SECOND GRADE

 Scroll down to view the Living Classroom lessons that second grade teachers can schedule for their classes this year.

FALL


FROM SEED TO PRETZEL #1

In this fall lesson, students embark on an amazing garden adventure that will take them from seed to pretzel!  Their journey will take most of the school year to complete.  Students will explore wheat anatomy and plant wheat.

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:

State History & Social Studies Standards: 2.4.1; 2.4.2

TWIG Science: A Garden for Life

DATES OFFERED: 9/6/23-11/9/23

LESSON LENGTH: 60-75 Minutes

PARENT VOLUNTEERS:  2

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GARDEN TREASURES

Students learn about coordinate graphing as they locate garden "treasures" on a life-size coordinate grid and create a scaled coordinate map of the school garden. 

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:

NGSS: 2-ESS2-2

Common Core: CCSS.math.content.2.MD.A.3; 2.MD.B.6; 2.MD.D.9; 2.MD.D.10

TWIG Science: My Journey West

DATES OFFERED: 9/6/23-12/22/23

LESSON LENGTH: 60-75 Minutes

PARENT VOLUNTEERS:  3

WINTER


DIRT DETECTIVES

Students investigate the physical properties of soil and discover that the components of soil have different densities and absorption rates.  They also learn why certain soils are better for growing food.

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:

NGSS: 2-PS1-1

TWIG Science: Master of Materials; A Garden for Life

DATES OFFERED: 1/9/24-3/22/24

LESSON LENGTH: 60-75 Minutes

PARENT VOLUNTEERS:  2

SPRING


FLOWER POWER

Students learn about pollinators and their importance in the nature.  They dissect flowers, play a pollinator matching game, learn how bees make honey, and do a honey tasting.

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:

NGSS: 2-LS202 

TWIG Science: A Garden for Life

DATES OFFERED: 3/26/24-5/31/24

LESSON LENGTH: 60-75 Minutes

PARENT VOLUNTEERS:  2

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FROM SEED TO PRETZEL #2

In this spring lesson, students learn how wheat is harvested, threshed, and ground into flour.  They also explore other popular grains from around the world.

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:

State History & Social Studies Standards: 2.4.1; 2.4.2

TWIG Science: A Garden for Life

DATES OFFERED: 4/23/24-5/30/24

LESSON LENGTH: 60-75 Minutes

PARENT VOLUNTEERS:  2

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FROM SEED TO PRETZEL #3

In this last of three lessons in our From Seed to Pretzel series, students finally get a chance to make, bake, and eat pretzels made from the wheat they ground in From Seed to Pretzel #2.  They also learn about other grains grown around the world.

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:

State History & Social Studies Standards: 2.4.1; 2.4.2

TWIG Science: A Garden for Life

DATES OFFERED: 4/24/24-5/31/24

LESSON LENGTH: 75-90 Minutes

PARENT VOLUNTEERS:  3

SECOND GRADE RESOURCES

FROM SEED TO PRETZEL LESSON RESOURCES

PANCAKES, PANCAKES READ ALOUD

Click the book cover above to enjoy a fun read aloud about making pancakes!  This story is read during our From Seed to Pretzel #1 lesson.

FROM SEED TO PRETZEL

Learn to be both a producer and a consumer as this video shows the process of turning wheat from seed to pretzel!  Click here to view or print the recipe.

WHEAT GROWING IN OUR SCHOOL GARDENS

Click the picture above to watch a video of wheat growing in one of our school gardens.

SPEED MATCHING

See how fast you can sort the different grain pictures onto the Grains Around the World Chart.  Click here to print the activity sheets.   Click here for the answer key.

WALTER THE BAKER

Click the book cover above to enjoy a fun story called Walter the Baker by Eric Carle.

GARDEN TREASURES LESSON RESOURCES

UNDERGROUND GRID

Practice using coordinates as you locate plants, animals, and rocks in an underground grid!  Click here to do this activity at home.  Click here for the answer key.

DIRT DETECTIVES LESSON RESOURCES

MAKE A MUDSHAKE!

Test the density and makeup of different soils around your neighborhood!

SOIL CREATIONS

Feel for sand, silt, clay, and organic matter as you play with soil from your yard or neighborhood and then use the soil to create your own materpiece!

MAKE A BUG HOTEL!

Learn about Nature's FBI:  Fungi, Bacteria, and Invertebrates.  Invite the FBI to your yard by making a bug hotel!

BUILDING A WORM HABITAT

Learn how worms help create amazing soil while trying your hand at building a worm habitat at home!

HOW TO MAKE COMPOST

Learn how to enhance garden soil by making your own compost!

FLOWER POWER LESSON RESOURCES

PARTS OF A FLOWER

Learn about the parts of a flower by dissecting one and exploring each part.  Click here for an illustration of the flower parts.

THE REASON FOR A FLOWER READ ALOUD

Click the book cover above to enjoy a fun read aloud of The Reason for a Flower by Ruth Heller.

FLOWER OR LEAF HUNT

Go on a flower or leaf hunt in your backyard, neighborhood, or park and sketch the different adaptations that you notice.

LEAF TRACING OR RUBBING

Collect different leaves and trace and color them or place them underneath a sheet of paper and use a crayon on its side to make a rubbing of each leaf.

ADDITIONAL NATURE-BASED ACTIVITIES

SAVING SEEDS FROM HEIRLOOM TOMATOES

Learn how to save seeds from heirloom tomatoes and grow your favorite tomatoes year after year! 

ZERO WASTE HEROES!

Learn how to create a zero waste lunch and live more sustainably! 

LIVING CLASSROOM'S ART IN NATURE SERIES

NATURE CREATURES

Go for a nature walk and collect natural materials to make fun nature creatures.  You can even make your own self-portrait!  Collect each part of a plant:  root, stem, leaf, flower, fruit, and seed.

SPELLING WITH NATURE

Collect natural materials on a nature walk to make words with.  You will need to collect each part of a plant: root, stem, leaf, seed, flower, and fruit. 

QUIET LEAF TRACING

Find three leaves to creatively trace and color. Use this activity as an opportunity to relax and meditate.

Enjoy over a hundred different wildlife live streams at explore.org!

Flying Foxes at the Lubee Bat Conservancy

Jellyfish at the Aquarium of the Pacific

Mississippi River Flyway Cam