Resources

Academies of Math & Science Avondale

2020-2021 Course Syllabus

2nd Grade

Mrs. Gaglione

Room #

[email protected]

https://avondale.amsschools.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=1581470&type=u

 

Course Scope:

Reading, Writing, Spelling and Language Arts

Students will learn decoding, comprehension, inquiry, and writing in a three-part logical progression. Part One, students will learn to read, focus on phonemic awareness, sounds and letters, phonics, fluency, and word knowledge. Part Two, students will learn to read and respond, emphasize reading literature for understanding, comprehension, inquiry, and practical reading applications. Part Three, Students will learn Language Arts, focus on writing, spelling, grammar, usage, mechanics, and basic computer skills. Students will learn to read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, in a text complexity range determined by qualitative and quantitative measures appropriate to grade 2.

 

Math

Students will learn fundamental basics such as addition and subtraction and will learn other key components such as fractions, geometry, multiplication, and some division. Students will learn to make sense of problems and persevere in solving them using different methods, approaches, or representations. They also compare and understand different representations of problems and different solution pathways, both their own and those of others. Students will apply the mathematics they know to solve problems arising in everyday life, society, and the workplace. When given a problem in a contextual situation, they will identify the mathematical elements of a situation and create a mathematical model that represents those mathematical elements and the relationships among them.

Science

Students will learn about life cycles, the human circulatory system, our five senses, and students will be able to create projects such as volcanoes, animal habitats, and cells.

Students will learn to understand the basic concept that energy can change the phase of matter and is necessary for life. Students begin to understand energy and matter, the formation of Earth’s surface features, water cycles and energy flow, changes in the environment, patterns in the sky, and the conditions necessary for life on Earth. Student investigations focus on collecting and making sense of observational data and simple measurements using the science and engineering practices: ask questions and define problems, develop and use models, plan and carry out investigations, analyze and interpret data, use mathematics and computational thinking, construct explanations and design solutions, engage in argument from evidence, and obtain, evaluate, and communicate information. While individual lessons may include connections to any of the crosscutting concepts, the standards in second grade focus on helping students understand phenomena through systems and system models and energy and matter.

 

Social Studies

We will integrate Social Studies with English Language Arts. Through the study of geography and economics, the students’ lenses expand to learn how their world is interconnected globally. Students will develop a spatial understanding of the world around them, so they can understand how other cultures and civilizations are interconnected and have influenced who we are as a community, state, and Nation. United States history such the constitution, the revolutionary war, and the different branches of our government, world history, and civics will also be taught in a comparative context. This storyline integrates well with the English Language Arts standards at this grade level since most students have read fables, folktales, and stories from the United States and around the world.

Students will also learn about:

• Working together to solve problems
• Individual and leadership roles 
• Earning, spending, and saving money in a global community 
• Identifying regions using geographic models 
• Influence of weather and climate 
• Development and change of civilizations and cultures 
• Societal institutions and their belief systems

 

Social Emotional Learning

Student will learn Social Emotional Learning (SEL) skills like self-awareness, self-management, and responsible decision-making help build healthy relationships and supports student development and nurtures lifelong learning.

 

Course Goals:

AZ State Standards: https://www.azed.gov/standards-practices/

By the end of the year, students will proficiently and independently read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, math, and technical texts, in a text complexity range determined by qualitative and quantitative measures appropriate to grade two.

 

Textbooks:

We will be working with the following materials including textbooks and workbooks:

• Open Court (language arts, reading, spelling, and writing)
• Saxon Math 3 (lesson worksheets for in class and homework)
• My Pals (Science)
• Harcourt (Social Studies)
• Sanford Harmony (SEL)

 

Recommended Student Supplies:

Students are recommended to have and maintain the following supplies all year:

Items for individual use (Please write student’s name on all supplies!)

• 2 - Plastic Folders
• 1 - Pack of Lined Paper
• 1 - Pack of Colored Pencils
• 1 - Box of Crayons
• 1 - Pair of Scissors
• 1 - Clear Ruler
• 1 - Pencil Box/Pouch
• 4 - Glue Sticks
• 1 - Pink Eraser
• 2 - Packs of pencils

• 1 - Pencil Sharpener
• 3 - Notebooks
• 1 - Red pen
• 1 - Pack of Post-it Notes
• 1 - Blue/black pen
• 2 – Dry-erase Markers

Optional items for classroom community use:

• Box of Ziplock bags for Math (Boys- Gallon size, Girls- Quart size)
• Hand sanitizer
• Clorox Wipes
• Tissues
• Stickers

Attendance/Tardy Policy:

Each student is responsible for attending all classes. Research shows that good attendance increases the opportunity for students to achieve academically, participate in extracurricular activities, and improve self-esteem.

 

Attendance Requirement:

 

Arizona State Law (A.R.S. 15-803) requires that children of certain ages must attend school during the hours school is in session.  Parents/Guardians are responsible for ensuring their children attend school every day.

 

A student is “habitually truant” if he/she has:

 

• Five or more unexcused absences or Is absent more than 18 days (excused and unexcused) of the required number of days per year.

 

 

Grading Policy:

Our goal is to ensure parents are constantly informed of their student’s academic performance in school. Progress reports and report cards will be sent home based on the school calendar progress report dates and end of quarter dates. At the end of each semester, quarter grades will be averaged to create a semester grade in each class. The grading scale is as follows:

 

              90-100% A

              80-89% B

              70-79% C

              60-69% D

              59%-below F

 

Report cards/progress reports will be sent home the week following the end of every quarter (10 weeks). The quarter end dates are 10/8/20, 12/18/20, 3/12/20 & 6/10/20. Parents are encouraged to contact the school any time they have questions following the reports at the end of each quarter.

*Student will not receive a grade higher than 100%.

 

Description of Grading Practices:

Each assignment will have a percentage value and then will be further weighted based on the category in which it falls:

              Summative Assessments (Breakdown is stated below)                      80%                                                                  Comprehensive Final or Capstone Project                                               80%     

              Informal Assessments (Breakdown is stated below)                           20%

Homework                                                                                                     10%

              Projects                                                                                                          10%

*Semester grades will be weighted evenly (50/50).  Final exam and/or benchmarks growth and goal progress will be included in the summative assessment category.

Incompletes are only for tests, quizzes, etc., and are NOT for homework. 

 

Make-up Work Practice:

Homework is an essential part of the curriculum.  Some courses, mathematics for example, may require daily assignments to be worked on outside the allotted class time. No credit will be given on make-up work to any student who has an unexcused absence.

 

For an excused absence, students are given full make up privileges. No make-up work will be accepted after the last day of each quarter.

 

Students that choose not to complete their homework assignments can be required to attend a tutoring session at the teacher’s discretion to make up assignments not turned in.  Students are required to make-up exams by the end of the appropriate grading period.

 

A zero will be inputted into the gradebook for a late and/or missing assignments and tests until the assignment and/or test has been turned in and/or completed.

 

When students are absent, please follow these suggestions:

• Review assignment sheet, if available
• Review class website, if available
• Email teacher
• Arrange a “study buddy” in each class
• Attend Friday tutoring session
• Make arrangements to make-up work and/or exams

 

Redos/Retakes Practice:

• Benchmarks – either provided by AMS or created by the teachers
• No retakes are allowed
• Tests and Quizzes – only applies to written tests and quizzes
• Retakes must happen by teacher appointment (complete within 1 week)
• Any student may retake a test or a quiz, regardless of the grade they originally received
• Students must provide proof of preparation (specific details will be supplied by the teacher)
• If a student receives a better grade on the retake than on the original assessment, the original grade will be replaced with the new grade. If a student receives a lower grade on the retake than on the original, use the original test score.
• Projects
• Retakes/redos are not permitted
• Practicum (arts performances, labs, etc.)
• Retakes, redos, or makeups are not permitted
• Homework/Classwork (assignments)
• Redos are not permitted

 

Late Work Practice:

• Student grades are not affected if work is submitted late.
• All late work is to be submitted prior to the end of the quarter in which the assignment was assigned.

Extra Credit Practice:

• No extra credit may be offered.

 

Class Dojo

Our schools are participants in a behavior-based website called Class Dojo. Every day you can see how your child is progressing in class. I and other teachers will be awarding points for good behavior and for being on task. Just as I and other teachers will be awarding for good behavior. My philosophy is to focus more on the positive and to always find positive in every negative. Class Dojo also has some other neat features such as messaging capabilities. I will be able to message you throughout the day when I have some free time to answer any questions you may have. To receive messages and view your child’s behavior you will need to download Class Dojo onto your smart phone, tablet, laptop or desktop. I have provided the link for your convenience: https://www.classdojo.com

 

 

 

Agreement: I have read the syllabus and gone over it with my child

 

Student’s Name: ______________________________________________________________________

 

Parent/Guardian Name: ________________________________________________________________

 

Parent/Guardian Contact: # _____________________________________________________________

 

Parent/Guardian Signature: _____________________________________________________________