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District List: DCPS - Second Grade Unit Text List
Description: District of Columbia Public Schools Unit Text List for students in 2nd Grade. #dcps
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The World According to Musk Ox
by Erin CabatinganFrom Africa to North America, Asia to the Arctic―our dynamic, hilarious duo are back and ready to travel around the world. Join a rowdy musk ox and a cantankerous zebra on the adventure of a lifetime―a tour through the seven continents!
Wild Horse Winter
by Tetsuya HondaBased on an actual event, this suspenseful story tells the miraculous saga of a herd of beautiful wild horses and details the life of a young colt as it matures and follows the lead of its protective mother to overcome a wild, raging blizzard in the dramatic conclusion of their journey.
The soft paintings combine with the simple text to bring a vanishing breed vividly to life. A wonderful book for reading aloud or for sharing, the story subtly parallels the growth of all creatures and underscores the strong bonds that exist between parent and child.
Who Is Jane Goodall?
by Roberta Edwards and John O'Brien and Nancy HarrisonA life in the wild! Jane Goodall, born in London, England, always loved animals and wanted to study them in their natural habitats. So at age twenty-six, off she went to Africa! Goodall's up-close observations of chimpanzees changed what we know about them and paved the way for many female scientists who came after her. Now her story comes to life in this biography with black-and-white illustrations throughout.
Volcano Wakes Up
by Lisa PetersPlayful, kid-friendly poems from five alternating points of view explore the volcanic process and its effect on the surrounding land, flora, and fauna. From the lava crickets to the ferns, everyone has something to say about it! Follow one day--from sunrise to moonrise--on the slopes of a young, about-to-shout volcano.
Science-loving kids will get a kick out of this exciting look at an erupting volcano, and the creative poems offer something for everyone.
The Vegetables We Eat
by Gail GibbonsGlossy red peppers, lush leafy greens, plump orange pumpkins, and delectable little peas: vegetables come in many shapes, sizes, and colors. Leaf. . .root. . .stem. . . . These are three of the eight groups of vegetables. From how they are planted to how they get to stores, here is a wealth of information about them, including how to plant and tend your own vegetable garden.
This book does not contain images, only image descriptions.
The Stories Julian Tells
by Ann Cameron and Ann StrugnellJulian is a quick fibber and a wishful thinker. And he is great at telling stories. He can make people--especially his younger brother, Huey--believe just about anything. Like the story about the cats that come in the mail. Or the fig leaves that make you grow tall if you eat them off the tree. But some stories can lead to a heap of trouble, and that's exactly where Julian and Huey end up!
[This text is listed as an example that meets Common Core Standards in English language arts for grades 2-3 at http://www.corestandards.org.]
Sit-In
by Andrea Davis PinkneyIt was February 1, 1960. They didn't need menus. Their order was simple. A doughnut and coffee, with cream on the side. Courageously defying the WHITES ONLY edict of the area, four young black men took a stand against the injustice of segregation in America by sitting down at the lunch counter of a Woolworth's department store. Countless others of all races soon joined the cause following Martin Luther King Jr.'s powerful words of peaceful protest. By sitting down together, they stood up for civil rights and created the perfect recipe for integration not only at the Woolworth's counter, but on buses and in communities throughout the South.
Ramona the Pest
by Beverly Cleary and Tracy DockrayRamona Quimby is excited to start kindergarten. No longer does she have to watch her older sister, Beezus, ride the bus to school with all the big kids. She's finally old enough to do it too!
Then she gets into trouble for pulling her classmate's boingy curls during recess. Even worse, her crush rejects her in front of everyone. Beezus says Ramona needs to quit being a pest, but how can she stop if she never was trying to be one in the first place?
Newbery Medal winning author Beverly Cleary expertly depicts the trials and triumphs of growing up through a relatable heroine in Ramona Quimby.
Winner of Pacific Northwest Library Association’s Young Reader’s Choice Award
Fountas and Pinnell Level: O
Lexile: 691L - 770L
Reading Recovery: 34
DRA: 34
PM Readers: 24 Silver
Grade: 3
Ages: 8 - 9
Learning A to Z Level: S
Accelerated Reader (ATOS): 3.9 - 5.1
Ramona the Pest
by Beverly Clearly and Louis DarlingNIMAC-sourced textbook
Ramona Quimby is excited to start kindergarten. No longer does she have to watch her older sister, Beezus, ride the bus to school with all the big kids. She's finally old enough to take the bus too!
Then she gets into trouble for pulling her classmate's boingy curls during recess. Even worse, her crush rejects her in front of everyone. Beezus says Ramona needs to quit being a pest, but how can she stop if she never was trying to be one in the first place?
On The Same Day In March
by Marilyn Singer and Frané LessacOn the same day in March... Polar bears ride on Artic ice. People in French cafes turn up their faces to the sun. Hailstones roll over Indian hillsides. Rain makes a river in Kenya. On the same day that it's icy cold in the Artic, it's foggy in Louisiana, sunny in Barbados, and blowing wild winds called willy-willies in Austrailia. In this poetic exploration of longitude and weather, with bright and detailed paintings of seventeen different places, Marilyn Singer and Frane Lessac show us what's happening from the poles to the equator-- all on the same day in March.
Top 10 Science Books for Children 2000 (Booklist) and Notable Children's Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies 2001, National Council for SS & Child. Book Council
Nelson Mandela
by Kadir NelsonThis stunning picture book biography of Nelson Mandela by Kadir Nelson is a receipient of the Coretta Scott King Honor award. In this picture book biography, award-winning author and illustrator Kadir Nelson tells the story of Mandela, a global icon, in poignant free verse and glorious illustrations. It is the story of a young boy's determination to change South Africa, and of the struggles of a man who eventually became the president of his country by believing in equality for all people, no matter the color of their skin. Readers will be inspired by Mandela's triumph and his lifelong quest to create a more just world. An author's note at the back retells the story of Mandela's fight against apartheid in simple prose, and takes the story further, including Mandela's Nobel Peace Prize. A short bibliography lists additional sources for readers who want to find out more.
The Mysterious Giant of Barletta
by Tomie DePaolaThe giant statue that has always stood in front of the Church of San Sepolcro in Barletta is called upon to save the town from an army of a thousand men that is destroying all the towns and cities along the lower Adriatic coast.
Mexico
by Victoria ParkerFind out what school and home life is like for children in Mexico. What is the capital city of Mexico? When does Luis go to school? Why does Raul sleep in a hammock.
Ma Dear's Aprons
by Patricia C. MckissackThis book captures what life was like for a poor single mother and son in a time before washing machines, cars, and TV sets.
The Librarian of Basra
by Jeanette Winter Jeanette Winter*ALA Notable Children&’s book 2006 *Celebrated author-illustrator Jeanette Winter weaves a hopeful tale of one woman&’s courageous book rescue. In the Spring of 2003, Alia Muhammad Baker was the city of Basra&’s real-life librarian. She was the keeper of cherished books and her library was a haven for community gatherings. But with war imminent in Basra, Iraq, what could this lone woman do to save her precious books? With lyrical, spare text and beautiful acrylic illustrations, Jeanette Winter shows how well she understands her young audience. This true story of one librarian&’s remarkable bravery reminds us all how, throughout the world, the love of literature and the respect for knowledge knows no boundaries.
James Marshall's Cinderella
by Barbara KarlinThis Scholastic edition updates the classic Cinderella story and is retold by Barbara Karlin, with colorful illustrations by James Marshall. The happily ever after ending has been updated too!
It Takes a Village
by Jane Cowen-FletcherOn market day in a small village in Benin, Yemi tries to watch her little brother Kokou and finds that the entire village is watching out for him, too.
Investigating Landforms
by Lynn GorpLandforms are features on the earth's surface that are made naturally. Mountains, plains, and plateaus are all examples of landforms. The study of landforms is called geomorphology. Scientists can learn about the past and even predict future changes by studying landforms. Today we can take pictures of landforms from airplanes and satellites.
In the Garden with Dr. Carver
by Nicole Tadgell and Susan GrigsbySally is a young girl living in rural Alabama in the early 1900s, a time when people were struggling to grow food in soil that had been depleted by years of cotton production. One day, Dr. George Washington Carver shows up to help the grownups with their farms and the children with their school garden. He teaches them how to restore the soil and respect the balance of nature. He even prepares a delicious lunch made of plants, including "chicken" made from peanuts. And Sally never forgets the lessons this wise man leaves in her heart and mind. Susan Grigsby's warm story shines new light on an African American scientist who was ahead of his time.
Hurry and the Monarch
by Meilo So and Antoine O FlathartaWhen the beautiful orange Monarch on her fall migration route from Canada to Mexico stops to rest at Wichita Falls, Texas, she makes friends with an old tortoise called Hurry.
She tells him, "Maybe one day you'll break out of that shell, grow wings, and fly away," and then she is off again with millions of other Monarchs.
In the spring, she stops again at Hurry's garden just long enough to lay her eggs and head north to Canada.
Embedded in this lyrical and tender fictional presentation are the fascinating facts about the amazing 2,000-mile migration and the life cycle of butterflies. An afterword provides additional scientific data.
How Do Plants Grow?
by Richard Spilsbury and Louise SpilsburyLooking inside a seed. We'll look at a cut-open bean seed and talk about the food store and the baby plant and the seed coat. The baby plant in a seed stays safe and warm inside the seed coat until it is ready to start growing, usually in spring when the weather is warm and wet.
The Honey Makers
by Gail GibbonsCovers the physical structure of honeybees and how they live in colonies, as well as how they produce honey and are managed by beekeepers.
Gilberto and the Wind
by Marie Hall EtsA young boy finds in the wind a playmate of many moods: one that can sail boats, fly kites, blow dirt, and turn umbrellas inside out.