Jamie Mnayer, 2nd Grade Teacher, Atkins Elementary
Within our district’s literacy curriculum, there are nonfiction units that connect well with science and social studies topics. This is great for students and increases their interest and engagement. For this unit, students in 2nd grade are learning about wind, weather, and erosion. They are reading nonfiction texts about tornadoes, the Grand Canyon, flooding, and other types of weather. Students are learning about cause and effect through these topics and making connections between ideas. For example, students are connecting that wind and water can cause changes to the Earth such as the Grand Canyon. They are working to answer this essential question: “How do we react to changes in nature?” Through the texts and class discussions, students can see that humans have found ways to adapt to nature and protect themselves from the dangers that it can bring.
In addition to reading about this topic, students are also writing a research report about types of weather. This allows students to learn how to research a topic and use different sources such as books or websites. This project also allows them to practice how to organize their notes and form them into complete sentences in their writing. Students will also get the opportunity to share their project with their classmates. Our literacy curriculum gives our students many great opportunities to learn about the world around them!
