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Teach students about George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

Goal
Students will learn about the lives of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

Objective
Students will be able to explain why Americans celebrate Presidents’ Day and name some key events in the lives of Washington and Lincoln.

Concepts of Comprehension©
Explicit Information is information that can be clearly found “right there” in the text. Ask students to find explicit information from the text to assess reading comprehension. Ask: Who was known as the Father of Our Country? Where was George Washington born? Why did the colonists fight a war with England? When was Abraham Lincoln born? What jobs did Abraham Lincoln have before he became president?

Link
Download an original readers’ theater play and accompanying Teacher's Guide about Abraham Lincoln.

Literature Connection
• Abe Lincoln: The boy who loved books, by Kay Winters
• George Did It, by Suzanne Tripp Jurmain
• Just a Few Words, Mr. Lincoln: The Story of the Gettysburg Address, by Jean Fritz
• Presidents’ Day, by Mir Tamim Ansary

Standards In This Issue

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

National Standard
Social Studies (NCSS)
People, places, and environments

Before Reading
Make Predictions: Invite students to look at the cover photo. Ask: What is Presidents’ Day? What do you know about George Washington? What do you know about Abraham Lincoln?

Background Information
• Presidents’ Day is celebrated on the third Monday of February.
• George Washington helped write the Constitution of the United States. It was signed on Sept. 17, 1787.
• As president, Washington lived in a house in New York City. That was the capital of our country at the time. He later moved to a house in Philadelphia when the capital was moved there.
• Abraham Lincoln became the 16th U.S. president on March 4, 1861. The Civil War started soon after.
• While watching a play in 1865, Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth.

During Reading
Reinforce Vocabulary in Context: Tell students that they can figure out the meaning of a word by looking at the words and sentences around it. After reading the section about George Washington, ask: What is a general? Have students show you words and sentences that helped them understand what the word means.

After Reading
Think Critically: Tell students that Washington and Lincoln are important people in the history of the United States. Ask: Is it important to learn about our country’s history? Why or why not?

Social Studies Extension: Have students perform our original readers’ theater play A Letter to Lincoln. Download the free play and Teacher’s Guide. This play is about Grace Bedell, age 11, who wrote to Lincoln and asked him to grow a beard.

Adaptation: Use echo reading to improve students’ fluency. Choose a short passage of text, and model the reading of the first sentence aloud. Ask students to read the same sentence aloud, using your reading as a model. Continue with the rest of the passage, encouraging students to read as smoothly as possible.


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Engage students in a lesson about Chinese New Year.

Goal
Students will learn about Chinese New Year.

Objective
Students will be able to explain several ways people celebrate this holiday.

Concepts of Comprehension©
Author’s Purpose is the reason why an author has written a text for readers. After reading the issue, ask: What is the author’s purpose for writing this story? A) to teach kids how to do the dragon dance; B) to explain how people celebrate Chinese New Year; C) to persuade people to visit China (The correct answer is B.)

Link
Find Chinese New Year crafts and games to play.

Literature Connection
• Celebrating Chinese New Year, by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith
• Chinese New Year, by Judith Jango-Cohen
• Happy, Happy Chinese New Year! by Demi
• Hiss! Pop! Boom! Celebrating Chinese New Year, by Tricia Morrissey
• Sam and the Lucky Money, by Karen Chinn

Standards In This Issue

Common Core State Standard
Describe how reasons support specific points the author makes in a text.

National Standard
Social Studies (NCSS)
Culture

Before Reading
Make Predictions: Ask: How do you celebrate New Year’s Eve? What is Chinese New Year? How might people celebrate that holiday?

Background Information
• The Chinese calendar is divided into months based on the cycles of the moon. Chinese New Year begins on a new moon and ends on a full moon.
• Each year in the Chinese calendar is named after one of 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac.
• For the holiday, people put out bowls of tangerines, oranges, dried fruits, and candy to wish visitors a sweet new year.
• Dragons are a symbol of power in China. They play an important role in Chinese mythology and often appear in art and literature.

During Reading
Text Features: Ask students to study the photos in the issue and choose their favorite. Ask: Why do you like this photo? What does it show? How might the person (or people) in the photo feel?

After Reading
Think Critically: Ask: Why are traditions important to people? What are some of your family’s traditions?

Language Arts Extension: Invite students to create their own Chinese New Year cards. They can decorate the fronts and write greetings inside. Display the cards in the classroom.

Adaptation: Make a copy of this week’s issue, cut out the photos, and give them to students. Create a graphic organizer on an easel pad by writing Chinese New Year in a central circle and including a small illustration or photo representing the holiday. Ask students: Who has a picture of this holiday’s food? parade? lucky money? and so on. Let students respond with the correct pictures, and affix each picture around the circle, making sure to label it. Draw a line from the central circle to each picture. Review the graphic organizer with students.


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Teach about the lives of several great Americans.

Goal
Students will learn about several notable black Americans.

Objective
Students will be able to name the notable people in the issue and describe how they made history.

Concepts of Comprehension©
Pronoun Reference means connecting the pronouns in a sentence to the nouns to which they refer. Have students brainstorm a list of pronouns. After reading the issue, ask them to complete the following sentences with pronouns: Jacob Lawrence was an artist. ___ liked to paint. His paintings are beautiful. ___ can be seen in art museums. One of those museums is the Museum of Modern Art. ___ is in New York City. (Answers: He, They, It)

Link
Enjoy crafts and ideas to celebrate Black History Month.

Literature Connection
• The ABCs of Black History: A Children’s Guide, by Craig Thompson
• Crafts That Celebrate Black History, by Kathy Ross
• The Great Migration: An American Story, paintings by Jacob Lawrence
• Jackie Robinson, by Wil Mara
• Jackie Robinson and the Story of All-Black Baseball, by Jim O’Connor
• Mae Jemison, by Nancy Polette

Standards In This Issue

Common Core State Standard
Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 2 topic or subject area.

National Standard
Social Studies (NCSS)
People, places, and environments

Before Reading
Tap Prior Knowledge: Tell students that February is Black History Month. Ask: What do you know about Black History Month? Who might you read about in this issue? What might the girl on the cover be thinking about?

Background Information
• Jackie Robinson was born in Cairo, Ga. In 1962, he became the first black American to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. After his baseball career, Robinson became active in business and social activism.
• Jacob Lawrence was born in Atlantic City, N.J. In 1941, he became the first black American artist to be included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
• Mae Jemison was born in Decatur, Ala. She grew up in Chicago. She started her own technology company. It is called the Jemison Group.
• Sujari Britt performs in a classical string trio with her brother, Sunnaj Britt, and her sister, Joelle Britt. They both play violin. The group is called JoSunJari.

During Reading
Check Predictions: Pause after reading the main story. Ask: Did you correctly predict what the issue was about? If not, what information was a surprise to you?

After Reading
Think Critically: Ask: Which person in this week’s issue would you most like to meet? What questions would you ask the person?

Social Studies Extension: Have students use books and online resources to learn more about famous black Americans. Ask each student to choose one person and write a short biography. They can display their work in the classroom.

Adaptation: Prepare a cloze activity by creating sentences based on issue content, leaving out a key word or words. Invite students to complete each sentence based on their recall of information presented.


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Teach students about dental health.

Goal
Students will learn why teeth are important and how to take care of them.

Objective
Students will be able to explain ways to take care of their teeth.

Concepts of Comprehension©
Main Idea is the big idea in a text. It tells you what the text is mostly about. After reading the issue, ask students: What is the main idea? A) Having healthy teeth is important. B) Floss cleans between teeth. C) Teeth help you speak clearly. (The correct answer is A.)

Link
Find interactive activities and games to teach dental health.

Literature Connection
• Doctor De Soto, by William Steig
• Going to the Dentist, by Helen Frost
• How Many Teeth? by Paul Showers
• Just Going to the Dentist, by Mercer Mayer
• Open Wide: Tooth School Inside, by Laurie Keller
• Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions from Around the World, by Selby B. Beeler

Standards In This Issue

Common Core State Standard
Identify the main topic of a multiparagraph text as well as the focus of specific paragraphs within the text.

National Standard
Science (NSES)
Personal health

Before Reading
Use Text Features: Explain to students that the headline (the title) and deck (the one or more lines of text between the headline and the story) give hints to what a story will be about. Have them read the headline and deck. Ask: What do you think the story will be about? Why is it important to have healthy teeth? How can you keep your teeth healthy?

Background Information
• February is National Children’s Dental Health Month.
• Dentists say people should get new toothbrushes every three months or when the bristles are worn. Bent bristles do not clean teeth properly and can damage the gums.
• The outside coating of a tooth is made of enamel, which is the hardest substance in the body.
• By age 3, most kids have a total of 20 baby teeth.
• Most kids have lost all their baby teeth by the time they are 12 or 13 years old. They have adult teeth.
• When people are between 17 and 21 years old, four more teeth may grow in. They are called wisdom teeth. They are the last teeth in the back of the mouth. Most adults have 32 teeth.

During Reading
Identify Cause and Effect: Tell students that cause is the reason why something happens. Effect is what happens as a result. Explain that plaque is the cause. Tooth decay is the effect. Ask: What is the effect when you brush and floss your teeth? What is the effect if you do not?

After Reading
Think Critically: Ask: Why might it be important to start healthy tooth-care habits when you are young? Why might it be important to continue to have healthy tooth-care habits as an adult?

Language Arts Extension: Invite students to write riddles describing key content terms from the issue. For example, “I am a sticky layer of germs that collects on teeth. You can get rid of me by brushing and flossing. What am I?” (plaque)

Adaptation: Bring in objects (a toothbrush, dental floss, an apple, raw vegetables, cheese, chewing gum, and so on) to help teach students vocabulary words and better comprehend the issue content.


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Grade 2 Teaching Centers, 2011-12

December/January 2011-12

Print out your December/January Teacher's Guide here.

November 2011

Print out your November Teacher's Guide PDF here.

October 2011

Print out your October Teacher's Guide PDF here.

August/September 2011

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