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Let’s Learn Together!

Science: Plant Needs Week 1 –Read ”Plants” and answer questions 1-3. Week 2 – Read “How Plants Grow” and answer questions 1-2. Background Information - Plants need three things to grow. They need sunlight, air, and water. Leaves take in sunlight and carbon dioxide from the air and use the water taken in by the roots to help make glucose (sugar). This glucose is the plant’s food. This process (photosynthesis) happens in the leaves.

Social Studies: Canadian Culture Social Studies activities in this learning bundle expand students’ understanding of Canada, America’s neighbor to the north. Second graders will read about Canadian life, sports, school, food, and other areas. Students will then compare Canadian culture to their own and then write a letter to a fictional friend in Canada that expresses the similarities and differences between Canadian culture and their own.

Social Studies and science

Activities At –A–Glance

The following assignments should be kept in the student’s

portfolio to be turned in at a later date:

Science: Cut and paste Plant T-Chart

Social Studies: Letter to Canada

My child completed his/her science and social studies work from learning bundle four.

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Parent Signature

Grade 2 Social Studies

SS1

Introduction: Culture is the food, languages, clothing, music, and other things that makes a group of people unique. Why is it important to understand peoples’ culture? Explain in a sentence or two.

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Directions: Read the article about the culture of the Canadian people. While you are reading, think about how Canadian culture compares to your own. Underline anything you have in common with the people of Canada.

Canadian Culture

Canada is the second largest country in the world; only Russia is larger.

Canada is broken up into 10 provinces (similar to states) and 3 territories. Like

all countries, the Canadian people have a unique culture, or way of life.

However, there are some similarities you may notice.

Life as a Kid

Unless it’s summertime, kids wake up each

morning and head to school. There, they

study subjects like math, science, and

Canadian history. After school, they go

home to study or help around the house.

They might turn on the television to watch

their favorite show or hockey team. Or they might play video games or surf

the internet. Kids might also go play in a hockey league, which they can join

when they’re seven years old. If they’re not in a league, they can play street

hockey with their friends.

Games and Sports

Hockey is the most popular sport in Canada, but soccer and basketball are

also becoming very popular with young people. Wayne Gretzky, one of the

Grade 2 Social Studies

SS2

best hockey players ever, is Canadian. Kids

often begin playing hockey when they are

very young, playing on local teams or

participating in hockey camps. In the

winter, they even play hockey outside on

frozen lakes.

Some Canadians also play a game

called curling. Like hockey, this game is played on ice. Two teams take turns

sliding a large stone over the ice to reach a target. Curling takes a lot of

strategy, such as knocking the other team’s stone out of the way or

sweeping the ice in front of the stone so it slides straighter. Players even

wear special shoes for the game. Many Canadian kids love the outdoors and

go fishing, camping, and canoeing whenever they can.

Holidays

Canadians celebrate New Year’s Day, Labour

Day, and Christmas, among others. Canada Day

is celebrated on July 1st and honors the day all

the parts of Canada came together. It’s a time

for picnics, barbecues, and fireworks at night.

People usually wear red and white.

Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving, which is in

October and is based on the harvest. Boxing Day is the day after Christmas.

This holiday comes from an old British tradition of giving boxed presents to

servants and the poor. Today, people use this day to relax and visit friends

and relatives.

Food

The foods Canadians eat depend partly on where they live. In the Atlantic

provinces, where fishing is common, people enjoy seafood, especially

lobster. In Québec, there are a lot of French foods because the people there

speak French. In central Canada, they eat wild rice, smoked fish, beef, and a

variety of other foods. In some western cities with a lot of immigrant

Grade 2 Social Studies

SS3

communities, a variety of ethnic foods are available. People from native

tribes eat common foods like hamburgers, as well as traditional foods

like muktaaq (whale skin), salmon, caribou, berries, and roots.

Fast food is popular in Canada, but some

Canadians top their fries with gravy and

cheese curds (called poutine) or salt and

vinegar instead of ketchup.

Maple syrup makes up a large part of

Canadian culture. Canada produces most of the world's maple syrup. It was

introduced by the natives, who showed the settlers how to boil down sap

from maple trees.

Schools

Most kids start school when they’re about five or six years old. Canadian

children can attend public school, private school, or be homeschooled.

Many students finish after the 12th grade.

School usually lasts about nine months of the

year.

In Québec, kids whose parents speak English

can go to an English-speaking school, but

everyone else (including those who don’t

speak English or French) must go to French-

speaking schools. In provinces (similar to states) where English is the main

language, children can attend French immersion schools, where all subjects

are taught in French.

Grade 2 Social Studies

SS4

Directions: After reading the article, compare your culture to Canadian culture in the graphic organizers below.

Life as a Kid

My Culture Both Cultures Canadian Culture

Sports and Games

My Culture Both Cultures Canadian Culture

Holidays

My Culture Both Cultures Canadian Culture

Grade 2 Social Studies

SS5

Foods

My Culture Both Cultures Canadian Culture

Schools

My Culture Both Cultures Canadian Culture

Draw a picture of something you learned about Canadian culture in the space below.

Grade 2 Social Studies

SS6

Name: ______________________________________________

Letter to Canada Directions: Imagine you met a new friend who lives in Canada. Write a letter to your friend that explains how your cultures are similar and how they are different. Use details from the text to come up with at least 2 similarities and 2 difference to write about in your letter. Dear _______________________________, ___________________________________________________________________

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Your Friend,

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Science – Plants – Grade 2

Plants

Plants are made up of tiny building blocks called cells. Plants are

living things. Like all living things, plants can grow and die. Plants need

water, sunlight and air to stay alive. Plants use the light from the sun,

the air, and the water to make their own food.

Plants have four main parts: the

roots, the stem, the leaves, and

the flower. Each part has a very

important job. The roots grow

underground and hold the plant

in place. They also get water and

nutrients from the soil. The stem

supports the plant. It also moves

water and nutrients from the

roots to the leaves. The leaves take in light and air and make food for

the plant. They also help the plant breathe. The flower makes seeds for

the plant.

1. What do all living things do?

2. Which part of the plant takes in sunlight and air for the plant?

a. Leaves

b. Roots

c. Stem

d. Flower

3. Label the diagram of the plant below.

How Plants Grow

Plants are living things. They depend on water and light to help

them grow. But how do plants find what they need? They get it from

the world around them!

Plants get water from the soil. They get light from the sun.

Most plants have roots, stems, and leaves. Roots keep the plant

attached to the soil and help the plant take in water and nutrients.

Water moves up the plant’s stem to the leaves. The stem also supports

the plant so it stands up straight.

Leaves take in light energy from the

sun. The leaves use water, light energy, and a

gas called carbon dioxide to make glucose.

Glucose is a kind of sugar. It is food for the

plant. Yes, plants make their own food! They

use it to grow.

1. Circle the things that plants need to make glucose.

a. Air

b. Food

c. Light

d. Water

e. Soil

2. Cut out the prompts on the next page and glue them into the

appropriate boxes on the T chart.

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3.