both social as well as academic learning. Interdependence counts at least as much as independence. We help learners engage with ideas and drive each other’s thinking — to build knowledge, to care and to act.

Educational Philosophy Statement

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Play Children learn through play. They must be active participants in the construction of knowledge and need concrete experiences to shape thoughts and concepts. Teachers provide materials and an enriched environment so that children can be challenged and totally involved in play. The teachers pose questions and elicit answers among the students to expand the experience, thus guiding in the discovery of knowledge and facilitation of play.

Attending to the Whole Child At Chicago Jewish Day School, we believe in educating the whole child — taking into account the social, emotional, academic, spiritual, physical, and creative needs of a student. We are concerned with helping children become good learners and furthermore good people. Our social and academic learning are intertwined and each one enhances the other. At Chicago Jewish Day School, we set the tone and atmosphere for students to learn outside of their comfort zone and take risks as part of the learning process.

Chicago Jewish Day School establishes a safe, supportive environment which fosters the kind of trust and warmth that encourages students to take risks and rise to challenges.* *Excerpt from Chicago Jewish Day School Mission and Vision statement.

Resources http://www.uvm.edu/~dewey/articles/proged.html http://www.alfiekohn.org/teaching/progressive.htm Inquiry Circles, Stephanie Harvey and Harvey Daniels Understanding by Design, Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe

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Grade Two Program of Studies

Developmental Overview Philosophy At Chicago Jewish Day School, we believe in an approach to learning in which all stages of development are celebrated. Each child is a unique individual with his or her own rate and pattern of maturation. The job of a teacher is to accept each student at his or her current stage and to facilitate his or her advancement to the next stage.

Children are natural planners at all stages of development, and they respond well to a daily schedule. Clear boundaries and structure allow them to confidently participate in activities and games.

Description of 7-Year-Olds and 8-Year-Olds The seventh year is a time of self-reflection and quiet introspection. Seven-year-olds often turn inward, as they try to comprehend their ever-evolving worldview. At this time children also form a more comprehensive view of themselves and those around them.

Seven-year-olds are somewhat self-absorbed, enjoying quiet individual activities such as reading, listening to music, or playing with toys. They enjoy working independently or with a close friend, although friendships are likely to change day by day. Seven-year-olds enjoy group play but often struggle with issues of fairness when playing with numerous children at once. Seven-year-olds are very curious and love to invent and discover. They work diligently to succeed in the classroom, often writing and rewriting their work, eager for a perfect product. This quest for perfection can result in very slow progress and 7-year-olds may become frustrated when they don’t have enough time to finish their work. Seven-year-olds can be very self-conscious and are greatly affected by the feedback of others, both positive and negative. They are beginning to develop a concept of fairness although their ethical code remains fairly inflexible. Seven-year-olds are still moderately concrete in their evaluation of social situations but are beginning to develop the ability to think abstractly. They enjoy personal relationships with their teachers and generally have very positive feelings about their families. They are increasingly independent and desire more separation between their home life and school life.

Eight-year-olds are full of energy and imagination, but may have little sense of their own limits. As they gain competence in day to day tasks, they become more confident, but at the same time they struggle with feelings of inferiority when they are not successful.

They love working cooperatively on projects that promote class unity and cohesion.

Their friendship circles widen, but they tend to play and socialize with the same gender.

They enjoy taking responsibility even if they don’t always complete the task. Their increased interest in rules, logic, and how things work make the 8-year-old an industrious and enthusiastic student.

Developmental Overview

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Social and Emotional Development Academic achievement is advanced through an integrated social and academic curriculum.

Research confirms that the time spent on social and emotional learning is earned back in classrooms that run more effectively and efficiently; however, we also know that social skills are not taught just so that children behave better in order to get on with the “real” business of schooling. Rather, social skills are intertwined with cognitive growth and intellectual progress. A person who can listen well and frame a good question, who has the assertiveness to pose questions, and who can examine a situation from a number of perspectives will be a strong learner. All of these skills — essential to academic learning — are modeled daily through our social-skills program, Responsive Classroom. Responsive Classroom is an approach to teaching and learning that fosters safe, challenging, and joyful classrooms and schools.

The Guiding Principles of Responsive Classroom

• The social curriculum is as important as the academic curriculum.

• How children learn is as important as what they learn: process and content go hand in hand.

• The greatest cognitive growth occurs through social interaction.

• There is a set of social skills children need in order to be successful academically and socially: cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy, and self-control (CARES).

• Knowing the children we teach — individually, culturally, and developmentally — is as important as knowing the content we teach.

• Knowing the families of the children we teach and working with them as partners is essential to children’s education.

• How the adults at school work together is as important as individual competence — lasting change begins with the adult community.

The Teaching Practices of Responsive Classroom

• Morning Meeting A daily routine that builds community, creates a positive climate for learning, and reinforces academic and social skills.

• Rules and Logical Consequences A clear and consistent approach to discipline that fosters responsibility and self-control.

• Guided Discovery A format for introducing materials that encourages inquiry, heightens interest, and teaches care of the school environment.

• Academic Choice An approach to giving children choices in their learning that helps them become invested, self-motivated learners.

• Classroom Organization Strategies for arranging materials, furniture, and displays to encourage independence, promote care, and maximize learning.

• Working with Families Ideas for involving families as true partners in their children’s education.

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Grade Two Program of Studies

Curricular Highlights Experiential Learning Experiential learning at Chicago Jewish Day School encourages a sense of ownership, allowing students to construct their own learning and make it come to life. Students have the opportunity to acquire and apply knowledge in a setting that is both appropriate and relevant. The students will interact directly with the area of study, resulting in an authentic and meaningful learning experience. Rather than merely thinking or reading about the topic, the students live and breathe it!

Integration Integration is a central component of Chicago Jewish Day School’s curriculum.

Integrated learning allows children to broadly explore knowledge in various subjects as they relate to a certain theme. At Chicago Jewish Day School, we strive to integrate all of the curricular disciplines, such as the humanities, communication arts, natural sciences, mathematics, social studies, music, art, and physical education. Judaic Studies and Hebrew are integrated throughout all of these disciplines in meaningful and authentic ways. This holistic approach to learning reflects the real world, which is interactive, and promotes lifelong learning.

Grade Two Theme and Highlights Respect/Honor • Kavod

The theme of Grade Two is Kavod (respect/honor). Through the integration of this theme, students learn what it means to be a part of a respectful community and to move through the world as kind and caring individuals. They apply this Jewish value to their everyday lives as they practice showing honor to their environment, their community, and their culture. Through studies of various countries, students acquire an appreciation for diverse communities throughout the world. They learn to value and cherish the individuality in us all.

Classroom Highlights

Through the experiential learning at Chicago Jewish Day School, students are provided with hands-on learning experiences and opportunities that enrich their learning and build upon the classroom theme. Students in Grade Two may be seen setting sail on the Mayflower, taking on the identity of a real individual who made the journey to the New World. A Grade Two student might also be found cooperatively preparing a Chinese dragon and performing with it in a Chinese New Year parade as they study this country and culture. As students read literature by a featured author, they will learn to recognize the different acts of Kavod performed by the characters, as well as identifying

Curricular Highlights

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the literary elements of the story. A visitor in a Grade Two classroom might have the opportunity to sample the sights, smells, and tastes of a variety of countries at a multicultural fair or read a classic story adapted and retold in another way by different countries and cultures. In science, the diversity of the butterfly world may be explored as students watch them move through the many stages of their life cycle.

The City as Our Classroom We are devoted to the idea of exploring our environment and acquainting ourselves with the sights, smells, and culture of our surrounding community. Throughout the year, we will take walks around the neighborhood; visit local museums, synagogues, libraries, and the lakefront; and attend plays and symphonies. We look forward to learning from our community and inviting people who live and work around us into our classroom. We feel that their presence and knowledge enhances our learning. We believe that there is tremendous value in connecting to the larger community and encourage our students to take care of each other and the world.

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Grade Two Program of Studies

Academic Curriculum Chicago Jewish Day School provides a standard of excellence in both Judaic and General Studies through an integrated, experiential curriculum that is attentive to students’ individual needs. We align our learning expectations with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Through school experiences, our students gain creative-thinking and critical thinking skills and develop a passion for lifelong learning. In the following pages, you will learn in detail about Chicago Jewish Day School’s curriculum in language arts, Hebrew and Judaic Studies, mathematics, social sciences, science, fine arts, physical education, health, and technology.

Language Arts In our study of language arts at Chicago Jewish Day School, we strive to encourage a love of language and consistent exposure to the written word. Language experiences are woven into the fabric of our daily curriculum. Our language arts program is designed to produce readers who read for pleasure, information, and knowledge, and writers who write to communicate meaning.

Through the study of the language arts, students will learn to read fluently and understand a broad range of written materials. They must be able to communicate well and listen carefully and effectively. They should develop a command of the language and demonstrate their knowledge through speaking and writing for a variety of audiences and purposes. In addition, students must be able to study, retain, and use information from many sources.

Teachers strive to create literate classrooms in which students are offered abundant opportunities to speak, listen, read, and write. Phonemic awareness, phonetics, shared reading, and journaling are stressed in the Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten classrooms. Beginning in Grade One, students learn in a reading and writing workshop model that teaches new literacy skills daily and gives children the freedom to work at their own pace and learning level.

Language Arts Components

• Reading Workshop and Writing Workshop Our Reading and Writing Workshops are individualized according to the developmental needs of each child. In Reading and Writing Workshops, students are given regular time to practice reading and writing with self-chosen texts and self-selected writing topics, allowing them to take responsibility and plan for their own work. In Reading Workshop, the teacher models a whole-group strategy lesson and then gives students large blocks of time to read and to practice the strategy in small groups, pairs, or independently. Writing Workshop takes on a similar format, beginning with the teacher modeling a writing strategy for the whole class. Students then work independently on their ongoing writing projects and confer with classmates and teachers. The session ends with a sharing time, in which students read aloud their writing-in-progress and “published”

Academic Curriculum

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writing. Throughout the workshops, teachers are conferencing with each student and assessing their individual needs.

• Shared Writing In shared writing, the teacher and students brainstorm ideas and thoughts together, and the teacher acts as a scribe, writing the text as it is composed.

Shared writing allows students to actively participate in the thought process involved in writing and not focus on the physical aspect of writing. Shared writing is also an effective method of teaching key concepts and skills needed in the writing process.

• Journaling Journaling can take many forms depending on the developmental level of the student. From dictating their thoughts and ideas to a teacher to independently writing about their daily lives and feelings, students express themselves to their teachers and classmates in journals. Journals can also be used to tell stories and write scientific observations, literature responses, and mathematical explanations.

• D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything and Read) D.E.A.R. provides students with time to read self-chosen texts. It promotes enjoyment of reading and allows children to see that reading for fun and pleasure is a valuable experience.

• Buddy Reading Buddy reading is a time for students to read in multiage groups.

Students of different grade levels read to each other, practicing reading with fluency and expression, as well as developing listening and comprehension skills.

This time also promotes relationships across the grade levels.

• Shared Reading/Read Aloud This is a time for students and teachers to come together to read a common text. The teacher models appropriate reading skills, such as expression and fluency. This is an opportunity for teachers and students to read together, as well as share their thoughts and ideas.

• Speaking and Listening The development and use of communication and language is at the heart of children’s learning. Our students develop speaking and listening skills across the curriculum through daily sharing, Morning Meeting, book talks, oral presentations, question and answer sessions, and small and large discussion groups.

Portrait of a Literate Individual Based on the Common Core State Standards As students advance from Kindergarten through Grade Eight and master the standards in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language, they are able to exhibit with increasing fullness and regularity these capacities of the literate individual.

They demonstrate independence.

Students can, without significant scaffolding, comprehend and evaluate complex texts across a range of types and disciplines, and they can construct effective arguments and convey intricate or multifaceted information. Likewise, students are able independently to discern a speaker’s key points, request clarification, and ask relevant questions. They build on others’ ideas, articulate their own ideas, and confirm they have been understood.

Without prompting, they demonstrate command of standard English and acquire and use a wide-ranging vocabulary. More broadly, they become self-directed learners, effectively seeking out and using resources to assist them, including teachers, peers, and print and digital reference materials.

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Grade Two Program of Studies

They build strong content knowledge.

Students establish a base of knowledge across a wide range of subject matter by engaging with works of quality and substance. They become proficient in new areas through research and study. They read purposefully and listen attentively to gain both general knowledge and discipline-specific expertise. They refine and share their knowledge through writing and speaking.

They respond to the varying demands of audience, task, purpose, and discipline.

Students adapt their communication in relation to audience, task, purpose, and discipline.

They set and adjust purpose for reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language use as warranted by the task. They appreciate nuances, such as how the composition of an audience should affect tone when speaking and how the connotations of words affect meaning. They also know that different disciplines call for different types of evidence (e.g., documentary evidence in history, experimental evidence in science).

They comprehend as well as critique.

Students are engaged and open-minded — but discerning — readers and listeners.

They work diligently to understand precisely what an author or speaker is saying, but they also question an author’s or speaker’s assumptions and premises and assess the veracity of claims and the soundness of reasoning.

They value evidence.

Students cite specific evidence when offering an oral or written interpretation of a text. They use relevant evidence when supporting their own points in writing and speaking, making their reasoning clear to the reader or listener, and they constructively evaluate others’ use of evidence.

They use technology and digital media strategically and capably.

Students employ technology thoughtfully to enhance their reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language use. They tailor their searches online to acquire useful information efficiently, and they integrate what they learn using technology with what they learn offline. They are familiar with the strengths and limitations of various technological tools and mediums and can select and use those best suited to their communication goals.

They come to understand other perspectives and cultures.

Students appreciate that the twenty-first-century classroom and workplace are settings in which people from often widely divergent cultures and who represent diverse experiences and perspectives must learn and work together. Students actively seek to understand other perspectives and cultures through reading and listening, and they are able to communicate effectively with people of varied backgrounds. They evaluate other points of view critically and constructively. Through reading great classic and contemporary works of literature representative of a variety of periods, cultures, and worldviews, students can vicariously inhabit worlds and have experiences much different than their own.

Academic Curriculum

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Reading Literature Key Knowledge

Literary forms and features • A story is a narrative, either real or imaginary, designed to interest, amuse or instruct the hearer or reader. Stories can be told through prose, poetry, or drama.

• Differences between prose and poetry (e.g., structure, form).

• Poetic/literary devices as applied to stories in prose/poetry: regular beats, alliteration, rhymes, repeated lines.

• A folktale is a story passed down orally from one generation to another by the people of a country or region.

• A fable is similar to a folktale, but the characters are animals, and there is a moral or lesson.

Story elements • Characters are people, things, or animals that play a part in a story. Characters often face trouble or have problems to solve. Characters can be described in terms of how they look, think, feel and act.

• The setting is where and when a story takes place.

• The plot is the actions or events that make up a story/narrative and how they relate to one another.

• The conflict in a story is the problem, challenge, trouble faced by the main character(s) in the story. The solution or resolution in a story is how the conflict ends or is resolved.

• An event is something that happened in a story. A major event in a story is an event that has a strong relationship to the problem. The events in a story happen in a sequence (an order). The sequence of events is the order in which things happen in a story.

• Stories are told from a point of view. Characters in a story also each have a point of view on the events in the story that is revealed through their words and actions (and in illustrated stories through pictures).

• The central message of a story is the main point, big idea, or lesson that the author wants the reader to take away from the story.

• A moral is a kind of lesson learned from a story that gives advice about a “right” or “wrong” way to act. A moral is usually associated with folktales and fables.

Text elements • Dialogue is conversation between two or more people/characters in a story. In a (prose) narrative, dialogue is shown through quotations marks.

• Illustrations provide a visual representation of the text/story.

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Grade Two Program of Studies

Skill-based terms • The difference between recounting and retelling: – Recounting is telling the story again orally or in writing using a clearlysequenced ordering of narrative events. Recounting does not include the “teller’s” reactions, opinions, or interpretation.

– Retelling is telling a story again in a new way including the key details and staying true to the central message of the story.

• The key details are the most important details about some element of the story (e.g., a character, setting, problem, lesson).

Essential Skills (Standards)

As applied to grade-level complex text...

1. Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.

2. Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their central message, lesson, or moral.

3. Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.

4. Describe how words and phrases (e.g., regular beats, alliteration, rhymes, repeated lines) supply rhythm and meaning in a story, poem, or song.

5. Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action.

6. Acknowledge differences in the points of view of characters, including by speaking in a different voice for each character when reading dialogue aloud.

7. Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.

8. Compare and contrast two or more versions of the same story (e.g., Cinderella stories) by different authors or from different cultures.

Reading Informational Text Key Knowledge

Text types, features, and structures • An informational text gives true/accurate information (facts) and/or expresses opinions about a topic. Informational text answers, explains, or describes.

• Informational text often includes images or illustrations that help explain or clarify what is in the text. Diagrams are one example.

• The topic is the main focus, thought, or subject of a text. Topics of informational texts can include people, events, processes (how-to), or places related to science, history, technology, the arts, etc.

• Text features in informational text make the text easier to read and information easier to find. Examples of these text features include headings, sub-headings, bold print, tables of contents, glossaries, indexes, electronic menus, icons, captions, and labels.

Academic Curriculum

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Terms related to opinion texts • An opinion is what someone thinks, prefers, or believes about something (e.g., a topic, a book). A fact is something that can be proven as true.

• A point is an important idea related to a topic that an author wants the reader to remember, agree with, or take away.

• A reason is an explanation for why an author thinks something is important or has a particular opinion (i.e., why he/she thinks a certain way). Reasons help the author support his/her points.

Skill-based terms • Readers can ask questions about informational text in terms of who, what, where, when, why, and how.

• The key details are the most important pieces of information in a text.

• Retelling is telling about a topic [of an informational] in your own words, including the key details.

• Comparing and contrasting involves finding what is the same and what is different. (Note: Comparing and contrasting usually has a focus and a purpose. For example, comparing/contrasting two informational texts on the same topic in order to see how they treat a topic.)

Essential Skills (Standards)

As applied to a range of grade-level complex informational text...

1. Ask and answer questions such as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.

2. Identify the main topic and retell key details of a multi-paragraph text, as well as the focus of specific paragraphs within the text.

3. Describe the connection between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text.

4. Determine the meaning of unknown words and phrases in a text relevant to a Grade Two topic or subject area.

5. Identify the main purpose of a text, including what the author wants to answer, explain, or describe.

6. K now and use various text features (e.g., captions, bold print, subheadings, glossaries, indexes) to locate facts or information efficiently.

7. Identify the main purpose of a text, including what the author wants to answer, explain, or describe.

8. Explain how specific images (e.g., a diagram showing how a machine works) contribute to and clarify a text.

9. Describe how reasons support the points an author makes in a text.

10. Compare and contrast two texts on the same topic (e.g., in illustrations, descriptions, or procedures).

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Grade Two Program of Studies

Reading Foundational Skills Key Knowledge

Word Attributes/Parts and Analysis • Letters and letter combinations make sounds. Some letters and letter combinations can make more than one sound. Different letter combinations can make the same sound.

• Words are made up of specific sequences of letters and separated by spaces in print that help tell the words in a sentence apart.

• All words can be “broken up” into one or more syllables. A syllable is a word part that contains a single vowel sound.

• Words rhyme when they have the same or similar ending sounds.

• Sentences bring words together to express complete thoughts. A sentence begins with a word that is capitalized and ends with a punctuation mark. Multiple sentences convey thoughts, ideas, and information.

• Words can be categorized/organized according to patterns they follow (in how they’re spelled, how they sound). Some words follow patterns that are easier to “see” or hear than other words. Not all kinds of patterns are common, and not all words reflect common patterns.

• There are different ways of thinking about the “parts” of words and where they “come from.”

– An inflectional ending/suffix is a group of letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning (e.g., -s, -es, -ed, -ing).

– An affix is a group of letters added to the beginning or ending of a word that changes the meaning of the word (e.g., prefixes, suffixes, bases, and roots).

Many affixes for English words come from Latin. Some affixes are more common than others.

– Base refers a word that stand “on its own” and to which an affix can be added to change the meaning (e.g., pretest and testing).

– A prefix is an affix added to the beginning of a word that changes the meaning of the word (e.g., pretest).

– A suffix is an affix added to the end of a word that changes the meaning of the word the (e.g., vision - the suffix /-ion/ meaning the act of ).

– A root (word) is a word part that has meaning but cannot stand alone (e.g., vision - /vis/ is the root word - meaning to see). It’s what’s left of a word without any affixes. The root(s) of a word help explain what language(s) the word comes from.

Skill-based terms • Fluency is the ability to read something “smoothly” and easily. Fluency comprises accuracy (decoding words correctly), rate (decoding words an appropriate speed/ flow), and expression (reading and interpreting the words as they are intended to be read).

• Adding, substituting or taking away letters in a word can make new words.

Often, the “old” word and the “new” word rhyme.

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• Sight words are words that readers can memorize and read “whole”— without sounding them out. (They know the words by sight!) Sight words are usually shorter words that show up a lot in reading (they’re high-frequency). Memorizing sight words can make reading “faster.”

• The sounds in a word can be blended or separated/segmented to “make” or “read” the word.

• Chunking is a strategy for decoding longer or unfamiliar multi-syllable words that don’t follow simple patterns.

• Readers read words in a context. Context can refer to the words around a word, the kind of text in which the word appears, and what’s happening in the text when and where the word appears. Readers can use and think about context by re-reading one or more sentences (as well as pictures).

Essential Skills (Standards)

1. Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

• Distinguish long and short vowels when reading regularly spelled onesyllable words.

• Know spelling-sound correspondences for additional common vowel teams.

• Decode regularly spelled two-syllable words with long vowels.

• Decode words with common prefixes and suffixes.

• Identify words with inconsistent but common spelling-sound correspondences.

• Recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words.

2. Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

• Read on-level text with purpose and understanding.

• Read on-level text (on-level prose and poetry, Grade Two) orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.

• Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.

Research to Build and Present Knowledge Key Knowledge

• A research topic is the subject of the research.

• A research question provides focus and direction for a research topic. Research questions can begin with who, what, where, when , why or how.

• A source is a person, place, or thing that can provide information that helps answer research questions.

• Sources that are print-based, web-based, or electronic can provide information through text, illustrations/images, other or media/text features. Researchers can also gather information through interviews, experiments, and observations.

• Researchers can use sources to check whether information is true/factual.

Factual information can usually be found in multiple sources.

• Text features in some sources can help researchers find information AND themselves provide information. Examples include headings, sub-headings, bold print, tables of contents, glossaries, indexes, electronic menus, icons, captions, and labels.

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Grade Two Program of Studies

• Researchers can use technology to find or gather information from a source during the research process. Technology can sometimes make research process “faster” or “easier” than it might have been otherwise.

• Quoting a source is using the exact words/text of a source. Researchers show that they are quoting by using quotation marks. Researchers have to decide when to use their own words and when to quote from a source.

• Researchers call the “answers” to their research questions their findings.

• Formats for sharing/reporting research findings include written reports and oral reports. (Reports can take different forms!)

Essential Skills (Standards)

1. Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., read a number of books on a single topic to produce a report; record science observations).

2. State (or re-state) a research question.

3. Recall information from experiences (including observations) to answer a research question.

4. Gather information from multiple and different kinds of provided sources to answer a research question.

5. Share information recalled or gathered through research via speaking, graphics/ pictures, and/or writing, as appropriate.

6. Present research findings through a given format.

Informative/Explanatory Writing Key Knowledge

Info/Explanatory Writing Types, Forms, and Formats • Info/explanatory writing provides informative explanations of the way something is or was, or how and why something works or happens.

• Formats/models for informative/explanatory writing include short research reports, labeled depictions with explanations, how-to’s/directions, observation journals, and Q&As. Info/Explanatory Sources • A source is a person, place, or thing that can provide information. Writers can use one or more sources to check information/facts.

• There are many types of sources, including interviews, observations, experiments, reference materials, technology/media, and print media. (For more Key Knowledge related to sources, see Reading Informational Text scope and Research scope.)

Info/Explanatory Elements • A topic is person, place, thing, idea, event, or process that the writer is writing about.

• A point is an important idea related to a topic that a writers wants the reader to learn, remember, agree with, or take away.

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• A fact is something that can be proven as true (e.g., Pugs have short hair.). An opinion is what someone thinks, prefers, or believes about something (e.g., a topic). (e.g., Pugs are the best dogs to have.)

• A definition is an explanation of what a word, idea, or thing means.

• Info/explanatory writing introduces the topic at the beginning of the piece so that the reader knows what the piece is about and what he/she might learn from it.

• Info/explanatory writing ends with concluding statement or section that brings the text/piece to a close by connecting back to the topic.

Essential Skills (Standards)

1. Draw from a variety of sources for information/explanations to write informative/explanatory texts.

2. Select and focus a topic to give information about or explain. (Topic: whales Focus: habitat) 3. Use facts/information and definitions to develop points in informative/ explanatory texts.

4. Begin an informative/explanatory piece by introducing the topic.

5. End an informative/explanatory piece with a concluding statement or section.

Opinion Writing Key Knowledge

Writing types, formats, and organization • An opinion is what someone thinks, prefers, or believes about something (e.g., a topic, a book).

• One organizational pattern for an opinion piece is introduce the opinion, give reasons for opinion that are supported by details, conclude the opinion.

Elements • A reason is an explanation for why someone thinks something. Reasons should be supported with details (e.g., examples, facts). Some reasons are more important than others. Not all possible reasons can or should be included in an opinion.

• An introduction/hook includes the writer’s opinion.

• Linking words connect ideas, opinions, and reasons. Examples include because, and, also, first, second, last • A conclusion/concluding statement or section makes a connection to the overall opinion. (Note: It should move beyond “the end” or “that’s what I think about that.”)

Essential Skills (Standards)

In their opinion writing, students…

1. Distinguish fact from opinion.

2. Develop two or more distinct reasons to support an opinion.

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Grade Two Program of Studies

3. Support reasons for an opinion with details (facts, examples).

4. Distinguish between important and unimportant reasons (relevant/irrelevant).

5. Use resources to gather evidence which support the opinion (including teacherselected materials).

6. Group reasons and support them in logical way.

7. Use linking words to connect opinions and reasons (e.g., because, and, also).

8. Use/select an appropriate writing format.

9. Explicitly introduce the topic of an opinion piece (i.e., with a sentence).

10. Conclude the piece in a sentence or section by making a reference to the overall opinion.

Narrative Writing Key Knowledge

Narrative (as a writing type) and format • A narrative recounts a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events; can be real or imagined; and includes reactions.

• Narrative writing forms include multi-page stories, poems, journal entries, autobiographies, and poems.

• Recounting is telling a story in writing using a clearly-sequenced ordering of narrative events. Recounting does not include the “teller’s” commentary, opinions, or interpretation. (If the teller is conveying a first-person narrative, appropriate reactions can be included. A retelling is telling a story again in a new way including the key details and staying true to the central message of the story.

[For example, telling one’s own version of the Tortoise and the Hare.])

Narrative elements • The events in a narrative can be told in sequence from beginning to end.

• Writers of narratives use details to describe how things looked, sounded, smelled, felt, or tasted.

• A reaction is a response to something that happened in a narrative (why an event is important, how it made someone feel or act).

• Closure is how a writer “wraps-up” or finishes a narrative.

Narrative language • Writers of narratives use sensory details to describe how things looked, sounded, smelled, felt, or tasted.

• Writers of narratives elaborate (or provide elaboration) when they develop and provide relevant details about events, people, and reactions in a narrative.

• Narratives use temporal words like first, next, then, after that, last, finally to signal event order. Examples other time/order words and phrases can refer to specific days, segments, or periods of time (e.g., Saturday, next week, one time, when I was a baby).

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• A story is a narrative, either real or imaginary, designed to interest, amuse or instruct the hearer or reader. Stories can be told through prose, poetry, or drama.

• Characters are people, things, or animals that play a part in a story. Characters often face trouble or have problems to solve. Characters can be described in terms of how they look, think, feel and act.

• The setting is where and when a story takes place.

• The plot is the actions or events that make up a story/narrative and how they relate to one another.

• The conflict in a story is the challenge or trouble faced by the main character(s) in the story. The solution or resolution in a story is how the conflict ends or is resolved.

• An event is something that happened in a story. A major event in a story is an event that has a strong relationship to the problem. The events in a story happen in a sequence (an order). The sequence of events is the order in which things happen in a story.

• Stories are told from a point of view or perspective. Characters in a story also each have a point of view that is revealed through their words and actions (and, in illustrated stories, through pictures).

• The central message of a story is the main point, big idea, or lesson that the author wants the reader to take away from the story.

• A moral is a kind of lesson learned from a story that gives advice about a “right” or “wrong” way to act. A moral is usually associated with folktales and fables.

Essential Skills (Standards)

1. Select a narrative form.

2. Focus a narrative on a well-elaborated single event or short sequence of events.

3. Use details to describe and elaborate on events, actions, thoughts and feelings in a narrative.

4. Organize a narrative with a beginning, middle and end.

5. Recount events in a narrative in a logical sequence (e.g., chronologically).

6. Use temporal words to signal event order in a narrative and to transition from one event to another.

7. Include reaction(s) to events/people in the telling of narratives.

8. Provide a sense of closure in a narrative.

Production and Distribution of Writing Key Knowledge

Key Elements of Writing and their Attributes • A topic is a person, place, thing, event, problem, or idea that the writer focuses on.

• Details are carefully chosen, well-organized pieces of information that can help make a piece of writing more precise, vivid, convincing, or interesting.

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Grade Two Program of Studies

Production and Distribution • The writing process involves multiple stages/steps.

– Prewriting happens when a writer is coming up with ideas for writing, often in response to a prompt or task. During prewriting, the writer might engage in drawing, planning, brainstorming, researching, outlining, and/or storyboarding.

– Drafting is the writer organizing and developing ideas into pictures (Kindergarten), words, sentences, paragraphs.

– Conferencing/Conferring occurs when a writers meets with a peer or a mentor about a written draft receive and respond to questions and suggestions for improvement.

– Revising is the process of rereading a draft(s) and making changes to improve its content (focus, organization, word choice, sentence structure, etc.).

– Editing is the process of rereading a draft(s) and making changes to improve correct errors in conventions (capitalization, punctuation, spelling, etc.).

– Publishing happens when a piece of writing has gone through all the steps in the writing process and is ready to share with an audience.

• A piece of writing is finished when it has gone through the writing process and is ready to be shared (distributed). Writers work alone and with others to decide when their writing is “finished.”

The Role of Technology (in Production and Distribution) • Writers can use a variety of digital tools (e.g., online or platform- or programbased) in the production and distribution of writing. Specifically, writers can use such tools to research, draft, collaborate, revise/edit, and publish/distribute.

Essential Skills (Standards)

With guidance and support...

1. Students will take a topic/idea through the writing process to create a “published” piece.

2. Focus on a topic in writing.

3. Respond to questions and suggestions from peers and/or adults about a piece of writing.

4. Add details to strengthen writing as needed.

5. Strengthen writing as needed by revising and editing (supported by adults and peers). (Grade Two) 6. Explore and use variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.

Language: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use Key Knowledge

Defining Words and Phrases • Words (and phrases) are used in a context — in texts, in conversations, in writing). Specific to reading, context can refer to the words around a word, the kind of text in which the word appears, and what “happens” in a text before and

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after the word is used. Readers can use and think about context by re-reading one or more sentences (as well as pictures).

• A prefix is an affix added to the beginning of a word that changes the meaning of the word (e.g., happy/unhappy, tell/retell). (An affix is a group of letters added to the beginning or ending of a word that changes the meaning of the word [e.g., prefixes, suffixes, bases, and roots]).

• A compound word is a word that is composed of two other individual words (e.g., birdhouse, lighthouse, housefly; bookshelf, notebook, bookmark). Knowing the meaning of one or both words in a compound word can help someone figure out the meaning of the whole word.

• A word’s root can provide clues about its meaning.

• A phrase is a small group of words that are “strung together” for a specific meaning. Some phrases are common expressions that many people use to convey a certain feeling or idea (e.g., “Easy does it!” “Fingers crossed!”).

• Some print-based and digital texts or parts of texts provide lists of words and their definitions that readers/writers/speakers can use to learn about a word.

These include glossaries and dictionaries.

Word Relationships and Nuances • Many action words (verbs) and describing words (adjectives) have opposites.

The opposite of a word can be used to define that word.

• Words that have very similar meanings represent different shades of meaning. For example, the verbs toss, throw, and hurl, and the adjectives thin, slender, skinny, and scrawny differ in manner or intensity (i.e., the pictures or actions they call to mind).

• All words suggest or carry tone. Tone refers to “attitude” or “sound” of a word.

Tone is the feeling or impression the word gives that helps shape its meanings and how it is interpreted.

• Words that are nouns (e.g., person, place, thing) can be described by adjectives.

(The sleepy lion cub fell asleep.). Words that are verbs (e.g., actions — what the nouns “do”) can be described by adverbs (The ballerina danced beautifully.)

Essential Skills (Standards)

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on Grade Two reading and content, choosing flexibly from an array of strategies. a. Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. b. Determine the meaning of the new word formed when a known prefix is added to a known word (e.g., happy/unhappy, tell/retell). c. Use a known root word as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word with the same root (e.g., addition, additional). d. Use knowledge of the meaning of individual words to predict the meaning of compound words (e.g., birdhouse, lighthouse, housefly; bookshelf, notebook, bookmark). e. Use glossaries and beginning dictionaries, both print and digital, to determine or clarify the meaning of words and phrases.

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Grade Two Program of Studies

Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings. a. Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., describe foods that are spicy or juicy). b. Distinguish shades of meaning among closely related verbs (e.g., toss, throw, hurl) and closely related adjectives (e.g., thin, slender, skinny, scrawny).

Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts, including using adjectives and adverbs to describe (e.g., When other kids are happy, that makes me happy).

Language: Conventions of Standard English Key Knowledge

Standard English is guided by Conventions of/in: • Grammar — the rules that govern how words, clauses and phrases are put together • Capitalization — which or what kinds of words begin with a capital letter • Punctuation — the symbols within, between, before, and after words that structure and organize language so that it can be written/spoken as intended • Spelling — writing words using the correct or widely-accepted sequence of letters Conventions are determined or altered by the writer’s or speaker’s: • Purpose/Choice • Context • Tone • Style In order to gain: • Effect • Clarity • Consistency • Precision • Conciseness • Efficiency Essential Skills (Standards)

1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

• Use collective nouns (e.g., group).

• Form and use frequently occurring irregular plural nouns (e.g., feet, children, teeth, mice, fish).

• Use reflexive pronouns (e.g., myself, ourselves).

• Form and use the past tense of frequently occurring irregular verbs (e.g., sat, hid, told).

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• Use adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them depending on what is to be modified.

• Produce, expand, and rearrange complete simple and compound sentences (e.g., The boy watched the movie; The little boy watched the movie; The action movie was watched by the little boy).

2. Demonstrates command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation and spelling when writing.

• Capitalize holidays, product names, and geographic names.

• Use commas in greetings and closings of letters.

• Use commas in dates and to separate single words in a series.

• Use an apostrophe to form contractions and frequently occurring possessives.

• Generalize learned spelling patterns when writing words (e.g., cage » badge; boy » boil).

• Consult reference materials, including beginning dictionaries, as needed to check and correct spellings.

Knowledge of Language • Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

• Compare formal and informal uses of English.

Speaking and Listening Key Knowledge

• A conversation is a spoken exchange of feelings, opinions, and thoughts between two or more people. (Teacher note: Conversation literally means “living/being together.”)

Conversations usually happen around a topic or text and for a particular purpose or reasons.

• A discussion is the process of talking or having a conversation. Discussions can be small-group or large-group, and planned or unplanned (spontaneous).

• To participate in a conversation/discussion is to engage in it through listening and/or speaking.

• People in a conversation agree to follow rules for discussion. For example: – Listen to others carefully.

– Speak one at a time.

– Stay on topic with all comments and questions. (Remember what the discussion is about!)

– Link your comments to other people’s comments (e.g., I agree with what Jenny said about Templeton because…).

– “Gain the floor” respectfully (e.g., raising hands, using first names, addressing the leader and participants politely).

– Directly question the text or topic and what others’ say about it (e.g., I didn’t understand what Charlotte meant when she told Wilbur…, When we’re talking about ‘the government,” do we mean the U.S. government, or just our state?”).

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Grade Two Program of Studies

• A speaker participating in a discussion or presenting information should use complete sentences when it makes sense with when, where, why, and to whom the speaker is talking. (A complete sentence connects a subject with subject and a verb, explicitly or implicitly). It is usually especially important for a speaker to use complete sentences when responding to questions or requests for more detail or clarification. Complete sentences help ensure complete thoughts.

• Questions in a conversation (or in response to text or information presented orally) can begin with who, what, where, when, why, how, or is/are. Questions, comments, and details that are relevant in a conversation or presentation are those that are closely connected to or focused on the topic being discussed or shared. Participants, audience members, and presenters can use questions to: – confirm or clarify understanding (of information, of what someone has said) – gather additional information – deepen understanding of a topic or issue.

• Information, stories, and texts that people “hear” can be presented orally or through other media.

• Bringing a conversation to a close is a way of making sure that people in the conversation feel like it’s finished (at least for the time being!).

• To present is to formally share ideas, information, and work orally with an audience, often at particular time that the person presenting knows about ahead of time. A presentation can use pictures/drawings or other visuals, as appropriate, to help the presenter explain and the audience understand. (Teacher’s note: Presentation in Grade Two will often involve informal and/or group presentations and sharing through conversations/discussions, rather than formal presentations and highlystructured complex discussion.)

Essential Skills (Standards)

Discussing and Collaborating Around Topics and Texts 1. Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about Grade Two topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

• Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).

• Build on others’ talk in conversations by linking their comments to the remarks of others.

• Ask for clarification and further explanation as needed about the topics and texts under discussion.

Comprehending (spoken information, a speaker’s words/message) 2. Recount or describe key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.

3. Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to clarify comprehension, gather additional information, or deepen understanding of a topic or issue.

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Presenting Knowledge and Ideas 4. Tell a story or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking audibly in coherent sentences.

5. Create audio recordings of stories or poems.

6. Add drawings or other visual displays to stories or recounts of experiences when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

7. Produce complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification.

Hebrew and Judaic Studies Students at Chicago Jewish Day School develop a love for Judaism, its culture, language, and traditions. They explore and experience Judaic Studies through activities including art, music, drama, and stories. In addition, they make connections to Jewish values as they study the weekly Parasha (Torah portion). Through their study of Hebrew, our students are able to read and understand both modern and ancient texts. Teachers guide students toward developing a deep bond with Israel as they examine its history and current culture. Our general and Judaic curricula are interwoven, ensuring that our students feel a connection to their heritage in everything they do.

Grade Two Hebrew and Judaic Studies Learning Standards

In Grade Two, students continue to develop their Hebrew language skills as they learn to write in Hebrew script and begin to focus on Hebrew grammar. They are introduced to using the Shorahsim (roots of words) as well as the past and present tenses. Students improve their conversational skills and work on their comprehension, reading, and writing skills as well. In Grade Two, the students expand their study of Shabbat through the calendar. They learn additional Tefillot (prayers) and Zmirot (Shabbat songs). In their study of the Jewish holidays, students begin to use the Torah and Midrash (Rabbinic interpretation) as sources for learning about how to observe the holidays. Students begin a three-year study of the book of Breishit (Genesis) and begin to interpret the words of the Torah. As students study Gematria (numerology) and study Torah, they begin to develop critical thinking skills. Students study the biblical and modern history of Israel and learn about the connections between the patriarchs and the land of Israel. Grade Two students expand their repertoire of Tefillot and use their Siddurim (prayer book) in daily Tefillah. Through study of other cultures and Pitgamim (Rabbinic sayings), students develop an understanding of how to demonstrate Kavod (respect/honor) in their school and community.

Students will understand Shabbat.

Students will be able to: • make preparations for Shabbat • demonstrate knowledge of the steps of Shabbat from candle lighting until Havdallah • understand what it means to observe and remember Shabbat • demonstrate knowledge of Shabbat in the Beit Knesset • demonstrate knowledge of Kabbalat Shabbat, Tefillat Aravit, Shacharit for Shabbat, Tefillat Mincha, Tefillat Aravit for Shabbat and Havdallah

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Grade Two Program of Studies

• describe reading of the Torah and Tefillat Musaf • demonstrate knowledge of Shabbat in the home including the three Seudot (meals) • demonstrate knowledge and understanding of Zmirot for Shabbat • differentiate between holy days and weekdays in relation to Havdallah Students will understand Jewish holidays.

Students will be able to: • understand the Mitzvot associated with the holidays and how to perform them • understand the customs associated with the holidays and the meaning behind them • make connections between the holidays and primary sources (Torah) • make connections between the months of the year and the holidays • begin to differentiate between Midrash and Halacha • understand selected Midrashim that correspond to the holidays and their symbols • recite Brachot and songs associated with the holidays • differentiate between holy days and weekdays in relation to Havdallah Students will understand the importance of Torah.

Students will be able to: • study the beginning of the book of Breishit • demonstrate knowledge of the concepts of Perek and Pasook • read the text of Parashat HaShavuah • discuss the content of Parashat HaShavuah • begin to understand Gematriah (numerology) • begin to use critical thinking and analytical skills when reading the Torah Students will understand the importance of Israel to the Jewish people.

Students will be able to: • begin to understand an historical timeline of the land of Israel, from the Exodus from Egypt until the establishment of the State of Israel, highlighting important events in between • identify important sites in Israel • sing Israeli music and songs about Israel • recite Tefillot for peace for the land of Israel and its soldiers Students will understand and use Tefillot (prayers).

Students will be able to: • understand the concept of Kavanah (intent) for Tefillah • navigate a Siddur • find prayers in the Siddur by page number • recite Birkot Ha Nehenim (Blessings of Appreciation) • participate in or lead Birkot Ha Shachar (Morning Blessings) • begin to recite Birkot Ha Hoda’ah (Blessings of Thanksgiving) • recite Tefillat Haderech (the Traveler’s Prayer)

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Students will understand and use the Hebrew language.

Students will be able to: • write in Hebrew script • read Hebrew language • use grammar that defines masculine and feminine plural • begin to use roots of words and conjugate verbs • begin to use present and past tense • describe the daily routine at school • describe the daily routine at home • describe the weather and the clothing we wear • describe what we eat and its connection to health • begin to understand riddles • understand directions • respond to questions and instructions • begin to understand Pitgamim (Rabbinic sayings) • create a portfolio to remember what they have learned Students will understand Jewish values.

Students will be able to: • perform acts of Chesed to members of their community • demonstrate kindness and helpfulness • understand the mitzvah of giving Tzedakah • understand what it means to be part of a community • understand Tikun Olam (repairing the world) in respect to themselves, their friends, family, and the greater community • understand the importance of Kavod (respect/honor) • recite Tefillah Shir Ha Kavod • understand Pitgamim (Rabbinic sayings) related to Kavod • demonstrate Kavod toward other cultures

Mathematics Chicago Jewish Day School’s math program is centered on creating a mathematical environment in which children are encouraged to think, invent, investigate, and make connections. The teachers pose questions and set up challenges and then observe, question, and listen as children get busy building meaning for themselves. Every child will bring something personal and unique to the exploration and will glean something different from the experience. Various problem-solving strategies are accepted and, in fact, encouraged, as they help children gain confidence and take risks. Our goal is to produce mathematically powerful thinkers and problem-solvers who are confident and feel comfortable using mathematics in their daily lives. We celebrate the diversity of thinking and focus on the children’s ideas, their reasons and explanations, rather than solely on answers.

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Grade Two Program of Studies

Mathematical Components

• Real-Life Problem By making connections between their own knowledge and their experiences both in school and outside of school, children learn basic math skills in a meaningful context so that the mathematics become “real.”

• Basic Skills Practice Children practice basic skills in a variety of engaging ways such as written and choral fact drills, mental math routines, practice with fact triangles (flash cards of fact families), daily sets of review problems called math boxes, homework, timed tests, and a wide variety of math games.

• Emphasis on Communication Throughout the math curriculum, students are encouraged to explain and discuss their mathematical thinking in their own words. Opportunities to verbalize their thoughts and strategies give children the chance to clarify their thinking and gain insight from others.

• Revisited Concepts To enhance the development of basic skills and concepts, students regularly revisit previously learned concepts and repeatedly practice skills encountered earlier. Lessons are designed to take advantage of previously learned concepts and skills to build on them throughout the year instead of treating them as isolated bits of knowledge.

At CJDS, our math instruction is tightly aligned to our general education philosophy and our vision of excellence. As with other subject areas, our math curriculum emphasizes deep understanding, active and experiential learning, student-centered learning, intrinsic motivation, and collaboration. We strive to create math students who can think critically about the concepts studied, communicate their reasoning and knowledge, take risks and demonstrate flexibility in their thinking, and solve a variety of problems or challenges effectively. We value cultivating both a depth of understanding as well as a breadth of knowledge of mathematical content.

The Common Core State Standards include two groups of standards — Standards for Mathematical Content and Standards for Mathematical Practice: • The Mathematical Content Standards — define the mathematical content to be mastered at each grade • The Mathematical Practice Standards — define the processes and habits of mind students need to develop as they learn the content for their grade level The dispositions and habits of mind we strive to cultivate in our students are aligned with the Common Core Standards of Mathematical Practice, which describe proficient math students as those that can: • Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

• Reason abstractly and quantitatively.

• Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.

• Model with mathematics.

• Use appropriate tools strategically.

• Attend to precision.

• Look for and make use of structure.

• Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

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At CJDS, math students are called to develop these proficiencies daily. The emphasis here is on “doing math.” During math class, students are asked to investigate a variety of mathematical problem situations; they are required to think, plan, reason, compute, and evaluate their approaches and solutions. Teachers act as skillful guides in this process — carefully selecting rich mathematical tasks, facilitating reflective conversations to summarize learning and draw conclusions, and providing supports and extensions when necessary.

Grade Two Overview

In Grade Two, instructional time should focus on four critical areas: (1) extending understanding of base-ten notation; (2) building fluency with addition and subtraction; (3) using standard units of measure; and (4) describing and analyzing shapes.

1. Students extend their understanding of the base-ten system. This includes ideas of counting in fives, tens, and multiples of hundreds, tens, and ones, as well as number relationships involving these units, including comparing. Students understand multi-digit numbers (up to 1000) written in base-ten notation, recognizing that the digits in each place represent amounts of thousands, hundreds, tens, or ones (e.g., 853 is 8 hundreds + 5 tens + 3 ones).

2. Students use their understanding of addition to develop fluency with addition and subtraction within 100. They solve problems within 1000 by applying their understanding of models for addition and subtraction, and they develop, discuss, and use efficient, accurate, and generalizable methods to compute sums and differences of whole numbers in base-ten notation, using their understanding of place value and the properties of operations. They select and accurately apply methods that are appropriate for the context and the numbers involved to mentally calculate sums and differences for numbers with only tens or only hundreds.

3. Students recognize the need for standard units of measure (centimeter and inch), and they use rulers and other measurement tools with the understanding that linear measure involves an iteration of units. They recognize that the smaller the unit, the more iterations they need to cover a given length.

4. Students describe and analyze shapes by examining their sides and angles.

Students investigate, describe, and reason about decomposing and combining shapes to make other shapes. Through building, drawing, and analyzing twoand three-dimensional shapes, students develop a foundation for understanding area, volume, congruence, similarity, and symmetry in later grades.

Grade Two Standards of Mathematical Content

Operations and Algebraic Thinking • Represent and solve problems involving addition and subtraction.

• Add and subtract within 20.

• Work with equal groups of objects to gain foundations for multiplication.

Number and Operations in Base Ten • Understand place value.

• Use place value understanding and properties of operations to add and subtract.

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Grade Two Program of Studies

Measurement and Data • Measure and estimate lengths in standard units.

• Relate addition and subtraction to length.

• Work with time and money.

• Represent and interpret data.

Geometry • Reason with shapes and their attributes.

Grade Two Standards of Mathematical Practices

1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

In Grade Two, students realize that doing mathematics involves solving problems and discussing how they solved them. Students explain to themselves the meaning of a problem and look for ways to solve it. They may use concrete objects or pictures to help them conceptualize and solve problems. They may check their thinking by asking themselves, “Does this make sense?” They make conjectures about the solution and plan out a problem-solving approach.

• Make sense of your problem.

• Reflect on your thinking as you solve your problem.

• Keep trying when your problem is hard.

• Check whether your answer makes sense.

• Solve problems in more than one way.

• Compare the strategies you and others use.

2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively.

Grade Two students recognize that a number represents a specific quantity. They connect the quantity to written symbols. Quantitative reasoning entails creating a representation of a problem while attending to the meanings of the quantities.

Grade Two students begin to know and use different properties of operations and relate addition and subtraction to length.

• Create mathematical representations using numbers, words, pictures, symbols, gestures, tables, graphs, and concrete objects.

• Make sense of the representations you and others use.

• Make connections between representations.

3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.

Grade Two students may construct arguments using concrete referents, such as objects, pictures, drawings, and actions. They practice their mathematical communication skills as they participate in mathematical discussions involving questions like, “How did you get that?” “Explain your thinking,” and “Why is that true?” They not only explain their own thinking, but listen to others’ explanations. They decide if the explanations make sense and ask appropriate questions.

• Make mathematical conjectures and arguments.

• Make sense of others’ mathematical thinking.

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4. Model with mathematics.

In early grades, students experiment with representing problem situations in multiple ways including numbers, words (mathematical language), drawing pictures, using objects, acting out, making a chart or list, creating equations, etc.

Students need opportunities to connect the different representations and explain the connections. They should be able to use all of these representations as needed.

• Model real-world situations using graphs, drawings, tables, symbols, numbers, diagrams, and other representations.

• Use mathematical models to solve problems and answer questions.

5. Use appropriate tools strategically.

In Grade Two, students consider the available tools (including estimation) when solving a mathematical problem and decide when certain tools might be better suited. For instance, Grade Two students may decide to solve a problem by drawing a picture rather than writing an equation.

• Choose appropriate tools.

• Use tools effectively and make sense of your results.

6. Attend to precision.

As young children begin to develop their mathematical communication skills, they try to use clear and precise language in their discussions with others and when they explain their own reasoning.

• Explain your mathematical thinking clearly and precisely.

• Use an appropriate level of precision for your problem.

• Use clear labels, units, and mathematical language.

• Think about accuracy and efficiency when you count, measure, and calculate.

7. Look for and make use of structure.

Grade Two students look for patterns. For instance, they adopt mental math strategies based on patterns (making ten, fact families, doubles).

• Look for mathematical structures such as categories, patterns, and properties.

• Use structures to solve problems and answer questions.

8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

Students notice repetitive actions in counting and computation, etc. When children have multiple opportunities to add and subtract, they look for shortcuts, such as rounding up and then adjusting the answer to compensate for the rounding. Students continually check their work by asking themselves, “Does this make sense?”

• Create and justify rules, shortcuts, and generalizations.

Social Sciences The study of the social sciences at Chicago Jewish Day School helps prepare students to become part of society. It allows them to learn about the past to understand the present and future. Our social science program provides students with experiences that help

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Grade Two Program of Studies

them decide what they would like their role in society to be. It presents opportunities for exploration and focuses on children’s curiosity, creativity, and interests.

Grade Two Social Science Learning Standards

The study of social science helps students develop the ability to make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good. Students are preparing to become citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world. The curriculum integrates the disciplines of social science to promote civic competence.

Students will understand political systems, with an emphasis on Illinois and the United States.

Students will be able to: • identify rules and consequences in the home, school, and community • establish class rules by using democratic decision making • describe and apply traits of responsible citizens • recognize voting as a way to express opinions and to help make choices • name traditional American symbols of freedom and democracy • identify selected historical figures that have supported the democratic process, individual rights, and the concept of freedom in the United States • explain the purpose of selected patriotic holidays Students will understand economic systems, with an emphasis on Illinois and the United States.

Students will be able to: • identify the differences between goods and services • recognize that people depend on one another for goods and services • list occupations people have in order to earn wages and explain the purpose for earning an income • compare and contrast needs and wants • name natural resources and how they are used to make goods and provide services • recognize the value of natural resources and why it is important to protect them • apply the concept of trade to classroom situations and conclude that people’s needs can be met through trade • explain that trading can be accomplished with or without money and recognize that trading with money can be easier than trading with goods Students will understand events, trends, individuals, and movements shaping the history of Illinois, the United States, and other nations.

Students will be able to: • sequence past, present, and future events • compare and contrast different generations and family lifestyles • generate questions about a historical topic and use resources to answer historical questions • identify important events that lead to the development of the local community • explain the purpose of selected local, state, and national celebrations

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Students will understand social systems, with an emphasis on Illinois and the United States.

Students will be able to: • recognize that folklore and customs from other cultures have become part of our national culture • describe roles of family members and the roles of the members of the school community • demonstrate what it means to be a friend • name places in the local community where people come together Students will develop an understanding of world geography and its effects on Illinois, the United States, and other nations.

Students will be able to: • locate and distinguish between oceans and continents on a map and globe • use maps and globes to identify selected landforms, countries, and bodies of water • locate the North and South Poles on a map or globe • identify and use a map title, key, and a compass rose • know that there are 50 states: 48 contiguous and 2 noncontiguous • use a map key to locate country and state capitals and borders • identify the environmental advantages and disadvantages of the local community and conclude why people choose to live where they do • compare and contrast how the local community has changed from farms to suburbs

Science Science is a set of processes that includes asking questions to gain a better understanding of our world. Our science curriculum focuses on encouraging students’ curiosity, creativity, and interest. Through hands-on experiences, students use the process of scientific inquiry, learn new skills, and gain an understanding of key scientific concepts.

Students’ ability to investigate scientifically helps them in all areas of learning.

Grade Two Science Learning Standards

The goal of science education is to develop in learners an understanding of the inquiry process as it is related to key concepts and principles of the life, physical, and earth/space sciences. The curriculum addresses the integration of the sciences with technology and society as students learn to connect the importance of scientific knowledge to its application in everyday life.

Students will understand the processes of scientific inquiry and technological design to investigate questions, conduct experiments, and solve problems.

Students will be able to: • observe an object or event, describe observed changes, and collect data • ask scientific questions using prior knowledge and observations • generate questions and possible solutions when given a simple scientific problem • draw simple conclusions based on data

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Grade Two Program of Studies

Students will understand the fundamental concepts, principles, and interconnections of the life, physical, and earth/space sciences.

Students will be able to: • develop a working knowledge of key vocabulary related to units of study • describe how all living organisms need air, food, and water in order to grow and change • identify and describe the component parts of living things • categorize living organisms using a variety of observable features • identify the life cycles of familiar plants and animals and compare the various stages of development • describe and compare characteristics of living things in relationship to their environments • describe how living things depend on one another for survival • compare and contrast life cycles of different animals • list renewable and nonrenewable natural resources Students will understand the relationships among science, technology, and society in historical and contemporary contexts.

Students will be able to: • demonstrate safety precautions as set up by the teacher in the classroom • describe what scientists do and explain how they gather information • predict what will happen when an experiment is repeated and explain the results • use standard and nonstandard units of measure during scientific activities • understand that a variety of materials can be reused and recycled and explain why it is important to reduce, reuse, and recycle

Fine Arts, Physical Education, and Health Throughout the day, children will have opportunities to dance, design, compose, move, and sing. We believe in educating the whole child and allow plenty of time to nurture creative and artistic skills. Children will be instructed in rhythmic activities and fitness, healthy living, interactive listening and expressive music, and the organizational principles of design, as well as the expressive qualities of the visual arts.

Grade Two Fine Arts Learning Standards

In addition to their intrinsic value, the arts contribute to children’s development and enrich the quality of life. The fine arts — dance, drama, music, and visual arts — are fundamental ways of knowing and thinking. The fine arts curriculum addresses the language of the fine arts, sensory elements, organizational principles, expressive qualities, and how the arts are similar, different, or related to one another. Students also learn how to interpret visual images, sounds, movement, and story. The creation and performance of the arts is emphasized along with the role of the arts in civilization.

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Students will know the language of the arts.

Students will be able to: • demonstrate spatial factors, such as direction, level, size, and shape • contrast individual and group movements • identify and describe a variety of sensory elements • practice keeping a steady beat in a variety of tempos Students will understand how works of art are produced through creating and performing.

Students will be able to: • explain why the body is the primary tool of dance • describe and perform locomotor and non-locomotor movements • recognize a variety of sounds and sound sources • demonstrate the safe use of and care of art-making tools and media • identify photos, paintings, weavings, prints, ceramics, and sculptures Students will understand the role of the arts in civilizations, past and present.

Students will be able to: • distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate audience behaviors • listen to and observe performances and artworks • explore movements, sounds, and visual images in artworks Grade Two Physical Education Learning Standards

Physical development programs offer students the opportunity to enhance the capacity of their minds and bodies. Healthy minds and bodies contribute to academic success.

Students will develop movement skills related to physical activity.

Students will be able to: • perform fundamental locomotor, non-locomotor, and manipulative skills • sequence simple combinations of fundamental locomotor skills and non-locomotor movements • combine locomotor and manipulative skills • demonstrate spatial awareness and relationships to objects and people • demonstrate knowledge of rules and safety strategies during physical activity Students will achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of physical fitness.

Students will be able to: • identify and experience the effects of moderate to vigorous physical activity (such as increased heart and breathing rates) • participate in sustained moderate to vigorous physical activity that promotes cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, and range of motion • identify components of health-related fitness • select one area of health-related fitness for improvement

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Grade Two Program of Studies

Students will develop team-building skills.

Students will be able to: • follow directions and class procedures while participating in physical activities • apply safe practices and procedures with peers during physical activities • work cooperatively with others to accomplish assigned tasks Grade Two Health Learning Standards

Healthy minds and bodies are basic to academic success and, later in life, to enhancing the ability to contribute to a productive work environment. The health curriculum focuses on health promotion, safety, and understanding the human body, and how it grows and develops. Problem solving, communication, responsible decision making, and team-building skills are major emphases as well.

Students will understand principles of health promotion and the prevention and treatment of illness and injury.

Students will be able to: • identify general signs and symptoms of illness • list various ways to take care of one’s health • explain how good hygiene can limit the spread of germs and prevent illness • identify dangerous situations and safety methods to reduce risks Students will understand human body systems and factors that influence growth and development.

Students will be able to: • identify basic parts of specific body systems and their functions • differentiate between certain healthy and unhealthy behaviors Students will promote and enhance health and well-being through the use of effective communication and decision-making skills.

Students will be able to: • differentiate between positive and negative behaviors • define the words “choice” and “consequence” • describe how respect and cooperation can help people get along • practice when and how to ask an adult for help to resolve conflict

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Technology Chicago Jewish Day School technology education program is centered on providing students with learning tools that are accessed throughout the day to support and augment their achievement of learning objectives in all classes. As students become increasingly literate and responsible in the digital sphere, they will develop computational thinking, problem-solving, and acquire transferable technological skills. Our goal is to prepare our students to become digital citizens of the world and to prepare our students to use technology to go forward, better themselves, and to better the world around them.

Grade Two students leverage technology tools to produce original, imaginative work.

They use technology to communicate ideas from historic and scientific fields, drawing a connection between themselves and the content they are studying. Students show connections between ideas, people, and places while reinforce their coding skills by animating an individual’s journey of immigration to the United States.

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3730 North California Avenue Chicago, Illinois 60618 phone 773 271 2700 fax 773 271 2570 www.chicagojewishdayschool.org info@chicagojewishdayschool.org