Course Syllabus

There is no specific national school curriculum in the U.S. Many states don't develop their own particular curriculum, but rather adopt standards of knowledge that students are expected to master.

In recent decades there has been some general agreement on the kinds of information students in different years and different subjects should be learning. Various professional teaching organizations have worked to knit together some guidelines on curriculum substance.

Forty-eight states have signed onto the concept of core standards. This course builds from those suggested national standards in eight subject areas: Reading, Writing, Math, Science, Social Studies, Art, Music and Movement, and Creative Dramatics.

For each subject, the course summarizes basic curriculum elements for second grade. Each lesson includes suggested age-appropriate activities to reinforce the lesson topics. Each lesson also includes teaching tips from experts on how to engage students in learning.

One of the major developments in curriculum over the last several decades has been a shift to presenting material in a format that is "learner-centered." Making the shift to this style of teaching is more an attitude than a technique, although in each lesson we suggest tips from educators on how best to engage students in that topic.

Studies have shown that students taught with a more engaging, interactive curriculum approach have posted significantly higher scores on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills and other achievement tests. The method of teaching is as important as the curriculum content, in affecting what students learn.

Presenting curriculum content in an environment where students feel comfortable expressing their ideas and are not embarrassed by their mistakes has repeatedly been shown to increase overall student performance. This course will help teachers learn how to create this learning environment by laying out teaching tips, learning activities, and topics to be mastered by the 2^nd grade.