CHC Lesson Plans: Second Grade

LANGUAGE ARTS
Increased reading proficiency; reading for comprehension
Spelling and vocabulary development: compound words, homophones, synonyms, and contractions
Building language skills: capitalization, punctuation, sentence structure, nouns, verbs, adjectives, pronouns, prepositions, and dictionary skills
Writing complete sentences and short paragraphs, stories, and letters
Master manuscript printing

MATHEMATICS
Counting, reading, and writing to 1,000; counting by 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, and 10s
Addition and subtraction facts to 999
Multiplication facts through 5 x 5
Fractions (½, ⅓, ¼); geometry (polygons, symmetry)
Measurement (units of measure, perimeter, area); temperature
Telling time to the minute; calendar (days of week, months of year)
Place value to 3 digits
Working with money through $5; adding, subtracting, and multiplying money
Graphing: tables, bar graphs, picture graphs
Problem solving (selecting correct operation, using data)

SCIENCE
Awe and appreciation for the wonders of God’s creation
Simple machines and work: levers, inclined planes, screws, wedges, wheels
Kinetic and potential energy
The water cycle: evaporation, condensation
Natural resources: conservation, erosion, soil
Geology: layers of the earth, kinds of rock, minerals, volcanoes
Marine life: marine plant life, ocean food chain, marine vertebrates and invertebrates, birds, reptiles, and mammals

SOCIAL STUDIES
Continents and oceans
Geography terms
Map and globe skills
Topography and climate
Animals, landmarks, saints, and culture of each continent
Recognition of responsibility to universal family of God

RELIGION
Basic catechetical truths and participation in the life of the Church and liturgical seasons
Preparation for the Sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion
Practical, living faith: sacrifice, obedience, prayer, charity, forgiveness

NON-CORE AND ELECTIVES

Product Code: LP2
Format: Softcover
Binding: Loose-leaf, 3-hole drilled
Page Count: 118 pages
Dimensions: 8.5″×11″
Returnable? No, view return policy.
Consumable? Yes, purchase one per student.
Answer key: None required.

Q: What is the difference between core and non-core subjects?

A: A helpful feature of CHC lesson plans is the distinction between core and non-core subjects. Core subjects are the “basic essentials” of education, often thought of as the “Three R’s.” Core subjects such as math, grammar, and science are clearly labeled as such in CHC’s daily lesson plans, making it delightfully easy to trim the day’s schedule as needed. CHC’s flexible program allows non-core subjects, such as Latin, art, and penmanship, to be returned to the schedule as time permits; the focus on core subjects ensures that the student will be exposed to all that is necessary for his grade level, without placing undue demands on student or teacher in times of family “overload.”

Q: Why a four-day week? What about Wednesdays?

A: CHC lesson plans for preschool to fourth grade are designed around a four-day week. Taking off one flex-day each week provides that needed break to keep homeschooling burnout at bay.  Wednesdays are days you can assist at Holy Mass together, schedule dental and medical appointments, or dive into those all-day projects that have been beckoning. It can be a day for a mini-unit study, meeting with other families in your homeschooling group, field trips, visits to the elderly, volunteering, sewing costumes for the Feast of All Saints, making Christmas cards, or practicing your upcoming Nativity Play. Wednesdays can also be a day for mom simply to play catch-up, enjoy a sewing project, make a special dinner, or do remedial work with a child needing help—the ideas are as individual as each family and do count as school!

From fifth grade to eighth grade, CHC lesson plans follow a five-day week, since the student’s work load increases in the middle school years.

Q: I like the idea of lesson plans, but want to retain control over what I teach and when I teach it. I am wary of plans that are overstructured. Can you give me an idea of CHC’s approach?

A: CHC lesson plans combine the flexibility of a self-designed curriculum with the reassurance of knowing that one is providing a complete education. By following CHC’s lesson plans, homeschooling parents have the assurance that “all the bases are covered,” so that they can relax and enjoy sharing in the academic discoveries of their children. With CHC’s lesson plans, the family tailors the studies to fit the family; with public school, private school, or a very structured home study school, the program tailors the family to fit the studies.

Q: I would like to purchase one copy of the lesson plans and copy it for my other children. Would this break the copyright since I’m only using them with my children and not a group?

A: The copyright on lesson plans is a standard copyright, which allows unlimited use of the material as long as copies are not made of the work. If families were to photocopy the plans for more than one child – for all the children in the family – then the price of the plans would have to be much higher. The additional bonus to using one lesson plan per child is twofold: You will enjoy writing in the plans and having a permanent record to look back on, and we are constantly updating and adding new materials and ideas when we reprint each lesson plan. We both win when the copyright law is honored; CHC and its authors and artists receive payment they have earned, which in turn enables CHC to continue to publish more materials for your growing family!