Social Studies - 2nd Grade (2024)
Lesson Plans

Strand 2: Geography

Students develop an understanding of the relationship between people and their physical environment using geographic tools, technology, and map skills.

Compelling Questions:

• Why do people use maps?
• How is learning to read a map similar to and different from learning to read a story?
• What are different ways our natural environment helps meet human needs of living, working, and playing?
• What relationships do you, your family, and your community have with the vegetation, animal life, and physical features of your region?

Standard 2.2.3

Identify examples of major geographical features in their local region, state, and country and their significance for the people who live there.

• Legend of the Sleeping Ute: A Ute Mountain Ute Tale
  Our earth has so many different intersting facts about land formations and the impact of those landforms on our communities. Students will practice identifying different landforms and focus on one landform through a Native American story - "The Legend of the Sleeping Ute: A Ute Mountain Ute Tale"The Ute Mountain Ute people are one of three Ute tribes living in southeastern Utah and southwestern Colorado. The Ute Mountain Ute tribal headquarters are located at Towaoc, Colorado.
• Symbols, Geographic Features, and Community: A Digital Storytelling Project
  This lesson meets the 2nd Grade Utah Core Social Studies Standard 3, Objective1: Identify common symbols and physical features of a community, and explain how they affect people's activities in that areaStudents will learn about things that affect their community like traffic signs and symbols, topographical features and manmade features like roads and homes. They will create a digital story to tell their classmates what they enjoy doing in their community and local environment. It is about 45-60 minutes, probably best broken up over several days, and should be completed during class. 
• Where do you live?
  Activities and a game help students compare rural, suburban, and urban communities.

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http://www.uen.org - in partnership with Utah State Board of Education (USBE) and Utah System of Higher Education (USHE).  Send questions or comments to USBE Specialist - Robert  Austin and see the Social Studies website. For general questions about Utah's Core Standards contact the Director - Jennifer  Throndsen.

These materials have been produced by and for the teachers of the State of Utah. Copies of these materials may be freely reproduced for teacher and classroom use. When distributing these materials, credit should be given to Utah State Board of Education. These materials may not be published, in whole or part, or in any other format, without the written permission of the Utah State Board of Education, 250 East 500 South, PO Box 144200, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-4200.