CKHG Grade 2 Student Book Collection

Ancient India introduces young students to this early Asian civilization. They journey to India’s birthplace along the Indus River; explore the history of Hinduism and the celebration of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights along the Ganges River; and hear about the history of Buddhism and King Asoka’s efforts to spread its teachings.

Ancient China introduces young students to a civilization that developed along the Huang He and the Yangtze. They discover the importance of family and ancestors to the ancient Chinese; explore the Great Wall; examine the teachings of Confucius; investigate the oldest written language still used today; hear about Chinese inventions; and celebrate the Chinese New Year.

The Culture of Japan introduces young students to a modern Asian nation, its island-based geography, and its traditions. They visit its cities, bullet trains, robots, elementary schools, and sporting events, and they explore Japanese artistic traditions including origami, bonsai, and haiku.

Ancient Greece introduces young students to a civilization that has had more influence on the Western world than any other. They investigate life in ancient Athens and in ancient Sparta; learn about the Persian wars; visit the early Olympic Games; hear about Greek gods and goddesses; and meet Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and Alexander the Great.

Geography of the Americas introduces young students to the rich and diverse landscapes of North and South America. After reviewing how to use maps, they journey to the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America, and finally South America, learning about rivers and mountains, resources and climates, the peoples, and the varied animals and plants of the Western Hemisphere.

In Making the Constitution, students learn about how Americans such as James Madison, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton and Benjamin Franklin created their own form of government after the Revolutionary War. Students follow the difficult process of writing and approving the Constitution and the first ten amendments included in the Bill of Rights.

In The War of 1812, students learn about the second time Americans fought Britain and won, gaining a new sense of nationhood. Students discover the Battle of New Orleans and Old Ironsides, and the new national anthem written at Fort McHenry. The unit also introduces students to the difficulties the war engendered for Native Americans.

As the growing population began to fill up the towns and cities of the East Coast, Americans looked to move west. In this unit, students will see the new developments in transportation that helped make this happen, including the Transcontinental Railroad which carried settlers west where they found new ways of living. The Gold Rush took them to California. Students will also come to know of the negative impact of the westward movement, as the Native Americans who had lived on the land for centuries were forced to adjust, and often to move. Core Knowledge works to introduce students to difficult realities such as the Trail of Tears and the loss of great numbers of the American bison in an age appropriate manner.

In this unit students explore the difficult subject of the Civil War in an age appropriate way, but without wavering from the difficult truths. Students see the beginnings of slavery in America, and the moral struggles and compromises surrounding it. They meet Harriet Tubman, and follow her as she takes her passengers north on the Underground Railroad. Students are introduced to the generals Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant, and are shown some of the strategies behind the major campaigns. Finally, they see the surrender of the Confederacy, and walk with Lee to meet Grant at Appomattox.

The Grade 2 Core Knowledge History and Geography unit Immigration and Citizenship looks at the influx of people coming to America from the 1800s to the present day—at who they were and why they came, and what happened to them once they got here. Students look at the reasons people left their home countries—such as the potato famine in Ireland, or the persecution of Jewish people in Russia—to their lives in American cities and farms.

Civil Rights Leaders explores the growth of equality in the United States through iconic individuals. The unit begins with Susan B. Anthony, an abolitionist before the Civil War. Students then learn about Mary McLeod Bethune and Eleanor Roosevelt. Students also discover Jackie Robinson, and his courageous work to break the color barrier, as well as Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr.  Finally, Cesar Chavez is honored for the work he did to make the lives of migrant workers more tolerable.