Second Grade - ELA
1: Community
Unit 1: Communities Around the World
Lesson 7
Work and Money
The "Working Together" activity includes sentences with blanks that students must complete using the words "with," "without," "someone's help," or "by myself," requiring students to use sentence-level context to choose the appropriate phrase. The Spelling activity asks students to use vocabulary words in sentences and say the sentences aloud, giving students practice placing words in sentence contexts to show meaning.
Lesson 12
Rules and Laws
Students are asked to read sentences on the Spelling activity page and choose which word from a provided word box (rule, law, house, change, flag, city) completes each sentence, using the sentence to determine the correct word. The activity also asks students to decide whether the chosen word needs an -s ending, which requires attention to sentence-level number and context. The teacher notes that students should discuss the definition of each spelling word, reinforcing word meaning alongside the sentence-completion task.
Unit 2: Citizenship
Lesson 1
A Good Citizen
In Activity 1 (Option 1) students read sentences describing actions (e.g., Josie found a lost puppy... she took him home and gave him food and water) and write the name of the characteristic that describes the person in the sentence, using the provided word list and definitions. The activity prompts students to explain why they selected particular characteristics, requiring them to use sentence-level information to match actions to meaning. The definitions box lists target words (Responsible, Care, Help, Honest) so students must apply sentence context to choose the appropriate label.
2: Matter and Movement
Unit 1: States of Matter
Lesson 8
Our Bodies and Our World
Students are asked in Option 2 to read a short story and fill in blanks with a solid, liquid, or gas that "makes sense in the story," requiring them to use sentence context to choose the appropriate word. In Option 1 students read the story twice and circle solids, liquids, and gases in the sentences, which asks them to use sentence content to identify word meaning (state of matter). Activity 5 asks students to write a story using specific numbers of solids, liquids, and a gas, which requires choosing words that fit the sentences and setting.
Final Project
States of Matter
Students answer multiple-choice items that give sentence-level descriptions (e.g., "The properties of a ______ are: a. it keeps its shape...") and must choose the correct label (solid). Students circle correct answers for prompts that use context (e.g., "To change a solid to a liquid you add: heat/cold") to select the appropriate word. Students identify pictures (air, milk, a ball) and label each as solid, liquid, or gas using the item-level descriptions as clues.
Unit 3: Balance and Motion
Lesson 2
What Can Be Balanced?
Activity 3 (Balancing Sentences) asks students to decide whether each sentence is missing a noun or a verb, to record an appropriate noun or verb in the blank, then reread each sentence and mark the noun in red and the verb in blue. Students also cut apart sentences, choose four to glue and illustrate them, which requires using sentence context to select words that fit. The introduction also instructs the student to read the definition of the word "balance" in a dictionary, showing one vocabulary-focused task.
Lesson 4
Force and Motion
The Spelling activity asks students to fill four sentence blanks using the provided words (force, push, pull, move), which requires using sentence-level context to choose the correct word. Activity 3 and Activity 4 ask students to write sentences and label examples of motion, giving additional opportunities to use words in sentence contexts. The reading and question prompts ask students to read text and answer context-related questions, which can support understanding words in sentences.
3: Culture
Unit 1: Geography
Lesson 1
Using Maps and Globes
Activity 1 instructs the child to stop when he finds a word he does not understand and to reread the sentence, then explains the definition of the word. The activity also has the child reread the book aloud and listen during a second reading, providing repeated sentence-level context. The lesson's Skills list includes "Answer questions about text read aloud (LA)," which supports comprehension work tied to sentences.
Lesson 6
Geography, Weather and Natural Disasters
In Activity 1 (Where Are You?), students listen to descriptive sentences about temperature, moisture, and scenery and then guess which habitat is being described, using the sentence context to identify the place (e.g., desert, forest, rainforest). Activity 5 asks students to read a weather forecast and write three or four sentences describing the weather, which gives students practice working with meaning at the sentence level. Activity 3 has students read about natural disasters and write sentences, which provides some exposure to meaning in sentence context while composing descriptions.
Unit 2: People Around the World
Lesson 5
Transportation in Culture
The Spelling activity asks students to fill in six sentences using words from a word box (culture, home, train, plane, car, boat), requiring them to use the sentence context to choose the correct word (e.g., "A _____ refers to the life shared by people…"). Activity 2 asks students to read words in a word box and draw the transportation that would work best in each pictured community, using picture and label context to select appropriate terms. Several activities prompt students to write sentences (Activity 1, Activity 3) in which they must use vocabulary appropriately in sentence context.
4: Relationships
Unit 2: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
Lesson 1
Relationships
Students read sentences from The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and choose the best definition from three options based on how the word is used in the sentence (Activity 1). If a student picks the wrong definition, they substitute the definition into the sentence and reread to see if it sounds right, using sentence context to confirm or reject meanings. The Student Activity Page presents seven sentences with underlined vocabulary words taken from the book and asks students to write definitions, and the wrap-up asks students to use each vocabulary word correctly in their own sentence.
Lesson 2
Point of View
Question #2 asks students to explain what the author means by the simile 'She [Pellegrina] was looking at him in the way a hawk hanging lazily in the air might study a mouse on the ground,' which requires using sentence-level context and imagery to infer meaning. The Skills list explicitly includes 'Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships and nuances in word meanings,' indicating students are asked to work with phrase meanings.
Lesson 3
The Queen Mary
Students are asked to substitute more descriptive words into provided sentences in the "Shades of Meaning" activity (e.g., replace '(large)', '(many)', '(beautiful)') which requires choosing a word that fits the sentence. The directions note changing 'a' to 'an' as needed, prompting students to attend to sentence-level grammatical context when selecting words. The wrap-up asks students to repeat sentences and substitute an emphasized word with a more descriptive word or phrase, which has students judge which alternative word fits the sentence meaning.
Lesson 7
Figurative Language
Students read specific quoted sentences from the book (e.g., "She shone as bright as the stars on a moonless night," "His heart soared inside of him") and are asked to discuss the literal meaning and then what the author really means. Students are instructed to circle the part of the sentence that has figurative language and, in Option 2, to write their own sentence containing figurative language using context. Students are asked to skim other books to find examples of figurative language, locating and interpreting phrases in sentence context.
Lesson 8
The Falling Star
Students complete a fill-in-the-blank sentence such as "The toy is now ______ the table," which requires choosing a preposition that fits the sentence context. Students write sentences using each listed preposition, circle the preposition in their sentence, and illustrate the sentence by placing a cut-out of Edward in the position described. The provided example sentence "Edward is beside the ball" models using the sentence to show the relationship expressed by the preposition.
Unit 3: Connecting with the Past
Lesson 1
Studying History
Students read vocabulary definitions and then complete Activity 1, which asks them to insert the correct vocabulary word into each sentence (e.g., "People who lived in the __________ did not own a television"). The Directions say to "Read over the vocabulary words and definitions. Then insert the correct word in each sentence," requiring students to use the sentence to choose the appropriate term. The activity also asks students to "use each word in a sentence," giving them practice applying words in sentence-level contexts.
6: Reading
Unit 1: Semester 1
Lesson 1
Word Families and Long Vowel Review
Students are explicitly prompted to use surrounding words and illustrations as clues when encountering unfamiliar words (Teaching Your Child to Sound Out Words: "Think about what makes sense with the illustrations" and "finish reading the sentence with the unfamiliar word"). Shared Reading prompts ask students to identify vowel sounds in context and to use the context of the message to figure out words. The skills list and reader directions instruct students to "use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding," and Activity 5.2 reminds students to use sentence context when they encounter words they aren't sure about.
Lesson 5
More R-Controlled Vowels
Students read paired sentences for the homophones sore/soar and are asked to use those sentences to illustrate or explain the meanings. Students read and discuss the sentences "I hear the train whistle as the train goes by." and "Yesterday, I heard the train whistle when the train went by." to distinguish present and past usage. Several activities prompt students to read words in sentences or to discuss word meanings as they sort and spell words (e.g., asking "What is something you hear right now?" and discussing meanings during sorts).
Lesson 6
Other Vowel Sounds
Activity 3.3 explicitly tells students that they can use the context of a line to help with pronunciation and meaning, and has them read sentences and apply that idea while identifying oo pronunciations. Activity 5.2 has students read sentences containing would/could/should and discuss what each sentence is saying to clarify word meaning from sentence context. The Skills list also states that students will "Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary," indicating the intended focus on sentence-level context.
Lesson 7
More Long Vowel Spellings
In Activity 2.1 (More Long e Spellings) students read each sentence, read three word choices, and choose the best word to complete the sentence, explicitly using sentence context to determine meaning. In Activity 1.3 the teacher contrasts the homophones through and threw by placing each in a sentence, prompting the student to use the sentence to clarify the words' different meanings. Several other activities ask students to read words in context (for example, the Reader #7 comprehension questions and sentence reading in Activity 3.1) which require attending to sentence meaning to confirm word choice.
Lesson 8
Vowel Sounds Review
Students are asked to reread readers (e.g., A Thump on a Cold Night, If Fish Could Talk) and to write or find words from those texts, which exposes them to words in sentence contexts. The lesson explicitly directs an adult to discuss word meanings (for example, clarifying that "blew" does not refer to the color "blue" and offering the sentence "The wind blew the leaves across the yard" as a context clue). The skills list also states that students should "Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary."
Lesson 9
Complex Consonants: dge vs. ge
The lesson's skills list explicitly includes "Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary," and the Shared Reading and reader activities have students read pages of Moose on the Loose and answer comprehension questions. During the sight-word game students are prompted to "consider the words that remain on the board" to identify an unknown sight word, and the teacher is instructed to discuss word meanings as needed when students read vocabulary (e.g., showing a hinge on a door).
Lesson 10
Complex Consonants: tch vs. ch, ck vs. k
The lesson lists the skill "Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary," and students are asked to read The Egg at the Lake aloud and answer comprehension questions, which gives opportunities to use contextual information. Activities prompt discussion of word meanings (for example the teacher models the meaning of "hunch" using the sentence "I have a hunch…"), and several prompts ask students to predict words they expect to find in the reader based on previewing pages. The lesson also tells students to reread and to refer to vowel sounds and surrounding letters when deciding spellings, which encourages checking surrounding text for cues to word recognition.
Lesson 11
Final e: ce, ve, ze, se
In Activity 5.2 (Choose the Correct Spelling) students hear the sentence "They enjoyed a piece of cake." to determine which spelling (piece/peace) fits the sentence. In Activity 4.1 (The Sounds of se) students are given the sentences "If we do not practice, we may lose the game." and "The loose pants felt big on her." to distinguish meanings and pronunciations of lose/loose. The lesson's Skills list explicitly states that students should "use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary."
Lesson 12
Homophones
Students are asked to choose the correct homophone that "makes the most sense in the sentence" on the "Homophone Sentences" page, requiring them to use sentence context to select meaning. In the "TO/TWO/TOO" activity students fill blanks by trying each word in the sentence and asking, "Which word works best?", which uses sentence-level context as a clue. In the "There, Their, They're" activity students read a sentence containing all three forms and point to or mark the word that fits the meaning in that sentence.
Lesson 14
Uncommon Plurals
Activity 2.2 (Fill in the Blanks) requires the child to choose plural words from a word box and place them into sentences, using sentence meaning to select the correct form. The Skills list explicitly includes "Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary." Activity 4.1 prompts the child to supply plural forms in context (e.g., "one man, ten men"), asking the child to use the sentence with numbers to identify plural forms.
Lesson 16
Words Ending with er and est
In Activity 2.1 (Comparing Two Things), students read sentences with blanks and choose the correct adjective from a word box, using the sentence context to determine which comparative fits. The Skills list explicitly includes "Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary," and multiple activities prompt students to read text aloud, point to words, and discuss questions in context (Shared Reading, Pre-Reading questions). Activity 4.2 asks students to preview a book cover and answer "What kinds of words do you think you'll find... Why?", which requires using sentence- and text-level cues to predict word meaning and usage.
Lesson 17
Semester Review
The Skills list explicitly tells students to "Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary," which directs them to use sentence-level context. Activity 3.2 (Fill in the Blank) asks students to "read each sentence carefully and think about which word fits best," requiring students to use sentence context to choose a word. Activity 5.1 (What's the Word?) gives sentence clues and picture clues so students identify words that fit given sentence-level prompts.
Unit 2: Semester 2
Lesson 1
Compound Words
The Shared Reading activity asks the child to think of other meanings for the word "blue" if hints are needed, prompting consideration of multiple meanings from context. The skills list explicitly includes "Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase" and "Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary." During reading of A Color of His Own the child answers comprehension questions (e.g., "Why do you think the chameleon felt better staying with a friend?"), which requires using surrounding sentence and story context to infer meaning and feelings.
Lesson 2
The Six Syllable Types
In Activity 2.1 (What Animal Am I?), students read short riddle sentences and use the clues in those sentences to determine and write the animal name, directly using sentence-level context to identify a word. Activity 4.2 (Finding Words in the Text) asks students to locate specific words in the story text and answer a question about seasons named in the book, which requires using surrounding sentence text for retrieval. The lesson Skills list also explicitly includes "Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary," indicating an expectation that students will use context when reading.
Lesson 3
Open and Closed Syllables
Students complete the "Tiger/Camel Fill in the Blanks" activity (Activity 3.3) in which they choose words from a word bank to fill sentences, requiring them to use sentence context to select the correct word. The lesson's Skills list explicitly notes that students should "Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary." The fill-in-the-blanks task also directs students to read each sentence aloud and to "discuss the word meanings as needed."
Lesson 4
Syllables with R-Controlled Vowels
The skills list explicitly tells students to "Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary." Students are asked to read stories (Mouse Soup) and to find and record words in the text, exposing them to target words in sentence context. Students create and use words in sentences and short stories (Day 2 story activity; Day 5 sentence writing), and they are asked to name multiple meanings for sight words like "earth" and "second."
Lesson 5
Two-Syllable Words Ending in y
Students complete the "Puppy Word Sentences" activity by selecting words from their Puppy Words Sort chart to best complete each sentence, using sentence context (and pictures) to determine which word fits. Students also complete fill-in-the-blank sentences on the "Spelling Puppy Words" pages, using the sentence around the blank to choose and spell the correct word. The "Finding Words in the Text" task asks students to locate words in context in the story and "pronounce each word, discuss any meanings as needed," encouraging use of sentence context to confirm word meaning.
Lesson 6
Possessives
The Skills list explicitly includes "Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary," which shows an expectation that students use sentence-level context. Activity 4.2 (Finding Words in the Text) asks students to locate words in Chapter 1 and answer "Look on p. 15 and find the word 'between.' What is the marble between?", requiring students to use the sentence context to determine meaning. Activity 1.3 introduces the sight word "thought" and explains its different uses (a mental noun or the past tense of think), giving students exposure to a multiple-meaning word and examples in sentence contexts.
Lesson 7
Contractions
Students practice choosing contractions that make sense in sentences in Activity 5.2 (Pick a Contraction), where they fill blanks with the contraction that fits sentence meaning (e.g., "They ______ get to play today"). Activity 4.2 (Finding Words in the Text) asks students to locate contractions in chapters and write the contraction for underlined phrases, which requires reading the sentence context to identify and confirm the word. Activity 1.3 has students explain the difference between "it's" and "its" using example sentences and then use "don't" and "it's" in sentences orally, tying contraction form to sentence meaning.
Lesson 8
Two-Syllable Words with Silent e
The lesson's Skills list states students will "Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary," indicating an expectation that students apply context when reading. During reading, Question #1 asks "What season was it in the story? How did you know?" which requires students to cite textual clues to support an inferred answer. Activity 2.1 has students read theme words and then label real items from memory and context, requiring them to use situational/contextual cues to identify words.
Lesson 9
Vowel Teams
Students complete sentences using a word bank on the "Lion and Weasel Words" page, choosing the word that "makes the most sense in context," which requires using sentence-level clues. Students are asked to interpret the phrase "just around the corner" and explain its meaning in Activity 3.1 and in Reading Question #1, using story context to determine the phrase's meaning. Students are directed to find sight words in the text and to point to the sentence where each appears on the "Finding Words in the Text" page, using sentence context to confirm word recognition and understanding.
Lesson 10
Consonant Teams
Students complete the "Panther Word Sentences" activity in which they read individual sentences and choose the word from a list that best fits each blank, requiring them to use sentence-level meaning to select words. In Day 4 reading questions (Question #1) students are asked, "In what season does 'The Surprise' take place? How do you know?", prompting them to use text (sentence/phrase) clues to infer meaning. In Activity 2.1 and the Seasons page students read short descriptive sentences about seasons and write the matching season, using sentence-level descriptions to determine the correct label.
Lesson 11
Consonant + le Syllables
Students choose theme words to complete sentences on the "Feeling Words" page (Activity 5.1), using the sentence context to decide which emotion word fits. Students read sentences in the "Double or Not?" activity and circle the correct spelling based on how the sentence reads, which requires using sentence-level information to pick the appropriate word form. Students make inferences from story details on the "Making an Inference" page (Activity 3.1), demonstrating use of sentence- and passage-level information to draw meaning.
Lesson 12
Suffixes
Students are asked to read a passage and "fill in the blanks with the correct theme and sight words" (Activity 4.2), requiring them to choose words that fit the sentence-level context. The Skills list explicitly states students should "Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary," indicating an expectation that students use surrounding text to check word meaning. In Activity 2.2 students read words and "choose the option that best describes what it means," which has students evaluate word meaning in context of short prompts.
Lesson 13
Prefixes
The skills list explicitly includes "Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary," indicating students are expected to use context. In Activity 4.2 (Finding Words in the Text) students search poems and are asked to find words with prefixes (e.g., find a word with over and then state what over means), which asks them to infer a prefix meaning from examples in text. The riddle activity (Activity 1.1) asks students to use a sentence-level riddle clue ("Forward I am heavy, but backward I am not") to identify the answer word.
Lesson 14
Words Starting with q or a
The lesson explicitly defines context clues in the Facts and Definitions section and again in Activity 4.1, telling students that context clues are hints in a sentence that help determine a mystery word. In Activity 4.1 students are instructed to read each line of the poem aloud and determine the meaning of underlined words based on the rest of the line, recording their guesses on the "What Does It Mean?" page. The student activity page supplies six sentences from the poem with underlined words and space for students to write their inferred meanings, followed by a review of answers.
Lesson 15
Semester Review
The lesson's skill list explicitly includes "Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary," which names sentence-level context as a strategy. In Activity 1.3 (Contractions and Possessives Review), students read each sentence and choose the contraction from a word box that best fits the sentence, using sentence context to determine meaning/fit. In Activity 5.3 (Review of qu and a Words) students are asked to read words and then write four sentences using at least two qu words and two a words, placing words in sentence contexts for usage practice.