2nd Grade Lessons

Here you will find multiple lesson plans for second grade to help guide your standards-based instruction. Many lessons are aligned to Common Core State Standards so you can easily integrate them into your existing curriculum. The second grade lesson plan section will constantly develop as more teachers from our Teacher.org community submit their masterpieces. Please contact us if you have lesson plans that you would like to add. You have the power to inspire our future.

2nd Grade Arts Lesson Plans

Art Outside

Length of Time: 30-40 Minutes

In this visual and performing arts lesson, students will explore their artistic skills while becoming more connected with nature. Students will look for fallen plants outside or in the garden and they will use them in the classroom to make art.

Bugs and Design

Length of Time: About 45 Minites

This lesson is designed to help students use their skills to analyze art elements and various principles of design.

Chinese New Year

Length of Time: 50-60 minutes

This highly engaging Social Studies lesson on Chinese New Year is integrated with elements of performing arts (drama).  This lesson is appropriate for students in K-3, as it can be easily modified.

Chinese New Year - Fan Dance

Length of Time: 50-60 minutes

A hands-on lesson which integrates Social Studies concepts with performing arts (dance). Students will delve into customs of Chinese New Year by exploring traditional artifacts and dance.

Chinese New Year - Lion Dance

Length of Time: About 45 Minutes

This lesson is great for grades K-2.  It integrates Social Studies with elements of visual and performing arts as the children create a Chinese lion and a dance.

Christmas Around the World Part 1

Length of Time: 30-40 Minutes

This lesson combines Visual Arts with Social Studies. Students will read about how Christmas is celebrated in different parts of the world and draw a scene depicting that location.

Christmas Around the World Part 2

Length of Time: 30-40 Minutes

This lesson combines Music and Social Studies. Students will listen to and learn Christmas songs from around the world and analyze.

Foil Printing

Length of Time: About 20 Minutes

In this visual arts lesson, students will create a print using paint on foil then add detail to the print.

Friendship - Accepting Differences

Length of Time: 40-50 minutes

This lesson on "Friendship" integrates Social Studies standards along with Music, Dance, and Visual Arts. The lesson focuses on "accepting differences" and is great for grades K-2.

Mini Diorama

Length of Time: Several Class Periods

This visual arts lesson will allow students to share some personal interests in the form of a diorama. Sample rubric included.

Shaving Syllables

Length of Time: 20-45 Minutes

In this visual arts lesson, students will use a unique medium to create letters, words, and pictures that are easily erased and altered.

Upside Down Art

Length of Time: 20 minutes to 2 hours depending on grade level

This lesson will allow students to practice creating art from a unique perspective while learning about Michelangelo.

Water Color Butterflies

Length of Time: About 30 Minutes

In this visual arts lesson, students will create a tye-dyed or water color butterfly to show how colors mix.

Yarn Painting

Length of Time: 20 to 60 minutes depending on grade level and design

This lesson will allow students to practice creating art using a unique medium, yarn.

2nd Grade English/Language Arts Lesson Plans

Author's Purpose

Length of Time: 40-50 minutes

Students will have the opportunity to delve into the world of "Author's Purpose" with this engaging lesson. This lesson is aligned with 2nd grade standards and expectations.

Discovering Adjectives

Length of Time: About 40 - 60 Minutes

Students will work in groups to describe various objects based on taste, smell, look, touch, and emotional feeling.

Good Deeds

Length of Time: About 45 Minutes

This lesson is designed to help students explore the importance of being kind and doing good deeds for others, by understanding that “A Person’s a Person No Matter How Small.”

Hiding Homophones

Length of Time: 30 - 40 Minutes

This lesson offers a simple introduction or refresher course in homophones, words that are pronounced the same, but spell and mean differently. Students will create a visual reminder of some of the more common homophones.  

Learning About Adjectives

Length of Time: 30 - 40 Minutes

Students will be able to name adjectives by describing their favorite characters from the teacher’s story and their own favorite stories.

Main Idea

Length of Time: About 45 Minutes

This lesson is designed to help students' comprehension and Analysis of Grade-Level Appropriate Text.

Main Idea and Details

Length of Time: About 45 Minutes

This lesson is designed to teach students to use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.

Moody Reading: Reading with Expression

Length of Time: Varied Depending on Usage

This lesson will be used to help students understand how to read with expression by choosing an expression to read with regardless of what is written.

Rhyme Time

Length of Time: 20 - 45 Minutes

This lesson will introduce or reinforce word families and rhymes for young children and/or struggling readers.

Story Themes

Length of Time: About 45 Minutes

This lesson is designed to help students understand “describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.” -CCSS

Tearing Into Vocabulary

Length of Time: 15-30 Minutes

This is a quick activity to allow students to work cooperatively while increasing awareness of vocabulary for a given lesson.

What is a Verb?

Length of Time: 30 - 40 Minutes

Students will be able to define and give examples of verbs by telling about how they celebrate their birthdays.

Writing Main Idea

Length of Time: About 45 Minutes

This lesson is designed to help student’s organization and focus their grade appropriate writing.

2nd Grade Environmental Lesson Plans

Beach Day

Length of Time: 45 - 75 Minutes

This lesson will allow students to learn about the beach environment and experience working with sand.

Bird Feeder Fun

Length of Time: 10-15 Minutes

Students will create an all natural bird feeder to hang near the school to feed birds during the various seasons.

Classroom Garden From Trash

Length of Time: 10-15 per day for several weeks

Students will create several plants (a garden) from parts of a plant that are normally thrown away.

Food Web Art Project

Length of Time: About 60 Minutes

Students will discuss food webs and how animals interact together in an ocean biosphere and make a model of how animals get their energy from other animals and the sun.

Keeping Warm in Winter

Length of Time: About 30 Minutes

Students will understand why animals store fat for the winter or colder months and how this affects how temperature is felt. How does the environment and our protection of it help this?

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (In That Order)

Length of Time: 30-40 Minutes

Students will watch a video about reduce, reuse, and recycle and then complete a gallery walk to discuss ideas of other ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle.

Save the World

Length of Time: Two 45 Minute Lessons

This lesson is intended to motivate students to become environmental superheroes.

We Must Recycle

Length of Time: About 20 Minutes

Students will use creativity to use something considered trash to create something new.

Window Garden

Length of Time: About 20 Minutes. Several more days to watch growth process.

Students will plan, experiment, and observe as seeds grow in a window garden. Students will explore why this is important to the sustainability of our environment.

2nd Grade Math Lesson Plans

Even or Odd Nature Walk

Length of Time: 30 - 40 Minutes

Students will do a nature walk to find things in nature that are grouped in pairs that are odd or even.

Exchanging Time

Length of Time: 2-3 class periods

The lesson is used for students to practice basic time measurement, and understanding the basic units of time.

Feed the Gator

Length of Time: About 20 minutes (depends on # of problems)

Students will compare numbers with three or more digits using visual cues.

Fun Fraction Pizza

Length of Time: About 45 Minutes

Students will create a “pizza” from construction paper divided into 8 slices. They will decorate each slice and then exchange slices with classmates and then evaluate the fractions of slices that they have at the end. For example, 1/8 slices of my own pizza, 4/8 or ½ of pizza that was made by a female, 2/8 or ¼ that was made by my buddy.  Note: Students should have already had some lessons about simplification of fractions.

Graphing With Insects

Length of Time: About 45 Minutes

This lesson is designed to teach students to draw a picture graph and a bar graph (with single-unit scale) to represent a data set with up to four categories. Plus, solve simple put-together, take-apart, and compare problems.

Odd or Even

Length of Time: 20-30 minutes

This engaging lesson will help students determine whether a group of objects (up to 20) has an odd or even number of members.  

Scale It Up

Length of Time: 15-25 minutes

This lesson will allow students to demonstrate knowledge use of scale.

Shape Up

Length of Time: 15-20 Minutes

This lesson will allow students to demonstrate knowledge of various grade appropriate shapes.

Skittles Graph

Length of Time: About 30 Minutes

Students will learn to create a small bar graph using candy for information.

2nd Grade P.E. Lesson Plans

And Freeze!

Length of Time: As Desired

Students will practice listening skills and basic physical concepts as required in physical education class. Students will also work on balance and coordination.

Animal Laps

Length of Time: 1 class period

Combining information about the speed of animals, the students will run laps in the gym or outdoors.

Bear Hunt Obstacle Course

Length of Time: About 30 Minutes

This plan will combine reading with balance and coordination skills to allow students to navigate a simple obstacle course.

Boom Over Movement Game

Length of Time: 15 - 20 Minutes

Students will play a game in which they need to change direction quickly. Students are to pretend that they are on a sailboat that is in the middle of a storm. They will have to run and change direction based on verbal commands and duck quickly to avoid being hit by the imaginary boom.

Butterfly Stretches

Length of Time: About 45 Minites

This lesson is designed to help students learn the importance and reasons for exercise through multiple activities and discussions.

Coordination Course

Length of Time: 10-40 Minutes

This plan will allow students to practice coordination while staying physical.

Music Movement

Length of Time: 1 class period

The students will move to the music based on its beat, words, tune, and other variables.

On Top of Spaghetti

Length of Time: 10 - 40 Minutes

This plan will allow students to practice coordination while staying physical.

Plate Aerobics

Length of Time: As Desired

Students will practice basic aerobics moves while trying to stay positioned on paper plates, this aids in coordination.

Race to the Answer

Length of Time: 20 - 30 Minutes

This lesson will allow students to practice teamwork, basic math skills, and get exercise through a relay race. Note: Problems/difficulty level can be altered by grade

Ride ‘Em Cowboy/girl

Length of Time: 20- 30 Minutes

This lesson will allow students to practice gross motor skills.  

Simon Says

Length of Time: As Desired

Students will practice listening skills and basic physical concepts as required in physical education class.

Ski to the Finish Line

Length of Time: 10 - 40 Minutes

This plan will allow students to practice coordination while staying physical. Students will demonstrate moving straight, backwards, and in a zig-zag pattern.

What Time is it FOX?

Length of Time: 20 - 40 Minutes

The students play a game where they practice different movements including jumping, galloping, skipping, running, jogging, leaping, and walking. Based on National Physical Education Standards, students should have been learning these skills for the last 4 years.

2nd Grade Science Lesson Plans

All About Pollination

Length of Time: About 45 Minutes

This lesson is designed to help students develop a simple model that mimics the function of an animal in dispersing seeds or pollinating plants.

All About the Moon

Length of Time: About 45 Minutes

This lesson is designed for help students understand the importance of the moon. Through multiple activities and demonstrations, students will learn the phases of the moon, what they look like, how it’s lit, and how long it takes for the moon to revolve around the earth.

Animal Habitats

Length of Time: 30 - 45 minutes

Students will learn to create a small version of an animal habitat using object in the classroom and personal drawings.

Bird Feeder Fun

Length of Time: 10-15 Minutes

Students will create an all natural bird feeder to hang near the school to feed birds during the various seasons.

Classroom Garden From Trash

Length of Time: 10-15 per day for several weeks

Students will create several plants (a garden) from parts of a plant that are normally thrown away.

Food Web Art Project

Length of Time: About 60 Minutes

Students will discuss food webs and how animals interact together in an ocean biosphere and make a model of how animals get their energy from other animals and the sun.

Keeping Warm in Winter

Length of Time: About 30 Minutes

Students will understand why animals store fat for the winter or colder months and how this affects how temperature is felt. How does the environment and our protection of it help this?

Learning About The Sun

Length of Time: About 45 Minutes

This lesson is designed for help students understand day and night; daily changes in the length and direction of shadows; and different positions of the sun, moon, and stars at different times of the day, month, and year.

Learning About the Five Senses

Length of Time: About 45 Minutes

This lesson is designed to help students “observe common objects by using the five senses, describe the properties of common objects, compare and sort common objects by one physical attribute, communicate observations orally and through drawings.

Phases of the Moon

Length of Time: 20 - 30 Minutes

Students will create a foldable to help remember the phases of the moon.

Solar System

Length of Time: About 45 Minutes

This lesson is designed to help students understand that “the orbits of Earth around the sun and of the moon around Earth, together with the rotation of Earth about an axis between its North and South poles, cause observable patterns.

Thanksgiving Food Pyramid

Length of Time: 30 - 40 Minutes

Students will discuss the foods that are traditionally eaten at Thanksgiving in the United States and place them into food groups based on the food pyramid.

The Earth

Length of Time: About 45

This lesson is designed to help students understand Earth in relation to the Solar System. Through a series or activities and interactive teaching, students will learn that the orbits of Earth around the sun and of the moon around Earth, together with the rotation of Earth about an axis between its North and South poles, cause observable patterns.

Window Garden

Length of Time: About 20 Minutes. Several more days to watch growth process.

Students will plan, experiment, and observe as seeds grow in a window garden. Students will explore why this is important to the sustainability of our environment.

2nd Grade Social Studies Lesson Plans

Chinese New Year

Length of Time: 50-60 minutes

This highly engaging Social Studies lesson on Chinese New Year is integrated with elements of performing arts (drama).  This lesson is appropriate for students in K-3, as it can be easily modified.

Chinese New Year - Fan Dance

Length of Time: 50-60 minutes

A hands-on lesson which integrates Social Studies concepts with performing arts (dance). Students will delve into customs of Chinese New Year by exploring traditional artifacts and dance.

Chinese New Year - Lion Dance

Length of Time: About 45 Minutes

This lesson is great for grades K-2.  It integrates Social Studies with elements of visual and performing arts as the children create a Chinese lion and a dance.

Christmas Around the World Part 1

Length of Time: 30-40 Minutes

This lesson combines Visual Arts with Social Studies. Students will read about how Christmas is celebrated in different parts of the world and draw a scene depicting that location.

Christmas Around the World Part 2

Length of Time: 30-40 Minutes

This lesson combines Music and Social Studies. Students will listen to and learn Christmas songs from around the world and analyze.

Friendship - Accepting Differences

Length of Time: 40-50 minutes

This lesson on "Friendship" integrates Social Studies standards along with Music, Dance, and Visual Arts. The lesson focuses on "accepting differences" and is great for grades K-2.

Holiday Traditions

Length of Time: About 45 Minutes

This lesson is designed to help students understand what holidays and festivals are important parts culture through multiple activities, discussions and research surrounding holidays.

Rules and Laws

Length of Time: About 45 Minutes

This lesson is designed to help students evaluate rules. It is important since not all rules are necessarily good or appropriate. Sometimes, school rules are arbitrarily imposed, other times they are arrived at as the result of consensus.

We Must Recycle

Length of Time: About 20 Minutes

Students will use creativity to use something considered trash to create something new.

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