MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS
OFFICE OF CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
Grade 2
ABSTRACT
In Grade 2, students become independent readers and writers who are able to conduct research, write reports, and undertake the close, attentive
reading that is at the heart of understanding and enjoying literary works. Now “read-alouds” are combined with books that students read for
themselves, as they build their background knowledge on a range of subjects and topics such as seasons, the Wild West, the African American
journey to freedom, and more. Students perform the critical reading necessary to comprehend informational texts which will enable them to
enlarge their experience and broaden world knowledge appropriate for their grade level. Their writing includes reports, literary responses,
opinion pieces, stories, letters, and explanations. Students will engage in discussions about literature and make use of digital resources.
BOE approved 9/10/2013
MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Unit of Study:
(Title, timeframe,
description)
Established Goals:
NJ CCCS and/or
CCSS:
(include technology and 21st
century standards)
Enduring
Understandings:
(students will . . .)
Essential (Guiding)
Questions: (What
A Season for Chapters
September-October
The Wild West
November-December
RL.2.2, RL.2.3, RL.2.7, RL.2.9, RI.2.1,
RL.2.1, RL.2.3, RL.2.4, RL.2.5, RL.2.6,
RI.2.2, RI.2.3, RI.2.4, RI.2.5, RI.2.6,
RL.2.7, RL.2.10
RI.2.7, RI.2.8, RI.2.9
RI.2.2, RI.2.4, RI.2.10
RF.2.3(a-c,f), RF.2.4(a-c)
RF.2.3, RF.2.3(a-c,f), RF.2.4, RF.2.4(aW.2.2, W.2.5, W.2.6, W.2.7, W.2.8
c),
SL.2.1(a-c), SL.2.2, SL.2.3, SL.2.4,
W.2.3, W.2.5, W.2.6, W.2.7
SL.2.5, SL.2.6
SL.2.1, SL.2.1(a-c), SL.2.2, SL.2.4,
L.2.1(a,c,e), L.2.2(b), L.2.2(e),
SL.2.6
L.2.4(e)
L.2.1, L.2.1(b), L.2.1(f), L.2.1(d), L.2.2,
Technology: 8.1.A-F, 8.2.A-G
L.2.2(a-e), L.2.4, L.2.4(a), L.2.4(d),
L.2.5, L.2.5(a-b), L.2.6
21st Century: 9.1.A-F
Technology: 8.1.A-F, 8.2.A-G
21st Century: 9.1. A-F
• Focusing on the beauty of language • Authors stretch fiction beyond belief
(in poetry and fiction) is crucial to
to emphasize power.
comprehending a text.
• Tall tales, fairy tales, and
• The use of multiple pieces of
informational texts have distinct
informational text provides stronger
characteristics.
understanding of content.
Building Bridges with Unlikely
Friends
January
RL.2.1, RL.2.2, RL.2.3, RL.2.4, RL.2.5,
RL.2.6, RL.2.7, RL.2.9
RI.2.4, RI.2.6, RI.2.7
RF.2.3(b,d-f), RF.2.4(a-c),
W.2.1, W.2.2, W.2.3, W.2.5, W.2.6,
SL2.1(a-c), SL.2.2, SL.2.3, SL.2.6
L.2.1(a-f), L2.2, L.2.2(a-c), L.2.4,
L.2.4(c,d)
Technology: 8.1.A-F, 8.2.A-G
21st Century: 9.1.A-F
•
When is language beautiful?
How does setting affect a story?
Figurative language requires closer
reading than literal language.
• Characters face big challenges as do
readers.
• Friendship is often revealed more
through challenging times than during
happy times.
Why do authors use figurative language?
Suggested Activities:
• Independently read chapter books
according to ability.
• Distinguish between the roles of
author and illustrator in chapter
books.
• Study art pieces to see the artist’s
techniques in creating a sense of
cold or warmth.
• Create a collection of adjectives and
Suggested Activities:
• Read multiple perspectives on a given
topic.
• Read informational texts to answer
the questions who, what, where,
when, why, and how.
• Language/Informational Text:
Create a running list of collective
nouns in this unit (e.g., a herd or
drove of cows; a herd or band of
Suggested Activities:
• Informational Reading and
Informative/Explanatory Writing:
Introduce a chapter from Bridges:
Amazing Structures to Design, Build
and Test. This is an informational
book, but it is also a how-to book. It
will teach how to build bridge
structures in the classroom or at home.
Read the text to the children and allow
provocative questions will
foster inquiry, understanding,
and transfer of learning?)
Suggested Learning
Activities:
(What specific activities will
students do and what skills will
students know as a result of the
unit?)
MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Unit of Study:
(Title, timeframe,
description)
A Season for Chapters
September-October
•
•
•
•
•
•
adverbs.
Expand sentences by adding
adjectives and adverbs from the
class discussion on art.
Write a paragraph using complete
sentences.
Write poetry based on music (e.g.,
Vivadli’s The Four Seasons).
Enjoy and analyze poetry related to
the seasons, noting alliteration,
rhyme, rhythm, and repetition.
Class Discussion/Literature: Ask
students to pick a favorite book
from the easy section of the library.
To introduce the characteristics of a
good solid beginning and ending of
a story, ask the students to read
aloud to a partner just the first
paragraph or two and then the last
paragraph. Later, allow students to
share the books in small groups to
see what each child notices about
these solid beginnings and solid
endings. For example, they may
notice things such as clearly
described setting with vivid words
at the beginning, the book coming
full circle, and then ending
providing a sense of satisfaction.
Story Beginnings and
Endings/Literature: Introduce and
read the first chapter of Poppleton
in Winter by Cynthia Rylant. The
following day, look and the chapter
again. Focus on how the author
The Wild West
November-December
•
•
•
horses; a flock of sheep; and a band,
tribe, or nation of Native Americans)
Keep a growing word bank of people,
vocabulary, and phrases that appear in
this unit.
Class Discussion/Literature:
Introduce the genre of tall tales by
explaining that they are stories about
a special kind of hero who is bigger
than life. Read about a hero from the
1800s named John Henry. Challenge
the students to think about the part of •
the story that is so amazing that we
know it is not really true. Have
students write down one thing that
might be real and one thing they think
is fantasy.
Graphic Organizer/Literature:
Read two stories (possibly the fairy
tale The Princess and the Pea and The
Cowboy and the Black-Eyed Pea).
Before reading the book, challenge
the students to think about how the
two stories are the same and different.
Create a Venn Diagram or other
graphic organizer to compare and
contrast the two stories.
Class Discussion/Informational
Text: Have the students read an
informational book. After they finish
the book, ask students to think about
what questions the author wanted to
answer or what he or she wanted to
explain in this book. When they are
finished reading and writing down
Building Bridges with Unlikely
Friends
January
them to note that the how-to section is
set up as a series of steps to follow.
Gather the supplies and allow the
students to follow the directions to
experiment with building a bridge.
Discuss how diagrams help to explain
the directions. Writing prompt: After
building a bridge in the classroom or at
home, write an explanatory paragraph
telling someone else how you made
your bridge.
Informational Reading and
Informative/Explanatory Writing:
Begin a class discussion by asking the
students: "If a real hippopotamus had
no other companions, what other kind
of animal could you imagine her
having for a friend?" Be sure to require
good reasons for their opinions as they
answer. Read the book Owen and
Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable
Friendship (Isabella Hatkoff) aloud.
When you are finished reading, have
the students discuss what the author (a
six-year-old girl) wanted to accomplish
by publishing the book, using
questions such as: "What did she want
to explain? Describe? What questions
did she want to answer? Why are there
so many photographs?" Ask students
to write a paragraph explaining how
the two animals in the story became
friends. Writing prompt: "After
reading about these unlikely friends
write a paragraph explaining how the
MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Unit of Study:
(Title, timeframe,
description)
A Season for Chapters
September-October
•
writes the beginning and wraps it up
with a strong ending. Direct
students to look closely at how the
story begins. Reread the section
•
where the story is set up. Students
will see the setting, characters, and
situation/problem in the first two
sentences of the story. Create a
bulleted list as the students discuss
what they see, finishing the
sentence "A strong beginning has..."
Then turn to the end of the story
and discuss the attributes of a strong
ending. Reread the final sentences.
Continue the bulleted list, having
students finish the sentence "A
strong ending has..." As the
students read each successive
chapter independently, with a
partner, or with the teacher, make
these charts a focus of discussion.
Eventually add a chart from the
action in the middle of the story.
Ask and Answering
Questions/Literature: After
•
reading the fictional read-aloud
picture books for each of the
seasons, have students ask and
answer questions using who, what,
where, when, why, and how.
Challenge students to create
questions from these stems that
apply directly to the books you are
reading. Encourage students to
answer the questions on sticky
The Wild West
November-December
their questions, begin a discussion on
how authors base research in asking
and answering questions.
Informative/Expository Writing:
Give the students the following
prompt: "Write about the person most
interesting to you in the Wild West
days. Be sure to answer the questions
who, what, where, when, why, and
how as your write about the person
you chose. Encourage the use of a
variety of sources as they gather
additional information using online
resources and books. When students
are finished with their research, pair
them according to related choices to
allow sharing of organized gathered
information. Have them practice
talking through the information to lay
the groundwork for writing focused
paragraphs. Students write drafts.
After the first draft is written, have
them spend time revising the work
with peers or the teacher.
Dramatization/Fluency: Introduce
the story about a modern-day cowgirl,
Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa (Erica
Silverman). As they read the first
chapter, ask students to think about
whether this story could really happen
or if it is a fantasy. Ask students to
find evidence in the text to support
their choices. Use a whiteboard or
sticky notes to record their thinking.
As they finish reading and writing,
Building Bridges with Unlikely
Friends
January
•
•
two animals in the story became
friends."
Language Activity: After reading
about bridges, have students predict
the meaning of compound words that
contain the word bridge: footbridge,
drawbridge, flybridge, and
bridgework. Repeat the activity using
another root word such as water:
waterbed, watercolor, watermelon,
waterlog, watershed, waterproof,
watertight, rainwater, waterway, and
waterspout. Extend this lesson by
discussing idioms using the word
bridge such as "We'll cross that bridge
when we come to it," "that's water
under the bridge," and don't burn your
bridges."
Class Discussion/Literature:
Introduce the idea of a bridge as a
metaphor by reading the book Pop's
Bridge (Eve Bunting). (Help the
students think of more metaphors to
reinforce the meaning of this important
term.) In this book, a group of boys
experience the sacrifice involved in
bridge building and the joy that comes
with friendship. Discuss the literal
bridge in the book and the way the
bridge served as a link not only
between two places, but also between
two people. Introduce the following
Isaac Newton quotation: "We build too
many walls and not enough bridges."
Discuss what Isaac Newton may have
MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Unit of Study:
(Title, timeframe,
description)
A Season for Chapters
September-October
•
•
notes under each question on a
chart.
Features of Informational
Text/Recognizing and Writing
Paragraphs: Choose a book with a
variety of text features and strong
paragraphs. Guide students to look
closely at the way each
informational book on the four
seasons is arranged. Choose one
page to look for the purpose of
paragraphs in organizing the
information in the text. Extend this
lesson by listing text features in
multiple books on seasons and
related topics.
Shared Research/Writing: Focus
a discussion on the characteristics
of seasons in your local climate.
Discuss activities that your students
might associate with each season.
Talk about how one of the season's
activities might help the local
economy more than others by
generating research questions such
as, "Which season is most
important in our community?" Use
digital resources and speakers who
have visited to gather information.
Conclude the research and
communicate findings with a class
write such as: "Research a sport or
activity in your community that
relates to a specific season. Create a
nonfiction text about the season, the
The Wild West
November-December
•
•
•
•
pair students to discuss their ideas.
After they finish discussing, ask them •
to remain partners and to experiment
with reading using different voices for
different characters in the book.
Monitor the reading by listening for
reading with expression and character
voices.
Art/Opinion Writing: Select one
Curtis and one Caitlin artwork to
study. Have the students compare
Curtis's and Caitlin's approaches to
depicting Native Americans. Does
Curtis's use of the environment
expand our understanding of the
Native Americans in his photographs?
If so, how?
Have textbooks for each student (or at •
least two per group). Assign groups a
section of a chapter or passage.
Explain to students that they are
going to work in their group to read
the passage and then write down three
to five main facts that the class needs
to know. Each group should present
what was recorded to the group.
Explain to students that one way to
become a better writer is to help each
other. Review the rules for helping
others edit a paper. Allow students to
edit one another's paper during an
assignment. Students can use a
variety of digital tools to produce and
publish their writing.
Have students explain to you how to
Building Bridges with Unlikely
Friends
January
meant by his comment.
Class Discussion/Literature:
Introduce a book such as Snow in
Jerusalem (Deborah da Costa, YingHwa Hu, and Cornelius Van Wright)
by reviewing how unlikely friends
become friends by finding something
in common. Tell the students that they
are going to read a book about two
children who were not friends, but who
found something in common anyway.
As they read the story, have the
students focus on how the children find
something in common to make a
friendship. Talk about how these two
characters faced a challenge and made
a hard choice.
Literature/Letter Writing: Read
aloud the book Charlotte's Web (E.B.
White) to the class. After you have
finished the book, have the students
connect with the characters in the book
by writing friendly letters. Students
should choose one of the characters in
Charlotte's Web and write the
character a letter. You may say,
"Write a letter a letter to one of the
characters in Charlotte's Web. Explain
why you chose the character, what you
like about him or her, and ask the
character a question." Require proper
use of punctuation and form for the
letters. Revise the letters and edit for
spelling and punctuation. Then, have
the students trade letters and write
MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Unit of Study:
(Title, timeframe,
description)
A Season for Chapters
September-October
•
•
sport, and the way it affects your
community."
Shared Research/Graphic
Organizer/Writing: Organize
small groups to research and to
write about a community in a
contrasting climate and
geographical location. Focus on the
seasons there, a sport (or activity)
that is important, and the way they
affect their community. Help
students generate the research
questions that will guide their work.
Ask them to gather information
from a variety of online sources and
possibly hold a conversation via the
Internet with the Chamber of
Commerce from the community.
Introduce a digital tool for
organizing information. Use a
graphic organizer (web) to
demonstrate to the class how to
write one well-developed
paragraph. Working in small
groups, students should use the
webbed information to write the
remaining paragraphs. When the
paragraphs are completed, combine
them into books. Students can add
illustrations by drawing or by
collecting photographs from online
sources.
Read the story The True Story of the
Three Little Pigs by J. Scieszka (or
other text of choice). Explain the
The Wild West
November-December
•
•
•
•
•
make a sandwich. Follow up with
students- Have students write a short
informational piece on "How to Make
a Bed."
Use and explain how text features in
nonfiction aid comprehension of the
text.
Pick a text from the Junie B. Jones
series and read it (or part of it) aloud.
Have students imagine Junie B. in a
situation that is not in the book. Have
students draw a picture and write two
to three sentences about how Junie B.
would react. Remind students to base
their guesses on how Junie B. has
behaved in other situations.
Use details and illustrations from a
story to describe in more detail its
character, setting, or plot.
Using an informational text of your
choice, explain to students that
writing has one topic that is related to
every sentence in the paragraph and
whole passage. This topic is usually
mentioned in the first or second
sentence. Have students use
highlighting tape to mark the main
topic of a give passage. Have students
sort the supporting details that
correspond to the main topic.
Read sentences or short paragraphs
that will have unfamiliar words in it.
After reading have students decide
what the word must mean in context
as well as explain why they believe
Building Bridges with Unlikely
Friends
January
•
•
•
back to a classmate as if they were the
classmate's chosen character.
Class Discussion/Literature: As
students read the Henry and Mudge
boks, challenge them to look closely at
the characters. Before the first chapter,
ask the students to be ready to describe
Henry and Mudge. Using sticky notes
or whiteboards, require each student to
write down two characteristics of each
character. Although one of the
characters is a dog and one is a boy,
they have a wonderful friendship.
Have students share at least two words
to describe Henry and two words to
describe Mudge. Discuss what can be
learned about friendship through these
stories.
Class Discussion/Poetry/Language:
As you read from the poetry collection
If Not For the Cat (Jack Prelutsky),
explain to students the Haiku style of
poetry. Point out to the students that
these poems are very short, but they
make you think. As you read a poem,
keep the accompanying illustration
hidden until students try to guess the
animal being described. These poems
are filled with words that may be new
to your students. When you are
finished reading (reciting) each poem,
ask students to choose one new word
to save in the word bank.
Read several poem choices (Runny
Babbit by Shel Silverstein is a good
MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Unit of Study:
(Title, timeframe,
description)
A Season for Chapters
September-October
The Wild West
November-December
Building Bridges with Unlikely
Friends
January
six basic questions that need to be
answered by all good stories. Hold
up your hand and starting with the
index finger list, who, what, where,
when, why and how is the center
(because how is the glue that holds
the story together). Tell students
that they are going to answer these
main questions about the story you
just read. Have students cut out or
trace a hand and label the fingers.
Have students fill out the who,
what, when, where, why, and how.
• Read aloud We are Best Friends by
Aliki. As you are reading ask
questions that lead students to guess
how the two main characters will
react. Have students work in pairs
or alone to fill out a graphic
organizer listing how the characters
react to given situations in the text.
• Use details and illustrations from a
story to describe in more detail its
character, setting, or plot.
• Narrative Writing: Write a
narrative imagining that you are a
character in one of the stories.
Explain to students that one way to
become a better writer is to help
each other. Review rules for helping
others edit a paper. Allow students
to edit one another's paper during
an assignment.
Speaking/Listening Activities:
• Participate in collaborative
this.
Speaking/Listening Activities:
• Participate in collaborative
conversations with diverse partners
about grade 2 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.
• Recount or describe key ideas or
details from a text read aloud or
information presented orally or
through other media.
• 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.
• Tell a story or recount an experience
with appropriate facts and relevant,
descriptive details, speaking audibly
in coherent sentences.
• Create audio recordings of stories or
poems; add drawings or other visual
displays to stories or recounts of
selection). Have students fold the
expressions on the lines so they may
present only one at time. After reading
a poem, have students choose the face
that best describes how the reading
makes them feel.
• Read the chosen text the class or small
groups. Explain to students that every
story has a beginning, middle, and end.
These are usually main events in the
story. There is often more than one
event in the middle, but only one
beginning and end event. Work with
students to write out the main events of
a story. Allow students to identify the
story parts by placing them in order on
a train (or other graphic organizer).
• Using a short play with dialogue,
assign or have students choose parts
based on the play. Allow students to
choose a voice which they feel is
appropriate for their character. Have
students read each part as assigned.
• Using sentences with unfamiliar words
and picture pairs to accompany new
words, explain to students if an
unfamiliar word shows up in a
sentence, pictures can often help us
figure out what the word means. Allow
students to work in pairs to match
sentences with the pictures that show
the true meaning of the sentence.
Speaking/Listening Activities:
• Participate in collaborative
conversations with diverse partners
MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Unit of Study:
(Title, timeframe,
description)
A Season for Chapters
September-October
The Wild West
November-December
Building Bridges with Unlikely
Friends
January
conversations with diverse partners
about grade 2 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.
• Recount or describe key ideas or
details from a text read aloud or
information presented orally or
through other media.
• Tell a story or recount an
experience with appropriate facts
and relevant, descriptive details,
speaking audibly in coherent
sentences.
• Produce complete sentences when
appropriate to task and situation in
order to provide requested detail or
clarification.
Language Activities:
• Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English
grammar and usage when writing or
speaking.
• Form and use frequently occurring
irregular plural nouns (e.g., feet,
children, teeth, mice, fish).
• Form and use the past tense of
experiences when appropriate to
clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.
• Produce complete sentences when
appropriate to task and situation in
order to provide requested detail or
clarification.
Language Activities:
• Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English
grammar and usage when writing or
speaking.
• Use collective nouns (e.g., group).
• Use reflexive pronouns (e.g., myself,
ourselves).
• Use adjectives and adverbs, and
choose between them depending on
what is to be modified.
• Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling when writing.
• Use commas in greetings and closings
of letters.
• Consult reference materials, including
beginning dictionaries, as needed to
check and correct spellings.
• Determine or clarify the meaning of
unknown and multiple meaning
words and phrases based on grade 2
reading and content, choosing flexibly
from an array of strategies.
• Use glossaries and beginning
dictionaries, both print and digital, to
determine or clarify the meaning of
words and phrases.
about grade 2 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).
• Recount or describe key ideas or
details from a text read aloud or
information presented orally or
through other media.
• 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.
• Tell a story or recount an experience
with appropriate facts and relevant,
descriptive details, speaking audibly in
coherent sentences.
• Produce complete sentences when
appropriate to task and situation in
order to provide requested detail or
clarification.
Language Activities:
• 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,
MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Unit of Study:
(Title, timeframe,
description)
A Season for Chapters
September-October
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
frequently occurring irregular verbs
(e.g., sat, hid, told).
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).
Demonstrate 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 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.
Determine or clarify the meaning of
unknown and multiple meaning
words and phrases based on grade 2
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.
d. Use knowledge of the meaning of
The Wild West
November-December
Building Bridges with Unlikely
Friends
January
Technology Activities:
• Illustrate and communicate original
ideas and stories using digital tools
and media-rich resources.
• Engage in a variety
of developmentally
appropriate learning activities with
students in other classes, schools, or
countries using electronic tools.
• Model legal and ethical behaviors
when using both print and non-print
information by citing resources.
• Use digital tools and online resources
to explore a problem or issue
affecting children, and discuss
possible solutions.
• Communicate with students in the
United States or other countries using
digital tools to gather information
about a specific topic and share
results.
21st Century Life and Career Skills
Activities:
• Recognize a problem and brainstorm
ways to solve the problem
individually or collaboratively.
• Participate in brainstorming sessions
to seek information, ideas, and
strategies that foster creative thinking.
• Practice collaborative skills in groups,
and explain how these skills assist in
completing tasks in different settings
(at home, in school, and during play).
• Demonstrate an awareness of one’s
own culture and other cultures during
ourselves).
Form and use the past tense of
frequently occurring irregular verbs
(e.g., sat, hid, told).
• 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).
• Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling when writing.
• Capitalize holidays, product names,
and geographic names.
• Use an apostrophe to form contractions
and frequently occurring possessives.
• Determine or clarify the meaning of
unknown and multiple meaning words
and phrases based on grade 2 reading
and content, choosing flexibly from an
array of strategies.
• Use a known root word as a clue to the
meaning of an unknown word with the
same root (e.g., addition, additional).
Technology Activities:
• Illustrate and communicate original
ideas and stories using digital tools
and media-rich resources.
• Engage in a variety of developmentally
appropriate learning activities with
•
MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Unit of Study:
(Title, timeframe,
description)
A Season for Chapters
September-October
individual words to predict the
meaning of compound words (e.g.,
birdhouse, lighthouse, housefly;
bookshelf, notebook, bookmark).
• Demonstrate understanding of
figurative language, word
relationships and nuances in word
meanings.
• Identify real-life connections
between words and their use (e.g.,
describe foods that are spicy or
juicy).
• 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).
Technology Activities:
• Illustrate and communicate original
ideas and stories using digital tools
and media-rich resources.
• Engage in a variety
of developmentally
appropriate learning activities with
students in other classes, schools, or
countries using electronic tools.
• Model legal and ethical behaviors
when using both print and non-print
The Wild West
November-December
•
•
interactions within and outside of the
classroom.
Demonstrate effective communication
using digital media during classroom
activities.
Explain the importance of
understanding and following rules in
family, classroom, and community
settings.
Building Bridges with Unlikely
Friends
January
students in other classes, schools, or
countries using electronic tools.
• Model legal and ethical behaviors
when using both print and non-print
information by citing resources.
• Use digital tools and online resources
to explore a problem or issue affecting
children, and discuss possible
solutions.
• Communicate with students in the
United States or other countries using
digital tools to gather information
about a specific topic and share results.
21st Century Life and Career Skills
Activities:
• Recognize a problem and brainstorm
ways to solve the problem individually
or collaboratively.
• Participate in brainstorming sessions to
seek information, ideas, and strategies
that foster creative thinking.
• Practice collaborative skills in groups,
and explain how these skills assist in
completing tasks in different settings
(at home, in school, and during play).
• Demonstrate an awareness of one’s
own culture and other cultures during
interactions within and outside of the
classroom.
• Demonstrate effective communication
using digital media during classroom
activities.
• Explain the importance of
understanding and following rules in
family, classroom, and community
MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Unit of Study:
(Title, timeframe,
description)
A Season for Chapters
September-October
information by citing resources.
Use digital tools and online
resources to explore a problem or
issue affecting children, and discuss
possible solutions.
• Communicate with students in the
United States or other countries
using digital tools to gather
information about a specific topic
and share results.
21st Century Life and Career Skills
Activities:
• Recognize a problem and
brainstorm ways to solve the
problem individually or
collaboratively.
• Participate in brainstorming
sessions to seek information, ideas,
and strategies that foster creative
thinking.
• Practice collaborative skills in
groups, and explain how these skills
assist in completing tasks in
different settings (at home, in
school, and during play).
• Demonstrate an awareness of one’s
own culture and other cultures
during interactions within and
outside of the classroom.
• Demonstrate effective
communication using digital media
during classroom activities.
• Explain the importance of
understanding and following rules
in family, classroom, and
•
The Wild West
November-December
Building Bridges with Unlikely
Friends
January
settings.
MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Unit of Study:
(Title, timeframe,
description)
Suggested
Assessments &
Evidence:
(Through what authentic
performance tasks will students
demonstrate the desired
understandings?)
(By what criteria will
performance of understanding
be judged?)
Suggested Resources:
A Season for Chapters
September-October
community settings.
Learning center activities
Shared reading
Class discussions
Student participation
Writer’s notebook
Teacher observations
Authentic assessments, tests,
quizzes
8. Projects
9. Open-ended responses
10. Guided Reading
11. Model Curriculum Benchmark
Assessment
Fundations
Being a Writer
Leveled Books
*Read Chapter Books*
Suggested Literary Texts:
Stories:
• Poppleton in Winter (Cynthia
Rylant and Mark Teague)
• Poppleton in Spring (Cynthia
Rylant and Mark Teague)
• Poppleton in Fall (Cynthia Rylant
and Mark Teague)
• Henry and Mudge and the
Snowman Plan (Cynthia Rylant and
Sucie Stevenson)
• Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf (Lois Ehlert)
• Snowballs (Uri Shulevitz)
• Leaf Man (Lois Ehlert)
• Snow (Uri Shulevitz)
• The Days of Summer (Eve Bunting
and William Low)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
The Wild West
November-December
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Learning center activities
Shared reading
Class discussions
Student participation
Writer’s notebook
Teacher observations
Authentic assessments, tests, quizzes
Projects
Open-ended responses
Guided Reading
Model Curriculum Benchmark
Assessment
Fundations
Being a Writer
Leveled Books
*Read fairytales, tall tales, folktales*
Suggested Literary Texts:
Stories:
• Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa (Erica
Silverman and Betsy Lewin)
• Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa: Partners
(Erica Silverman and Betsy Lewin)
• Ghost Town at Sundown (Mary Pope
Osborne)
• Buffalo Before Breakfast (Mary Pope
Osborne and Sal Murdocca)
• Little Red Cowboy Hat (Susan Lowell
and Randy Cecil)
• Little Red Riding Hood: A
Newfangled Prairie Tale (Lisa
Campbell Ernst)
• The Gingerbread Man (Karen Lee
Schmidt)
Building Bridges with Unlikely
Friends
January
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Learning center activities
Shared reading
Class discussions
Student participation
Writer’s notebook
Teacher observations
Authentic assessments, tests, quizzes
Projects
Open-ended responses
Guided Reading
Model Curriculum Benchmark
Assessment
Fundations
Being a Writer
Leveled Books
*Read books related to friendship*
Suggested Literary Texts:
Stories:
• Henry and Mudge: The First Book
(Cynthia Rylant and Sucie Stevenson)
• The Fire Cat (Esther Holden Averill)
• George and Martha: The Complete
Stories of Two Best Friends (James
Marshall)
Stories (Read Aloud)
• The Cricket in Times Square (George
Selden and Williams)
• Charlotte's Web (E.B. White and Garth
Williams)
• Zen Shorts (Jon. Muth)
• Pop's Bridge (Eve Bunting and C.F.
Payne)
• Mackinac Bridge: The Story of the
MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Unit of Study:
(Title, timeframe,
description)
A Season for Chapters
September-October
•
Peppers (Eve Bunting and James
Ransome)
• Every Autumn Comes the Bear (Jim
Arnosky)
• The Little Yellow Leaf (Carin
Berger)
Story (Read Aloud)
• The Mitten (Jan Brett)
Poems
• "Autumn" (Emily Dickinson)
• "Something Told the Wild Geese"
(Rachel Field)
• "Who Has Seen the Wind?"
Christina Rossetti)
• "Weather" (Eve Merriam)
• "Knoxville, Tennessee" (Nikki
Giovanni)
• "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy
Evening" (Robert Frost)
• "Summer Song" (John Ciardi)
Informational Texts:
Informational Books:
• Sunshine Makes the Seasons
(Franklyn M. Branley and Michael
Rex)
• Why Do Leaves Change Color?
(Betsy Maestro and Loretta
Krupinski)
• How Do You Know It's Winter?
(Rookie Read-About Science)
(Allan Fowler)
• Look How It Changes! (Rookie
Read-About Science) (June Young)
• How Do You Know It's Fall?
The Wild West
November-December
Building Bridges with Unlikely
Friends
January
Justin and the Best Biscuits in the
World (Mildred Pitts Walter and
Catherine Stock)
• Dancing with the Indians (Angela
Shelf Medearis)
• The Cowboy and the Black-Eyed Pea
(Tony Johnston)
• The Gingerbread Cowboy (Janet
Squires and Holly Berry)
• The Tortoise and the Jackrabbit
(Susan Lowell)
• Gift Horse: A Lakota Story (S.D.
Nelson)
• Crazy Horse's Vision (Joseph
Bruchac, S.D. Nelson, Curtis
Zunigha, and Robert Tree Cody)
• A Boy Called Slow (Joseph Bruchac
and Rocco Baviera)
Stories (Read Aloud):
• Little Red Riding Hood (Trina Schart
Hyman)
• "The Princess and the Pea" in Fairy
Tales from Hans Christian Anderson
(Hans Christian Anderson)
• The Toughest Cowboy: or How the
Wild West Was Tamed (John Frank
and Zachary Pullen)
Tall Tales:
• Paul Bunyan (Steven Kellogg)
• John Henry (Julius Lester and Jerry
Pinkney)
• Pecos Bill (Steven Kellogg and Laura
Robb)
• Johnny Appleseed (Steven Kellogg)
Poem:
Five-Mile Poem (Gloria Whelan and
Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen)
• One Green Apple (Eve Bunting and
Ted Lewin)
• Four Feet, Two Sandals (Karen Lynn
Williams, Khadra Mohammed, and
Doug Chayka)
• Snow in Jerusalem (Deborah da Costa,
Ying-Hwa Hu, and Cornelius Van
Wright)
• The Day of Ahmed's Secret (Florence
P. Heide, Judith H. Gilliland, and Ted
Lewin)
• My Father's Shop (Satomi Ichikawa)
• Silent Music (James Rumford)
• The Little Painter of Sabana Grande
(Patricia Maloney Markun and Robert
Casilla)
Poems (Read Aloud):
• "The Bridge Builder" (Will Allen
Dromgoogle)
• If Not for the Cat (Jack Prelutsky and
Ted Rand)
• I Am the Dog I Am the Cat (Donald
Hall)
Informational Texts:
Informational Book:
• Bridges (See More Readers) (Seymour
Simon)
Informational Books (Read Aloud):
• Bridges are To Cross (Philemon
Sturges and Gail Laroche)
• Bridges: Amazing Structures to
Design, Build and Test (Carol A.
Johmann, Elizabeth Rieth, and Michael
•
MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Unit of Study:
(Title, timeframe,
description)
A Season for Chapters
September-October
(Rookie Read-About Science)
(Allan Fowler)
• How Do You Know It Spring?
(Rookie Read-About Science)
(Allan Fowler)
• Energy From the Sun (Rookie
Read-About Science) (Allan
Fowler)
• How Do You Know It's Summer?
Co(Rookie Read-About Science)
(Allan Fowler)
• What Do Authors Do? (Eileen
Christelow)
• What Do Illustrators Do? (Eileen
Christelow)
• Cynthia Rylant: A Writer's Story
(Alice Cary and Susan Spellman)
Informational Books (Read Aloud):
• Snowflake Bentley (Jacqueline
Briggs Martin and Mary Azarian)
• Snowflakes in Photographs (W.A.
Bentley)
• A River of Words: The Story of
William Carlos Williams (Jennifer
Bryant and Melissa Stewart)
Internet Resources:
• www.njccs.org
• http://wwwcorestandards.org/thesta
ndards
• http://www.state.nj.us/education/mo
delcurriculum/ela/k.shtml
• http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/
kids/littlekids/
• www,funbrain.com
The Wild West
November-December
•
"How I Spent My Summer Vacation"
(Mark Teague)
Poems (Read Aloud):
• "Buffalo Dusk" (Carl Sandburg)
• "Home on the Range" (Brewster
Higley)
Informational Texts:
Informational Books:
• Cowboys (Lucille Recht Penner)
• I Want to Be a Cowboy (Dan
Liebman)
• The Very First Americans (Cara
Ashrose)
Informational Books (Read Aloud):
• Cowboys and Cowgirls: Yippe-Yay!
(Gail Gibbons)
• Black Cowboy, Wild Horses: A True
Story (Julius Lester and Jerry
Pinkney)
• Bill Pickett: Rodeo-Ridin' Cowboy
(Andrea D. and Brian Pinkney)
• Wild Tracks! A Guide to Nature's
Footprints (Jim Arnosky)
• B is for Buckaroo: A Cowboy
Alphabet (Louise Doak Whitney and
Sue Guy)
• Cactus Hotel (Brenda Z. Guiberson)
• Wild West (DK Eyewitness Books)
(Stuart Murray)
•
You Wouldn't Want to Live in a Wild
West Town! (Peter Hicks, David
Salariya, and David Antram)
• Online biographical sources for:
Annie Oakley, Buffalo Bill, Wild Bill
Hickock, Will Rogers, Kit Carson
Building Bridges with Unlikely
Friends
January
P. Kline)
Owen and Mzee: The True Story of a
Remarkable Friendship (Isabella
Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff, Paula
Kahumbu, and Peter Greste)
• Owen and Mzee: The Language of
Friendship ((Isabella Hatkoff, Craig
Hatkoff, Paula Kahumbu, and Peter
Greste
• Tarra and Bella: The Elephant and
Dog Who Became Best Friends (Carol
Buckley)
Internet Resources:
• www.njccs.org
• http://wwwcorestandards.org/thestanda
rds
• http://www.state.nj.us/education/model
curriculum/ela/k.shtml
• http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kid
s/littlekids/
• www,funbrain.com
• www.readwritethink.com
• www.brainpop.com
• www.edhelper.com
• www.teacherspayteachers.com
• www.starfall.com
• www.wegivebooks.org
•
MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Unit of Study:
(Title, timeframe,
description)
•
•
•
•
•
•
Cross-curricular /
differentiation:
(What cross-curricular (e.g.
writing, literacy, math, science,
history, 21st century life and
careers, technology) learning
activities are included in this
unit that will help achieve the
desired results?)
(What type of differentiated
instruction will be used for
ELL, SP.ED. and G&T
students?)
A Season for Chapters
September-October
The Wild West
November-December
www.readwritethink.com
www.brainpop.com
www.edhelper.com
www.teacherspayteachers.com
www.starfall.com
www.wegivebooks.org
Internet Resources:
• www.njccs.org
• http://wwwcorestandards.org/thestand
ards
• http://www.state.nj.us/education/mod
elcurriculum/ela/k.shtml
• http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/ki
ds/littlekids/
• www,funbrain.com
• www.readwritethink.com
• www.brainpop.com
• www.edhelper.com
• www.teacherspayteachers.com
• www.starfall.com
• www.wegivebooks.org
This unit teaches:
Art: George Catlin, Edward S. Curtis,
Frederic Remington
Geography: the western United States
History: American westward expansion
(e.g., the role of the railroad) and Native
Americans (e.g., Plains Indians and the
effect of the railroad on Native American
communities)
This unit could be extended to teach:
History: American westward expansion
(e.g., the steamboat, wagon trains, the
Pony Express) and Native Americans
(e.g, Sequoyah and the Trail of Tears)
Science: Simple machines used by the
Native Americans and technology related
to westward movement (e.g., arrows and
wagon wheels)
Differentiation
By Interest
This unit teaches:
Art: van Gogh, Seurat, Bruegel,
Caillebotte, Tiffany
Music: The Four Seasons (Vivaldi)
Geography: U.S. landforms (e.g.,
mountains, coast, plains, hills, and
deserts)
This unit could be extended to teach:
Geography: U.S. geography (e.g., the
Mississippi River, mountain ranges
such as the Appalachian and Rocky
Mountains, and the Great Lakes)
Science: Weather, the water cycle,
and/or the solar system
Differentiation
By Interest
By Learning Profile
By Readiness
Curriculum Mapping
Learning Contracts
Building Bridges with Unlikely
Friends
January
This unit teaches:
Art: Structural art (e.g., architecture and
symmetry), quilts
Geography: World geography (e.g., as
related to settings such as Jerusalem)
Science: Animals (e.g., habitats)
This unit could be extended to teach:
Science: Animals (e.g., classification)
Differentiation
By Interest
By Learning Profile
By Readiness
Curriculum Mapping
Learning Contracts
Tiered Assignments
Problem Based Learning
Entry Points
MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Unit of Study:
(Title, timeframe,
description)
A Season for Chapters
September-October
Tiered Assignments
Problem Based Learning
Entry Points
The Wild West
November-December
By Learning Profile
By Readiness
Curriculum Mapping
Learning Contracts
Tiered Assignments
Problem Based Learning
Entry Points
Building Bridges with Unlikely
Friends
January
MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Unit of Study:
(Title, timeframe,
description)
Established Goals:
NJ CCCS and/or
CCSS:
(include technology and 21st
century standards)
Enduring
Understandings:
A Long Journey to Freedom
Hand-Me-Down Tales from Around
the World
April
Taking Care of Ourselves
RL.2.4, RL.2.10, SL.2.5, RI.2.8, RI.2.10,
W.2.1
Technology: 8.1.A-F, 8.2.A-G
21st Century: 9.1.A-F
What is challenging about writing a
narrative?
RL.2.1, RL.2.2, RL.2.3, RL.2.5, RL.2.6,
RL.2.7, RL.2.9, RL.2.10, RI.2.2, RI.2.3,
RI.2.4, RI.2.6 RI.2.7, RI.2.9, RI.2.10
RF.2.3(b-f), RF.2.4(a-c)
W.2.1, W.2.3, W.2.5, W.2.6, W.2.7,
W.2.8, SL.2.1(a-c), SL.2.2, SL.2.3,
SL.2.4, SL.2.4(b,c), SL.2.6
L.2.1(a-f), L.2.2(a,c,d), L.2.3(a),
L.2.4(a,e), L.2.5(a,b),
Technology: 8.1.A-F, 8.2.A-G
21st Century: 9.1.A-F
• Effective readers use specific
strategies to help them better
understand the text (e.g. using context
clues, questioning the author,
predicting what will come next,
rereading, and summarizing).
• Everyone is entitled to an opinion
about what a text means, but the text
supports some interpretations more
than others.
How are stories and poems alike? How
are they different?
Skills/Objectives:
• Note links between historical
events, including parallel
connections and sequential
connections.
• Locate and use various text features
(e.g. bold or italicized words).
• Read a passage and create a
diagram or picture with labels to
Skills/Objectives:
• Read poetry, informational text, and
literature on grade and stretch levels.
• Note links between historical events,
including parallel connections and
sequential connections.
• Retell folktales from diverse cultures,
determining their central message or
lesson.
February-March
RL.2.4, RL.2.5, RL.2.6, RL.2.7, RL.2.9,
RI.2.1, RI.2.2, RI.2.3, RI.2.4, RI.2.5,
RI.2.6, RI.2.7, RI.2.8, RI.2.9
RF.2.3(b), RF.2.3(d-f), RF.2.4(a-c)
W.2.1, W.2.2, W.2.3, W.2.5, W.2.6,
W.2.8
SL.2.1(a-c), SL.2.3, SL.2.6,
L.2.1(f), L.2.2(e), L.2.4(b,e), L.2.6
Technology: 8.1.A-F, 8.2.A-G
21st Century: 9.1.A-F
•
(students will understand...)
•
•
Essential (Guiding)
Questions: (What
Good narrative writing requires
details describing actions, thoughts,
and feelings.
Writing is a powerful form of
communication.
Reading nonfiction is a way to read
the world.
May-June
•
•
Reading about various topics in depth
helps you to become an expert.
Reading involves making sense of the
text, not just decoding the words.
Why should we support our opinions with
reasons?
provocative questions will
foster inquiry, understanding,
and transfer of learning?)
Suggested Learning
Activities:
(What specific activities will
students do and what skills will
students know as a result of the
unit?)
Skills/Objectives:
• Write an informative/explanatory piece
describing the experience of painting.
• Consult a dictionary on the spelling of
descriptive words.
• Sing songs about a given topic,
nothing how the rhythm and rhyme of
the music and lyrics might help
understanding of the topic.
MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Unit of Study:
(Title, timeframe,
description)
A Long Journey to Freedom
February-March
•
•
•
show what is being described.
Language: As you have the
students read the literature of this
unit, look for words that might lend
themselves to a discussion of
affixes and roots. Teach the
students that by knowing the root
word, you can approximate the
meaning of another word that they
may not know. Encourage students
to use dictionaries to determine
accurate meanings to check spelling
while writing.
Class Discussion/Informational
Text: Read and discuss the book
Henry's Freedom Box (Ellen
Levine), a true story of a slave's
journey to freedom. Be sure to
discuss the characters, setting, plot,
and message of the book. Discuss
what the author wants to answer,
explain, or describe. Students may
enjoy listening to the author read
the story, noting the way she
changes her voice with the different
characters.
Narrative Writing: After reading
about Henry's journey to freedom
(in Henry's Freedom Box) introduce
this narrative prompt: "Write a story
as if you are in the box headed for
freedom. Begin your story as you
get into the box and end the story as
the box is opened at your
destination. Be sure to describe the
Hand-Me-Down Tales from Around
the World
April
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Use and explain how text features in
nonfiction aid comprehension of the
text.
Compare a poetry version and a prose
version of the same story (e.g., the
Pied Piper legend).
Identify main topics of informational
texts.
Identify possible meanings for
unknown words using context clues.
Work within a group to share
information with the class as a whole
(shared reading and writing projects).
Class Discussion/Poetry: Introduce
the unit by asking students about
using their imaginations to go places.
Introduce a poet who lived over one
hundred years ago and also loved to
go places in his imagination: Robert
Louis Stevenson. As students read
(recite) his poems, have them think
about his imagination and how he
loved to wonder about the world.
(You may want to read and reread his
poetry throughout this unit,
encouraging the students to look for
poetic elements. Most of all, direct
children to enjoy the idea of going
places in their minds as you read
folktales from around the world.
Having a large map to mark the place
from which the story comes will give
this unit a stronger geography focus.)
Class Discussion/Poetry: Introduce
the poem "The Pied Piper of
Taking Care of Ourselves
May-June
•
•
•
•
•
Use reference books to research a
scientific topic (e.g., names of bones in
the human body).
Write a paragraph with an introductory
sentence, at least one supporting
sentence, and a conclusion.
Class Discussion: Why do our brains
need good food? To begin this unit,
students will need to think about the
relationship between good food and
brain function- how to nurture a
healthy body. Encourage the students
to look at the figurative meaning of the
term good food.
Word Activity: Have the students
taste-test healthy snacks, fruits, and
vegetables. Encourage them to use
adjectives by challenging them to
come up with at least three descriptive
words between each new taste. For
example, "This apple is tangy, sweet,
and crunchy!" Encourage students to
use a dictionary to check the spelling
of the words as needed.
Class Discussion/Literature:
Introduce the book The Magic School
Bus Inside the Human Body (Joanna
Cole). Remind the students that this
book is a fantasy by contains
information that is true. Use this book
to introduce the body systems for the
informational side of this unit: skeletal,
muscular, digestive, and nervous
systems. Begin a chart for each of the
body systems to add content learning
MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Unit of Study:
(Title, timeframe,
description)
A Long Journey to Freedom
February-March
•
•
action in the story, your thoughts,
and feelings. Use words to show
time order and end with a strong
wrap-up." To help prepare students
for writing strong paragraphs, plan
the writing using a sequential
graphic organizer (flow map or
trifold paper) showing a beginning,
middle, and end. To help the
students with thoughts and feelings,
you may want to have them journal
after spending several minutes in a
well-ventilated, open box.
Language Activity: Revise the
"stories from inside a box" (see
Narrative Writing) by focusing on
action words. Discuss the present
tense and past tense of verbs,
focusing particularly on irregular
verbs such as "I hide, I hid" and "I
sit, I sat."
Class Discussion/Poetry: The
poems about Harriet Tubman
("Harriet Tubman," Eloise
Greenfield) and Abraham Lincoln
("Lincoln," Nancy Byrd Turner) are
narrative poems that tell a story.
Read (recite) the poems. Use these
questions to discuss the poems:
How are the poems similar and how
are they different? What poetic
elements (e.g., alliteration,
repetition, regular beats, and rhyme)
do you hear/see in the poetry? What
is the message of each poem? Are
Hand-Me-Down Tales from Around
the World
April
•
•
Hamelin" by Robert Browning. This
poem is a narrative based on a legend
that is thought to have happened in
Hamelin, Germany. Remind students
that a legend is a story in which some
things really happened and other
things have been exaggerated over
time as the story as passed down
through generations. Ask the students
which parts of the legend are
probably true and which events have
been exaggerated over time. Read the
poem to the children. Give the
students an opportunity to retell the
story, confirming that they understand
the main events of the story. Using a
program such as "Comic Life," allow
students to create a comic strip of
"The Pied Piper" story told in the
narrative poem. Ask questions such as
who, what, where, when, why and
how: How many of you think this
story could have really happened?
What was the story teaching?
Language Activity: After reading
"The Pied Piper of Hamelin," do a
word activity based on the poem.
Collect some plural nouns from the
poem. Talk about the singular for
each word and how it is made plural.
Class Discussion/Literature:
Introduce the characteristics of
folktales by reading one or two and
asking students what the tales have in
common. Then, invite speakers to
Taking Care of Ourselves
May-June
•
•
•
from other read-aloud and student-read
books. Students can post information
from their own reading on a chart by
using index cards or sticky notes.
Student Reading/Informational
Text: Have students independently
read informational books to learn
about each body system. Students
should record new learning about each
of the body systems in a notebook.
They should look for new ways the
author supports the main idea. For
example, when reading a book about
nutrition, ask students to find reasons
in the text from why a person should
eat healthy foods.
Teacher Read Aloud/Class
Discussion: Introduce the book
Everybody Cooks Rice (Norah Dooley
and Peter J. Thornton), which is about
a girl who lives in a ethnically diverse
neighborhood. She makes a very
interesting discovery about her
neighbors when she sees what each
one is cooking. Read the book aloud.
When you are finished, ask the
children questions such as who, what,
where, when, why, and how. Some
questions might include: What do you
think the author wanted you to learn in
this book? What are the clues from the
text that helped you come to that
conclusion?
Student Reading/Fiction: In order to
stretch students' reading skills and test
MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Unit of Study:
(Title, timeframe,
description)
A Long Journey to Freedom
February-March
•
•
they similar or different? Which of
the poems uses formal English and
which one uses more informal
English?
Class Discussion/Informational
Text: Read aloud two texts about
Ruby Bridges (Ruby Bridges Goes
to School and The Story of Ruby
Bridges). Before reading, explain
that one of the books is an
autobiography (Ruby Bridges Goes
to School: A True Story) that
Bridges wrote about her own
experiences. Explain that the other
book, The Story of Ruby Bridges, is
biographical, which means that an
author wrote the book about
Bridges's life. When you finish
reading each book aloud, have the
students choose the most important
parts of the story. Then, have them
compare how the books are similar
and how they are different.
Opinion Writing: Give the
students the writing prompt:
"Choose one of the people studied
in this unit who you think is the
greatest hero in this long journey to
freedom. Give two or three strong
reasons for choosing this person."
Students should be moving toward
writing paragraphs. Remind them to
introduce the person and give
strong reasons why the person was
chosen using words like because
Hand-Me-Down Tales from Around
the World
April
•
•
read folktales from home countries.
As the visitor reads the story, have
students consider what message the
folktale might teach. When the story
is over, the speaker could share some
information about the country from
which the folktale comes.
Class Discussion/Literature: Read
the book Stone Soup (Marcia Brown)
aloud to the students. Introduce other
versions of the book. Compare and
contrast the versions of the story,
using a teacher-created graphic
organizer that addresses who, what,
where, why, when, and how questions
or a graphic organizer that addresses
character, setting, plot, and
conclusion categories. Encourage
student participation by handing each •
child three sticky notes to use to post
information on the graphic organizers.
Literary Response: Have students
select a folktale to read. Provide each
student with a piece of plain white
paper. Then, give these instructions:
Read a folktale with a partner. When
you are finished reading the folktale,
follow these directions: 1. Fold your
paper into fourths. 2. Draw a picture
of the main characters in one square.
3. Draw the setting in another square. •
4. Draw your favorite part of the plot
in another square. 5. In the last part,
write a few sentences describing what
you think the folktale is teaching.
Taking Care of Ourselves
May-June
for comprehension and fluency, have
students read a variety of fictional texts
(including fables and folktales)
independently. Although the books
share the common theme of food, they
have very different messages. For
example, Tar Beach (Faith Ringgold),
which includes a picnic scene, is
literally about rising above prejudice.
Gregory the Terrible Eater (Mitchell
Sharmat, Jose, Aruego, and Ariane
Dewey) is a funny book about a goat,
but carries a message about healthy
eating. Students can compare and
contrast stories using a Venn diagram.
These books offer a range of reading in
the 2 through 3 band of grade level and
stretch texts.
Language Activity: The title of this
unit is Taking Care of Ourselves. Ask
students what other words they know
that with -self or -selves. (Possible
answers: myself, himself, herself,
themselves, yourself, and yourselves.)
Practice using these special kinds of
pronouns in sentences. "I can do it
___________." "She climbed the
monkey bars by ________________."
"They went to the playground by
__________."
Opinion Writing: Ask the students to
choose one thing that they think is
most important to do in order to stay
healthy. Tell them to support their
opinion with facts that they learned
MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Unit of Study:
(Title, timeframe,
description)
A Long Journey to Freedom
February-March
•
•
•
Hand-Me-Down Tales from Around
the World
April
and also to link ideas. Encourage
the addition of details to strengthen
the writing and a strong statement
to close.
Informative/Explanatory: Have
students choose a topic that
interests them, something such as a
specific animal type, or how
something is made. Take students to •
the library to find one or two books
about their chosen topic. As they
read their books have them write
out several (3-5) facts about their
topic. Help students to write a topic
sentence to introduce their topic.
Allow students to write their facts
after the topic sentence, encourage
the use of transition words. Have
students write a concluding
sentence.
Writing/Media: Students can
publish their opinion pieces by
scanning the drawings and putting it •
into a slide. Opinion pieces should
be recorded and played as the
drawing is projected. These slides
and recordings could be posted on a
web page to be viewed by friends
and relatives. Arrange the slides
chronologically to reinforce the
linking of ideas in this long journey
to freedom.
Read a sample story start to
students. Explain that the passage
has no ending and their
Each time the students do this
activity, substitute one more square
with writing instead of drawing. As a
student reads the last book
independently, have them use the
four-square outline to write a retelling
of the folktale. Ask them to describe
why they know it is a folktale.
Class Discussion/Informational
Text: The informational books in this
unit are based on themes like shoes or
bread. As students read the books, ask
them to look at the way the book is
organized and locate the information
about each photograph by using the
index. As they study the book,
challenge them to find the location on
a world map from where those shoes
came. To link to geography, give each
pair of students a world map to mark
as the text moves from one place to
another.
Class Discussion/Informational
Text: If the World Were a Village: A
Book about the World's People
(David Smith) is an informational
book packed with rich facts about the
world. One of the interesting things
about this book is that is shows the
world as if it were a village of just
one hundred people. Although you
may have time for just a few pages,
focus on how much information can
be learned from the illustrations and
text. Keep a list of the information
Taking Care of Ourselves
May-June
from one of the books they read.
Remind them to stay on topic, include
details, use appropriate linking words
between ideas, and provide a strong
conclusion.
Speaking/Listening Activities:
• Participate in collaborative
conversations with diverse partners
about grade 2 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.
• Recount or describe key ideas or
details from a text read aloud or
information presented orally or
through other media.
• Tell a story or recount an experience
with appropriate facts and relevant,
descriptive details, speaking audibly in
coherent sentences.
• Produce complete sentences when
appropriate to task and situation in
order to provide requested detail or
clarification.
Language Activities:
MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Unit of Study:
(Title, timeframe,
description)
A Long Journey to Freedom
February-March
•
•
•
•
Hand-Me-Down Tales from Around
the World
April
responsibility is to finish the story
in a way that ties up all the
problems. Allow students time to
•
write.
Choose an informational text (such
as The Flyer Flew! The Invention of
the Airplane by Hill). Share the text
with students. Begin by saying that
the text is true about the inventors
of the airplane. Explain that details
are very important in non-fiction or
informational writing. Explain to
students that they are going to use a
graphic organizer to answer the six
main questions: who, what, when,
where, why and how about the text.
Share an informational text with
students. Explain that writing has
one topic that is related to every
sentence in the paragraph and
whole passage. This topic is usually •
mentioned in the first or second
sentence of a paragraph. As
students read each passage have
them mark or write the main topic
using only one word.
Give students a list of topics and
allow them to pick two or three.
Have them write at least three
supporting details/arguments for
each main topic.
Hand out three to five sentences a
•
day and have students mark the
errors and rewrite the sentences
correctly.
that the students glean from the pages
as you read.
Narrative Writing: Give the students
this prompt: Write an imaginary
narrative telling about a time you
passed through a mysterious door and
ended up in a different country. The
country may be from this folktale
unit, from a book you have read, or
just a place you want to visit. Be sure
to say where you find the door, the
country where the door leads, and
how you arrive back where you
began. Include details to describe
action, thoughts, and feelings. Be sure
to end your story well, thinking about
how authors wrap up stories." Remind
the students that their sentences
should have subjects, verbs, and
proper end punctuation.
Literature/Opinion Writing: Give
the students this prompt: "All of the
stories in this unit were folktales of
some kind. Why do you think stories
are handed down from one group of
people to another? Be sure to support
your opinion with strong reasons."
Remind the students that their
sentences should have subjects, verbs,
and proper end punctuation. Students
will produce and publish writing
using a variety of digital tools.
Read a passage of your choice to
students. Explain that the passage has
no ending and their responsibility is
Taking Care of Ourselves
May-June
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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).
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).
Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling when writing.
Capitalize holidays, product names,
and geographic names.
Use an apostrophe to form contractions
and frequently occurring possessives.
Generalize learned spelling patterns
when writing words (e.g., cage →
badge; boy → boil).
Use knowledge of language and its
conventions when writing, speaking,
MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Unit of Study:
(Title, timeframe,
description)
A Long Journey to Freedom
February-March
Hand-Me-Down Tales from Around
the World
April
Speaking/Listening Activities:
• Participate in collaborative
conversations with diverse
• partners about grade 2 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.
• Recount or describe key ideas or
details from a text read aloud or
information presented orally or
through other media.
• 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.
• Tell a story or recount an
experience with appropriate facts
and relevant, descriptive details,
speaking audibly in coherent
sentences.
• Produce complete sentences when
appropriate to task and situation in
order to provide requested detail or
to finish the story in a way that ties up
all the problems.
• Hand out three to five sentences a day
and have students mark the errors and
rewrite the sentences correctly.
Speaking/Listening Activities:
• Participate in collaborative
conversations with diverse partners
about grade 2 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.
• Recount or describe key ideas or
details from a text read aloud or
information presented orally or
through other media.
• Tell a story or recount an experience
with appropriate facts and relevant,
descriptive details, speaking audibly
in coherent sentences.
• Produce complete sentences when
appropriate to task and situation in
order to provide requested detail or
clarification.
Taking Care of Ourselves
May-June
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
reading, or listening.
a. Compare formal and informal uses
of English.
Determine or clarify the meaning of
unknown and multiple meaning words
and phrases based on grade 2 reading
and content, choosing flexibly from an
array of strategies.
Use sentence-level context as a clue to
the meaning of a word or phrase.
Determine the meaning of the new
word formed when a known prefix is
added to a known word (e.g.,
happy/unhappy, tell/retell).
Use a known root word as a clue to the
meaning of an unknown word with the
same root (e.g., addition, additional).
Use knowledge of the meaning of
individual words to predict the
meaning of compound words (e.g.,
birdhouse, lighthouse, housefly;
bookshelf, notebook, bookmark).
Use glossaries and beginning
dictionaries, both print and digital, to
determine or clarify the meaning of
words and phrases.
Demonstrate understanding of
figurative language, 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
MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Unit of Study:
(Title, timeframe,
description)
A Long Journey to Freedom
Taking Care of Ourselves
February-March
Hand-Me-Down Tales from Around
the World
April
clarification.
Language Activities:
• Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English
grammar and usage when writing or
speaking.
• 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).
• Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling when writing.
e. Consult reference materials,
including beginning dictionaries, as
needed to check and correct
spellings.
• Determine or clarify the meaning of
unknown and multiple meaning
words and phrases based on grade 2
reading and content, choosing
flexibly from an array of strategies.
• Determine the meaning of the new
word formed when a known prefix
is added to a known word (e.g.,
happy/unhappy, tell/retell).
• Use glossaries and beginning
dictionaries, both print and digital,
to determine or clarify the meaning
of words and phrases.
• Use words and phrases acquired
through conversations, reading and
Language Activities:
• 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).
• 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).
• Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling when writing.
• Capitalize holidays, product names,
and geographic names.
• Use an apostrophe to form
contractions and frequently occurring
possessives.
• Generalize learned spelling patterns
when writing words (e.g., cage →
badge; boy → boil).
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).
Technology Activities:
• Illustrate and communicate original
ideas and stories using digital tools
and media-rich resources.
• Engage in a variety of developmentally
appropriate learning activities with
students in other classes, schools, or
countries using electronic tools.
• Model legal and ethical behaviors
when using both print and non-print
information by citing resources.
• Use digital tools and online resources
to explore a problem or issue affecting
children, and discuss possible
solutions.
• Communicate with students in the
United States or other countries using
digital tools to gather information
about a specific topic and share
results.
21st Century Life and Career Skills
Activities:
• Recognize a problem and brainstorm
ways to solve the problem individually
or collaboratively.
• Participate in brainstorming sessions to
seek information, ideas, and strategies
May-June
MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Unit of Study:
(Title, timeframe,
description)
A Long Journey to Freedom
February-March
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).
Technology Activities:
• Illustrate and communicate original
ideas and stories using digital tools
and media-rich resources.
• Engage in a variety
of developmentally
appropriate learning activities with
students in other classes, schools, or
countries using electronic tools.
• Model legal and ethical behaviors
when using both print and non-print
information by citing resources.
• Use digital tools and online
resources to explore a problem or
issue affecting children, and discuss
possible solutions.
• Communicate with students in the
United States or other countries
using digital tools to gather
information about a specific topic
and share results.
21st Century Life and Career Skills
Activities:
• Recognize a problem and
brainstorm ways to solve the
problem individually or
collaboratively.
• Participate in brainstorming
sessions to seek information, ideas,
and strategies that foster creative
Hand-Me-Down Tales from Around
the World
April
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Use knowledge of language and its
conventions when writing, speaking,
reading, or listening.
a. Compare formal and informal uses
of English.
Determine or clarify the meaning of
unknown and multiple meaning
words and phrases based on grade 2
reading and content, choosing flexibly
from an array of strategies.
Use sentence-level context as a clue
to the meaning of a word or phrase.
Determine the meaning of the new
word formed when a known prefix is
added to a known word (e.g.,
happy/unhappy, tell/retell).
Use a known root word as a clue to
the meaning of an unknown word
with the same root (e.g., addition,
additional).
Use knowledge of the meaning of
individual words to predict the
meaning of compound words (e.g.,
birdhouse, lighthouse, housefly;
bookshelf, notebook, bookmark).
Use glossaries and beginning
dictionaries, both print and digital, to
determine or clarify the meaning of
words and phrases.
Demonstrate understanding of
figurative language, word
relationships and nuances in word
meanings.
Identify real-life connections between
words and their use (e.g., describe
Taking Care of Ourselves
May-June
•
•
•
•
that foster creative thinking.
Practice collaborative skills in groups,
and explain how these skills assist in
completing tasks in different settings
(at home, in school, and during play).
Demonstrate an awareness of one’s
own culture and other cultures during
interactions within and outside of the
classroom.
Demonstrate effective communication
using digital media during classroom
activities.
Explain the importance of
understanding and following rules in
family, classroom, and community
settings.
MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Unit of Study:
(Title, timeframe,
description)
A Long Journey to Freedom
February-March
•
•
•
•
thinking.
Practice collaborative skills in
groups, and explain how these skills
assist in completing tasks in
different settings (at home, in
school, and during play).
Demonstrate an awareness of one’s
own culture and other cultures
during interactions within and
outside of the classroom.
Demonstrate effective
communication using digital media
during classroom activities.
Explain the importance of
understanding and following rules
in family, classroom, and
community settings.
Hand-Me-Down Tales from Around
the World
April
foods that are spicy or juicy).
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).
Technology Activities:
• Illustrate and communicate original
ideas and stories using digital tools
and media-rich resources.
• Engage in a variety
of developmentally
appropriate learning activities with
students in other classes, schools, or
countries using electronic tools.
• Model legal and ethical behaviors
when using both print and non-print
information by citing resources.
• Use digital tools and online resources
to explore a problem or issue
affecting children, and discuss
possible solutions.
• Communicate with students in the
United States or other countries using
digital tools to gather information
about a specific topic and share
results.
21st Century Life and Career Skills
Activities:
•
Taking Care of Ourselves
May-June
MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Unit of Study:
(Title, timeframe,
description)
A Long Journey to Freedom
February-March
Hand-Me-Down Tales from Around
the World
April
Taking Care of Ourselves
May-June
•
Assessments &
Evidence:
(Through what authentic
performance tasks will students
demonstrate the desired
understandings?)
(By what criteria will
performance of understanding
be judged?)
Suggested Resources:
1. Learning center activities
2. Shared reading
3. Class discussions
4. Student participation
5. Writer’s notebook
6. Teacher observations
7. Authentic assessments, tests, quizzes
8. Projects
9. Open-ended responses
10. Guided Reading
11. Model Curriculum Benchmark
Assessment
Fundations
Being a Writer
Recognize a problem and brainstorm
ways to solve the problem
individually or collaboratively.
• Participate in brainstorming sessions
to seek information, ideas, and
strategies that foster creative thinking.
• Practice collaborative skills in groups,
and explain how these skills assist in
completing tasks in different settings
(at home, in school, and during play).
• Demonstrate an awareness of one’s
own culture and other cultures during
interactions within and outside of the
classroom.
• Demonstrate effective communication
using digital media during classroom
activities.
• Explain the importance of
understanding and following rules in
family, classroom, and community
settings.
1. Learning center activities
2. Shared reading
3. Class discussions
4. Student participation
5. Writer’s notebook
6. Teacher observations
7. Authentic assessments, tests, quizzes
8. Projects
9. Open-ended responses
10. Guided Reading
11. Model Curriculum Benchmark
Assessment
Fundations
Being a Writer
1. Learning center activities
2. Shared reading
3. Class discussions
4. Student participation
5. Writer’s notebook
6. Teacher observations
7. Authentic assessments, tests, quizzes
8. Projects
9. Open-ended responses
10. Guided Reading
11. Model Curriculum Benchmark
Assessment
Fundations
Being a Writer
MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Unit of Study:
(Title, timeframe,
description)
A Long Journey to Freedom
February-March
Leveled Books
*Read nonfiction/fiction books
related to freedom*
Suggested Literary Texts:
Stories:
• The Other Side (1950s) (Jacqueline
Woodson and E.B. Lewis)
• Freedom Summer (1964) (Deborah
Wiles and Jerome Lagarrigue)
Stories (Read Aloud):
• Freedom on the Menu: The
Greensboro Sit-Ins (1960) (Carole
Boston Weatherford and Jerome
Lagarrigue)
• Dear Mr. Rosenwald (1920)
(Carole Boston Weatherford)
• Finding Lincoln (1951) (Ann
Malaspina and Colin Bootman)
• A Sweet Smell of Roses (1963)
(Angela Johnson and Eric
Velasquez)
Poem:
• "Words Like Freedom" (Langston
Hughes)
Poems (Read Aloud):
• "Rosa" (Rita Dove)
• "Merry-Go-Round" (Langston
Hughes)
• "Harriet Tubman" (Eloise
Greenfield)
• "Lincoln" (Nancy Byrd Turner)
Informational Texts:
Books:
• Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story
from the Underground Railroad
Hand-Me-Down Tales from Around
the World
April
Taking Care of Ourselves
Leveled Books
*Read fairy tales, folktales, and tall
tales.
Suggested Literary Texts:
Stories:
• The Treasure (Uri Shulevitz)
• Itching and Twitching: A Nigerian
Folktale (Patricia C. McKissack,
Robert L. McKissack, and Laura
Freeman)
• The Girl Who Wore Too Much: A
Folktale from Thailand (Margaret
Read McDonald and Yvonne Lebrun
Davis)
• Caps for Sales: A Tale of a Peddler
(Esphyr Slobodkina)
• The Enormous Turnip (Alexei
Tolstoy and Scott Goto)
• Liang and the Magic Paintbrush
(Demi)
• Stone Soup (Ann McGovern and
Winslow Pinney Pels)
• Cuckoo/Cucu: A Mexican Folktale
(Lois Ehlert and Gloria De Aragon
Andujar)
• Moon Rope/Un lazo a la luna: A
Peruvian Folkale (Lois Ehlert and
Amy Prince)
• The Pied Piper's Magic (Steven
Kellogg)
• Stone Soup (Marcia Brown)
• Stone Soup (Jon J. Muth)
• The Real Story of Stone Soup (Ying
Chang Compestine)
Leveled Books
*Read books related to taking care of
ourselves*
Suggested Literacy Texts:
Stories:
• Yoko (Rosemary Wells)
• Beach (Faith Ringgold)
• In the Night Kitchen (Maurice Sendak)
• Gregory the Terrible Eater (Mitchell
Sharmat, Jose Arugeo, and Ariane
Dewey)
• Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
(Judi and Ron Barrett)
• Dim Sum for Everyone (Grace Lin)
• Thunder Cake (Patricia Polacco)
• How My Parents Learned to Eat (Ina
R. Friedman and Allen Say)
• Everybody Serves Soup (Norah Dooley
and Peter J. Thornton)
• Everybody Brings Noodles (Norah
Dooley and Peter J. Thornton)
Stories (Read Aloud):
• The Magic School Bus Inside the
Human Body (Joanna Cole and Bruce
Degan)
• Something's Happening on Calbash
Street (Judith Ross)
• Strega Nona (Tomie de Paola)
• Chato's Kitchen (Gary Soto and Susan
Guevara)
• Too Many Tamales (Gary Soto and Ed
Martinez)
• Everybody Cooks Rice (Norah Dooley
and Peter J. Thorton)
May-June
MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Unit of Study:
(Title, timeframe,
description)
A Long Journey to Freedom
February-March
(1849) (Ellen Levine and Kadir
Nelson)
• Rosa Parks (Rookie Biogrpahies)
(1955) (Will Mara)
• Ruby Bridges Goes to School: My
True Story (1960) (Ruby Bridges)
• Martin Luther King Jr. and the
March on Washington (1963)
(Frances E. Ruffin and Stephen
Marchesi)
• Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. (1963)
(Doreen Rappaport and Bryan
Collier)
• Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up
by Sitting Down (1960) (Andrea D.
and Brian Pinkney)
Informational Books (Read Aloud):
• Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led
Her People to Freedom (c. 18201913) (Carole Boston Weatherford
and Kadir Nelson)
• Lincoln: A Photobiography (18091865) (Russell Freedman)
• A Picture Book of Jesse Owens
(1935) (David A. Adler and Robert
Casilla)
• The Story of Ruby Bridges (1960)
(Robert Coles and George Ford)
Internet Resources:
• www.njccs.org
• http://wwwcorestandards.org/thesta
ndards
• http://www.state.nj.us/education/mo
delcurriculum/ela/k.shtml
Hand-Me-Down Tales from Around
the World
April
•
•
Stone Soup (Tony Ross)
Some Friends to Feed: The Story of
Stone Soup (Pete Seeger, Paul Dubois
Jacobs, and Michael Hays)
• Stone Soup (Heather Forest and Susan
Gaber)
• Bone Button Borscht (Aubrey Davis
and Dusan Petricic)
Stories (Read Aloud):
• The Thirteen Clocks (James Thurber
and Marc Simont)
• Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A
Cuban Folkale (Carmen Agra Deedy
and Michael Austin)
• "How the Camel Got His Hump" in
Just So Stories (Rudyard Kipling)
• The Village of Round and Square
Houses (Ann Grifalconi)
• The Lost Horse: A Chinese Folktale
(Ed Young and Tracey Adams)
• The Five Chinese Brothers (Claire
Huchet Bishop and Kurt Wiese)
• Not One Damsel in Distress: World
Folktales for Strong Girls (Jane
Yolen and Susan Guevara)
Poems:
• "The Land of Counterpane" (Robert
Louis Stevenson)
• "Foreign Lands" (Robert Louis
Stevenson)
• "The Land of Story Books" (Robert
Louis Stevenson)
• "At the Seaside" (Robert Louis
Stevenson)
Taking Care of Ourselves
May-June
•
Everybody Bakes Bread (Norah
Dooley and Peter J. Thorton)
• My Mom Loves Me More Than Sushi
(Filomena Gomes and Ashley Spires)
• The Sweetest Fig (Chris Van Allsburg)
Poems:
• "Sick" (Shel Silverstein)
• "The Pizza" (Ogden Nash)
• "Bananas and Cream" (David McCord)
• Chicken Soup with Rice: A Book of
Months (Maurice Sendak)
Poems (Read Aloud):
• "Turtle Soup" (Lewis Carroll)
• Eats: Poems (Arnold Adoff and Susan
Russo)
• "Boa Constrictor" (Shel Silverstein)
Informational Texts:
Informational Books:
• What Happens to a Hamburger? (Paul
Showers and Edward Miller)
• The Digestive System (Rebecca L.
Johnson)
• Good Enough to Eat: A Kid's Guide to
Food and Nutrition (Lizzy Rockwell)
• The Nervous System (Joelle Riley)
• The Skeleton Inside You (Philip
Balestrino and True Kelley)
Informational Books (Read Aloud):
• Muscles: Our Muscular System
(Seymour Simon)
• "Muscles" (Kids Discover Magazine)
• The Mighty Muscular and Skeletal
Systems: How Do My Muscles and
Bones Work? (John Burnstein)
MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Unit of Study:
(Title, timeframe,
description)
A Long Journey to Freedom
February-March
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/
kids/littlekids/
www,funbrain.com
www.readwritethink.com
www.brainpop.com
www.edhelper.com
www.teacherspayteachers.com
www.starfall.com
www.wegivebooks.org
Hand-Me-Down Tales from Around
the World
April
•
"Where Go the Boats?" (Robert Louis
Stevenson)
• "My Bed is a Boat" (Robert Louis
Stevenson)
Poem (Read Aloud):
• "The Pied Piper of Hamelin" (Robert
Browning)
Informational Texts:
Informational Books:
• Art Around the World (Discovery
World) (Heather Leonard)
• Shoes, Shoes, Shoes (Around the
World Series) (Ann Morris)
• On the Go (Around the World Series)
(Ann Morris and Ken Heyman)
• Loving (Around the World Series)
(Ann Morris and Ken Heyman)
• Bread, Bread, Bread (Around the
World Series) (Ann Morris and Ken
Heyman)
• Houses and Homes (Around the
World Series) (Ann Morris and Ken
Heyman)
Informational Books (Read Aloud)
• If the World Were a Village: A Book
about the World's People (David
Smith and Shelagh Armstrong)
• Hungry Plant: What the World Eats
(Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio)
• How I Learned Geography (Uri
Shulevitz)
Internet Resources:
• www.njccs.org
• http://wwwcorestandards.org/thestand
Taking Care of Ourselves
May-June
•
Bones: Our Skeletal System (Seymour
Simon)
• "Bones" (Kids Discover Magazine)
• "Nutrition" (Kids Discover Magazine)
• Healthy Eating Series (Susan
Martineau and Hel James)
• Eat Your Vegetables! Drink Your Milk!
(Alvin Silverstein, Virginia B.
Silverstein, and Laura Silverstein
Nunn)
• The Food Pyramid (Christine TaylorButler)
• Showdown at the Food Pyramid (Rex
Barron)
• Guts: Our Digestive System (Seymour
Simon)
• Break It Down: The Digestive System
(Steve Parker)
• Digestive System (Cheryl Jakab)
• The Digestive System (Christine
Taylor-Butler)
• The Digestive System (Kristin Petrie)
• "Brain" (Kids Discover Magazine)
• The Astounding Nervous System: How
Does My Brain Work? (John Burstein)
• The Nervous System (Christine TaylorButler)
Internet Resources:
• www.njccs.org
• http://wwwcorestandards.org/thestanda
rds
• http://www.state.nj.us/education/model
curriculum/ela/k.shtml
• http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kid
MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Unit of Study:
(Title, timeframe,
description)
A Long Journey to Freedom
February-March
Hand-Me-Down Tales from Around
the World
April
ards
http://www.state.nj.us/education/mod
elcurriculum/ela/k.shtml
• http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/ki
ds/littlekids/
• www,funbrain.com
• www.readwritethink.com
• www.brainpop.com
• www.edhelper.com
• www.teacherspayteachers.com
• www.starfall.com
• www.wegivebooks.org
This unit teaches:
Music and Dance: Sergei Prokofiev,
ballet
History and Geography: World
geography (e.g., places of origin for
folktales: Nigeria, Thailand, Mexico,
Peru, etc.; cultural comparisons)
This unit could be extended to teach:
History and Geography: (e.g., e pluribus
unum, Ellis Island, etc.)
Differentiation
• By Interest
• By Learning Profile
• By Readiness
• Curriculum Mapping
• Learning Contracts
• Tiered Assignments
• Problem Based Learning
• Entry Points
•
Cross-curricular /
differentiation:
(What cross-curricular (e.g.
writing, literacy, math, science,
history, 21st century life and
careers, technology) learning
activities are included in this
unit that will help achieve the
desired results?)
(What type of differentiated
instruction will be used for
ELL, SP.ED. and G&T
students?)
This unit teaches:
Art: Photography, Norman Rockwell
Geography: Southern states and
Canada
History: Slavery (e.g., Lincoln,
Tubman), Civil Rights Movement (e.g.,
Ruby Bridges, Martin Luther King Jr.)
This unit could be extended to teach:
History: Civil War (e.g., slavery,
states’ rights) Civil Rights (e.g., Susan
B. Anthony)
Differentiation
• By Interest
• By Learning Profile
• By Readiness
• Curriculum Mapping
• Learning Contracts
• Tiered Assignments
• Problem Based Learning
• Entry Points
Taking Care of Ourselves
May-June
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
s/littlekids/
www,funbrain.com
www.readwritethink.com
www.brainpop.com
www.edhelper.com
www.teacherspayteachers.com
www.starfall.com
www.wegivebooks.org
This unit teaches:
Art: Seventeenth-century Dutch still like
painting, William Bailey, Wayne Thiebaud
Science: Body systems (e.g., digestive,
nervous, muscular, and skeletal)
Nutrition: (e.g., foods to eat and healthy
living)
This unit could be extended to teach:
Science: Healthy living (e.g., teeth, safety,
and environmental hazards)
Differentiation
• By Interest
• By Learning Profile
• By Readiness
• Curriculum Mapping
• Learning Contracts
• Tiered Assignments
• Problem Based Learning
• Entry Points