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Teach about nocturnal animals.

National Standard
Science (NSES)
Characteristics of organisms

Common Core Standard
Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.

Goal
Students will learn about nocturnal animals.

Objective
Students will be able to name three nocturnal animals and explain how they find prey in the dark.

Concepts of Comprehension©
Drawing Conclusions is when you figure out what a text means by using what you already know and information from the text. After students have read about nocturnal animals, ask: What might happen if an owl could not fly quietly? What information lets you know that flying quietly is important? (Possible answer: Flying quietly lets owls sneak up on their prey.)

Link
Watch an animated video about echolocation.

Literature Connection
• Amazing Snakes! by Sarah L. Thomson
• Bats at the Beach, by Brian Lies
• Good-Night, Owl! by Pat Hutchins
• A Snake Mistake, by Harriet Ziefert
• Stellaluna, by Janell Cannon
• Where Are the Night Animals? by Mary Ann Fraser  

Before Reading  
Critical Thinking: Explain that some animals come out at night. Ask: What animal is on the cover of this issue? What other animals are awake after dark? How might those animals find food in the dark?

Background Information
• Bats are the only mammals that can fly. A mammal is a warm-blooded animal that has fur or hair on its body. Female mammals feed their babies milk from their bodies. A baby bat is called a pup.
• Most bats eat insects. A brown bat can eat 6,000 mosquitoes, flies, moths, beetles, and other insects each night. Other bats eat the seeds of plants.
• Most owls catch their prey with the talons on their feet.
• Snakes are reptiles. They are cold-blooded. The temperatures of their environments determine their body temperatures. Other reptiles include alligators, crocodiles, and lizards.

During Reading
Compare and Contrast: Point out that some bats, owls, and snakes are nocturnal. Ask: What else do those animals have in common? How are they different?

After Reading
Critical Thinking: Tell students to imagine they are nocturnal. Ask: How would life be different if you slept during the day and stayed awake at night?

Science Extension: Ask students to brainstorm a list of nocturnal animals. Then ask each student to choose an animal to learn more about. Students can write facts about their animals to share with the class.

Adaptation: Print key words from the issue in letters at least an inch tall on large note cards. Words may include nocturnal, prey, predator, owl, bat, and so on. Show students each card for 10 seconds. After you put down the card, ask students to write the word.

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Reinforce several fire safety tips.

National Standard
Science (NSES)
Personal safety

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

Goal
Students will gain an understanding of how people can prepare for and stay safe in the event of a fire.

Objective
Students will be able to identify the importance of smoke alarms, the purpose of a family escape plan, the need to have a meeting place, whom to call in an emergency, and ways to escape from a home during a fire.

Concepts of Comprehension©
Cause is the reason why something happens. Effect is what happens as a result. Explain that a lighter can be the cause of a fire. The fire is the effect. Fire officials want more states to ban the sale of lighters that look like toys. Ask: If more states ban the sale of the lighters, what might be the effect?

Link
Extend learning with interactive games and quizzes about fire safety.

Literature Connection
• The Fire, by Annette Griessman
• Fire Fighters, by Lucia Raatma
• Fire! Fire! by Gail Gibbons
• Richard Scarry’s A Day at the Fire Station, by Richard Scarry
• Stop Drop and Roll, by Margery Cuyler  

Before Reading  
Critical Thinking: Tell students that Fire Prevention Week is in October. Ask: How might a fire start? How can people stay safe during a fire?

Background Information
• The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has been the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week since 1922. This year’s theme is “It’s Fire Prevention Week! Protect Your Family From Fire!”
• Sparky the Fire Dog is the mascot of the NFPA.
• Many fires start in the kitchen. Misuse of stoves is the number-one cause of home fires, according to the NFPA.
• One way to escape a smoke-filled room is to “stay low and go.” Smoke rises. It is important to stay low to the ground. Drop, crawl, and go!
• Stop, drop, and roll if your clothes are on fire. (Stop immediately where you are. Drop to the ground. Cover your face with your hands, and roll over and over. That helps put out the flames.)

During Reading
Critical Thinking: Tell students to look at the photo of the outdoor meeting place. Ask: Why should you never go back inside a burning building?

After Reading
Extend Learning: Note that fire prevention saves lives. Ask: What are some ways to prevent fires?

Science Extension: Ask each student to draw a floor plan of his or her home, including windows and doors. Instruct students to draw arrows that indicate at least two safe ways out of each room. Ask them to practice their fire escape plans with their families.

Adaptation: Have students find all the words in the issue that begin with the letter f (for example, firefighter, fire, and family). When students have finished, encourage them to think of other words that begin with f. Write the words on a word wall.

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Explore the human skeletal system.

National Standard
Science (NSES)
Characteristics of organisms

Common Core Standard
Know and use the various text features (e.g., captions, bold print, subheadings, glossaries, indexes, electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or information in a text efficiently.

Goal
Students will learn about the skeletal system.

Objective
Students will be able to name some of the body’s bones and explain their purpose.

Concepts of Comprehension©
Text Features are words and pictures that help organize and highlight information. Examples include headlines, photographs, and captions. Ask: How do the headlines and photos help you understand the information you read? What might the issue be like without headlines and photos?

Link
Learn the names of the bones that make up your skeleton.

Literature Connection
• A Book About Your Skeleton, by Ruth Belov Gross
• Dem Bones, by Bob Barner
• The Skeletal System, by Caroline Arnold
• The Skeleton Inside You, by Philip Balestrino

Before Reading
Critical Thinking: Ask: What is a skeleton? Why are bones important? What might happen if you didn’t have bones in your body? Can you name any of the bones in your body?

Background Information
• A skeleton is a framework of bones. Muscles and bones work together to create body movement.
• The funny bone is not really a bone. It is the nickname for a place at the back of the elbow. Hitting it against something can cause pain. The funny bone is found at the end of the humerus, or upper arm bone. Humerus sounds like the word humorous, which means “funny.”
• The smallest bone in the skeleton is in the ear. It is called the stapes. The biggest bone is a leg bone called the femur.
• The place at which two or more bones meet is called a joint. Some joints, such as those in the skull, fit together neatly, like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Other joints, such as the elbows and knees, are held together by muscles and ligaments.
• Cartilage protects bones in the joints from injury. Cartilage is a tissue similar to bone; however, it is much more flexible.

During Reading
Critical Thinking: Direct students’ attention to the picture of the X-ray. Explain that doctors use X-rays to see things such as broken bones without having to cut into the body. Ask: What does the X-ray show?  

After Reading  
Critical Thinking: Remind students that although bones are strong, bones can break. Ask: What habits should you have to help keep your bones healthy?

Science Extension: Get students out of their seats with a game of Skeleton Simon Says. Use the correct scientific names for bones in the human skeleton. For example, “Simon says move your femur.”

Adaptation: Using construction paper and paper fasteners, have students work in groups to create life-size skeletons.

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Address the problem of bullying.

National Standard
Social Studies (NCSS)
Civic ideals and practices

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

Goal
Students will learn about the problem of bullying and how they can help stop it.

Objective
Students will be able to explain what to do if they are being bullied.

Concepts of Comprehension©
Character refers to the looks, traits, thoughts, actions, and relationships of a person or an animal in a text. Explain to students the definition of character. Ask students to brainstorm qualities and thoughts that characterize a good friend.

Link
Watch a video about bullying.

Literature Connection
• Bullies Never Win! by Margery Cuyler
• Bully B.E.A.N.S., by Julia Cook
• Bye-Bye, Bully! A Kid’s Guide for Dealing With Bullies, by J. S. Jackson
• Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns About Bullies, by Howard Binkow
• How to Be a Friend: A Guide to Making Friends and Keeping Them, by Laurie Krasny Brown
• Owen Foote, Soccer Star, by Stephanie Greene

Before Reading
Critical Thinking: Ask students to review the cover of the issue. Ask: What is bullying? How might it feel to be bullied? How might kids be able to stop the problem of bullying?

Background Information
• This year, U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama held a conference at the White House on bullying prevention. Teachers, parents, and students from across our country came together to discuss the effects of bullying and the efforts people are making to stop it. Following several tragedies last year linked to bullying, the president has sent a strong message that everyone needs to do more to prevent bullying and to make schools and communities safe for all children.
• The National Crime Prevention Council has announced the release of new resources for educators to help them with bullying prevention and education. The resources include lesson plans, tips, and other materials intended to strengthen prevention efforts in schools. For more information, visit www.ncpc.org/topics/bullying.

During Reading
Critical Thinking: Direct students’ attention to the first photo on page 2 (What is bullying?). Have students describe what is happening in the photo. Ask: How might the girl be feeling? Why?

After Reading
Critical Thinking: Tell students that kids should be buddies, not bullies. Ask students to brainstorm qualities that characterize a good friend. For example, generous, kind, and honest. Have students complete the reproducible activity, “A Friendship Flower,” in this guide.

Social Studies Extension: Use puppets to role-play bullying scenarios (hitting, teasing, rejecting, and so on). As students watch, ask: How might the puppet feel when the other puppet hits him? How can the puppet stand up for himself? Discuss students’ answers, and explain that a person can stand up for himself or herself by speaking in a strong voice and not hurting anyone else. Show examples such as “Stop hitting! I don’t want you to hit me!” Then, have the puppet walk away and talk to an adult. Next, encourage pairs of students to use puppets to role-play bullying situations and how to stand up for themselves.

Adaptation: After reading the issue, ask individuals to paraphrase sentences from the text to check that students’ understanding is accurate.

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Grade 2 Teaching Centers, 2011-12

November 2011

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October 2011

Print out your October Teacher's Guide PDF here.

August/September 2011

Print out your August/September Teacher's Guide PDF here.