Science - Grade Two   (#5020030)

Version for Academic Year:

Course Standards

General Course Information and Notes

General Notes

Special Notes: 

Instructional Practices 
Teaching from a range of complex text is optimized when teachers in all subject areas implement the following strategies on a routine basis:

  1. Ensuring wide reading from complex text that varies in length.
  2. Making close reading and rereading of texts central to lessons.
  3. Emphasizing text-specific complex questions, and cognitively complex tasks, reinforce focus on the text and cultivate independence.
  4. Emphasizing students supporting answers based upon evidence from the text.
  5. Providing extensive research and writing opportunities (claims and evidence).

Science and Engineering Practices (NRC Framework for K-12 Science Education, 2010)

  • Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering).
  • Developing and using models.
  • Planning and carrying out investigations.
  • Analyzing and interpreting data.
  • Using mathematics, information and computer technology, and computational thinking.
  • Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering).
  • Engaging in argument from evidence.
  • Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information.

 

Florida’s Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T.) Standards
This course includes Florida’s B.E.S.T. ELA Expectations (EE) and Mathematical Thinking and Reasoning Standards (MTRs) for students. Florida educators should intentionally embed these standards within the content and their instruction as applicable. For guidance on the implementation of the EEs and MTRs, please visit https://www.cpalms.org/Standards/BEST_Standards.aspx and select the appropriate B.E.S.T. Standards package.

English Language Development ELD Standards Special Notes Section:

Teachers are required to provide listening, speaking, reading and writing instruction that allows English language learners (ELL) to communicate information, ideas and concepts for academic success in the content area of Science. For the given level of English language proficiency and with visual, graphic, or interactive support, students will interact with grade level words, expressions, sentences and discourse to process or produce language necessary for academic success The ELD standard should specify a relevant content area concept or topic of study chosen by curriculum developers and teachers which maximizes an ELL's need for communication and social skills. To access an ELL supporting document which delineates performance definitions and descriptors, please click on the following link: https://cpalmsmediaprod.blob.core.windows.net/uploads/docs/standards/eld/sc.pdf

General Information

Course Number: 5020030
Course Path:
Abbreviated Title: SCIENCE GRADE TWO
Course Length: Year (Y)
Course Attributes:
  • Class Size Core Required
Course Type: Core Academic Course
Course Status: State Board Approved
Grade Level(s): 2

Student Resources

Vetted resources students can use to learn the concepts and skills in this course.

Original Student Tutorials

Objects in the Solar System: Interactive Science Research Page:

Explore and compare objects in the solar system, including planets, moons, the Sun, comets, and asteroids, with this interactive research page.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Pnyx Hill: Government in the Open Air:

Explore how weathering and erosion may have affected Pnyx Hill, the ancient Greek democratic meeting place which influenced our modern government with this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Not Easy Being Green:

Explore how the properties of materials change, including how the copper metal covering the Statue of Liberty changes from a brownish color to a greenish patina over time, with this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Sweet Shop Properties Part 3: Volume and Mass:

Visit The Sweet Shop and size up their menu as we explore volume and mass measurement in this interactive science tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Sweet Shop Properties Part 2: Measuring Length:

Visit The Sweet Shop and see how their treats measure up as we explore length measurement in this interactive science tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Sweet Shop Properties Part 1: Using Your Senses:

Visit The Sweet Shop and tickle your senses as we observe properties of matter in this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Comparing Observations Using Tally Marks Part 2:

Join a class of students as they record and compare observations made during nature walks in the woods near their school. You will interpret data represented with tally marks and compare observations made by different groups in this interactive S.T.E.M. tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Comparing Observations Using Tables Part 2:

Join a class of students as they record and compare observations made during nature walks in the woods near their school. You will interpret data represented in tables and compare observations made by different groups in this interactive S.T.E.M. tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Comparing Observations Using Tally Marks Part 1:

Join a class of students as they record and compare observations made during nature walks in the woods near their school. You will interpret data represented with tally marks and compare observations made by different groups in this interactive S.T.E.M. tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Comparing Observations Using Tables Part 1:

Learn to record and compare observations a group of students made during nature walks in the woods near their school.  You will interpret data represented in tables and compare observations made by different groups in this interactive S.T.E.M. tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Comparing Observations Using Pictographs Part 1:

Join a class of students as they record and compare observations made during nature walks in the woods near their school.  You will interpret data represented as pictographs and compare observations made by different groups in this interactive S.T.E.M. tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Comparing Observations Using Pictographs Part 2:

Join a class of students as they record and compare observations made during nature walks in the woods near their school.  You will interpret data represented as pictographs and compare observations made by different groups in this interactive S.T.E.M. tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Comparing Observations Using Bar Graphs Part 2:

Join a class of students as they record and compare observations made during nature walks in the woods near their school.  You will interpret data represented as bar graphs and compare observations made by different groups in this interactive S.T.E.M. tutorial.

This is part 2 of 2-part series, click HERE to view part 1.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Two Containers:

Investigate what happens to water left in an open container or a closed container in this interactive science tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Preparing for Strong Wind:

Discover the importance of preparing for severe weather like strong wind in this interactive science tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

How Text Sections Convey an Author’s Purpose:

Explore excerpts from the extraordinary autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, as you examine the author's purpose for writing and his use of the problem and solution text structure. By the end of this interactive tutorial, you should be able to explain how Douglass uses the problem and solution text structure in these excerpts to convey his purpose for writing.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Comparing Observations Using Bar Graphs Part 1:

Learn to interpret data represented as bar graphs and compare observations made by different groups of students during nature walks with this interactive S.T.E.M. tutorial.

This is part 1 of 2-part series, click HERE to view part 2.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Preparing for a Flood:

Discover the importance of preparing for a severe weather related event such as a flood in this interactive science tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Wind Is a Wonder:

Investigate the movement of the air that is all around us, the effects of wind on our environment, and how people use wind as a source of energy in this interactive science tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

How Do You Know?:

Learn how scientists answer the question, "How do you know?" by making observations and gathering evidence in this interactive science tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Sunlight Beach:

Enjoy a visit to the beach and explore how the Sun's energy directly and indirectly warms Earth in this interactive science tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Changing Properties:

Was the statue of liberty always green? Why do some things rust? Exactly how cool were hypercolor shirts? Explore these questions and more as we investigate how different materials react to situations that may change their properties in this interactive science tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

The Shape of Water:

What is the shape of water?  Explore common states of matter and how the state affects the shape of matter inside and outside different containers in this interactive science tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Pets, Pushes, and Pulls:

Learn how pushes and pulls can have different effects on different objects as you help Maria and her family take care of the pets in this interactive science tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Magnetic Motion:

Join Mr. Reynolds and his class as they use magnetic attraction and repulsion to make objects move in this interactive science tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Identifying Rhetorical Appeals in "Eulogy of the Dog" (Part Two):

Continue to study George Vest's "Eulogy of the Dog" speech and his use of rhetorical appeals. In Part Two of this two-part series, you'll identify his use of ethos and pathos throughout his speech.

Make sure to complete Part One before beginning Part Two. Click HERE to launch Part One.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Identifying Rhetorical Appeals in "Eulogy of the Dog" (Part One):

Read George Vest's "Eulogy of the Dog" speech in this two-part interactive tutorial. In this series, you'll identify and examine Vest's use of ethos, pathos, and logos in his speech. In Part One, you'll identify Vest's use of logos in the first part of his speech. In Part Two, you'll identify his use of ethos and pathos throughout his speech. 

Make sure to complete both part of this series! Click HERE to launch Part Two.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Forces on the Playground:

Explore how forces can change the motion of objects on the playground in this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

A Garden of Repeated Results:

Join a young girl and her grandmother in the garden as they discover the importance of repeating and replicating results to arrive at similar conclusions in this interactive science tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

That's So Epic: How Epic Similes Contribute to Mood (Part Two):

Continue to study epic similes in excerpts from The Iliad in Part Two of this two-part series. In Part Two, you'll learn about mood and how the language of an epic simile produces a specified mood in excerpts from The Iliad.

Make sure to complete Part One before beginning Part Two. Click HERE to view "That's So Epic: How Epic Similes Contribute to Mood (Part One)."

Type: Original Student Tutorial

That's So Epic: How Epic Similes Contribute to Mood (Part One):

Learn about how epic similes create mood in a text, specifically in excerpts from The Iliad, in this two-part series.

In Part One, you'll define epic simile, identify epic similes based on defined characteristics, and explain the comparison created in an epic simile.

In Part Two, you'll learn about mood and how the language of an epic simile produces a specified mood in excerpts from The Iliad. Make sure to complete both parts!

Click HERE to view "That's So Epic: How Epic Similes Contribute to Mood (Part Two)." 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Risky Betting: Text Evidence and Inferences (Part Two):

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Tracking the Temperature:

Learn to measure and compare temperatures taken every day at the same time in this interactive science tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Measuring the Rain:

Opportunities to explore the measurement of liquid volume are overflowing in this interactive science tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Risky Betting: Text Evidence and Inferences (Part One):

Read the famous short story “The Bet” by Anton Chekhov and explore the impact of a fifteen-year bet made between a lawyer and a banker in this three-part tutorial series.

In Part One, you’ll cite textual evidence that supports an analysis of what the text states explicitly, or directly, and make inferences and support them with textual evidence. By the end of Part One, you should be able to make three inferences about how the bet has transformed the lawyer by the middle of the story and support your inferences with textual evidence.

Make sure to complete all three parts!

Click HERE to launch "Risky Betting: Text Evidence and Inferences (Part Two)."

Click HERE to launch "Risky Betting: Analyzing a Universal Theme (Part Three)." 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Analyzing Sound in Poe's "The Raven" :

Identify rhyme, alliteration, and repetition in Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" and analyze how he used these sound devices to affect the poem in this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

The Power Is Out!:

Investigate the importance of electricity and other forms of energy to our daily lives in this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Solids, Liquids and Gases, Oh My!:

Learn about water in its different states, including solid, liquid, and gas, in this interactive tutorial. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Patterns in Precipitation:

Compare seasonal precipitation patterns in Miami and Tallahassee, Florida by interpreting data on bar graphs in this interactive tutorial.

This is part 2 of a 2-part series, click HERE to view part 1, Patterns in Temperature.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

In the Driver's Seat: Character Interactions in Little Women:

Study excerpts from the classic American novel Little Women by Louisa May Alcott in this interactive English Language Arts tutorial. Using excerpts from chapter eight of Little Women, you'll identify key characters and their actions. You'll also explain how interactions between characters contributes to the development of the plot. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

What it Means to Give a Gift: How Allusions Contribute to Meaning in "The Gift of the Magi":

Examine how allusions contribute to meaning in excerpts from O. Henry's classic American short story “The Gift of the Magi." In this interactive tutorial, you'll determine how allusions in the text better develop the key story elements of setting, characters, and conflict and explain how the allusion to the Magi contributes to the story’s main message about what it means to give a gift.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Patterns in Temperature:

Compare daily and seasonal temperature patterns in Miami and Tallahassee, Florida in this interactive science tutorial.

This is part 1 of 2-part series, click HERE to view part 2, Patterns in Precipitation. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Analyzing Imagery in Shakespeare’s "Sonnet 18":

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Comparing Universal Themes in Shakespeare’s "Sonnet 18":

Study William Shakespeare's "Sonnet 18" to determine and compare two universal themes and how they are developed throughout the sonnet. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

How Form Contributes to Meaning in Shakespeare’s "Sonnet 18":

Explore the form and meaning of William Shakespeare's “Sonnet 18.”  In this interactive tutorial, you’ll examine how specific words and phrases contribute to meaning in the sonnet, select the features of a Shakespearean sonnet in the poem, identify the solution to a problem, and explain how the form of a Shakespearean sonnet contributes to the meaning of "Sonnet 18."

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Analyzing Universal Themes in "The Gift of the Magi":

Analyze how O. Henry uses details to address the topics of value, sacrifice, and love in his famous short story, "The Gift of the Magi." In this interactive tutorial, you'll also determine two universal themes of the story. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

How Story Elements Interact in “The Gift of the Magi" – Part Two:

Explore key story elements in more excerpts from the classic American short story “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry.

In Part Two of this two-part series, you'll analyze how important information about two main characters is revealed through the context of the story’s setting and events in the plot. By the end of this tutorial, you should be able to explain how character development, setting, and plot interact in "The Gift of the Magi."

Make sure to complete Part One before beginning Part Two. Click HERE to launch Part One. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

How Story Elements Interact in “The Gift of the Magi" -- Part One:

Explore key story elements in the classic American short story “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry. Throughout this two-part tutorial, you'll analyze how important information about two main characters is revealed through the context of the story’s setting and events in the plot. By the end of this tutorial series, you should be able to explain how character development, setting, and plot interact in excerpts from this short story.

Make sure to complete both parts! Click HERE to view "How Story Elements Interact in 'The Gift of the Magi' -- Part Two."

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Falling for Gravity:

Discover how Earth's gravity influences objects in this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

On the River: Observations and Inferences:

Learn to make observations and inferences as you take a virtual kayak trip down the beautiful Suwannee River with this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Archetypes – Part Two: Examining Archetypes in The Princess and the Goblin:

Read more from the fantasy novel The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald in Part Two of this three-part series. By the end of this tutorial, you should be able to compare and contrast the archetypes of two characters in the novel.

Make sure to complete all three parts of this series in order to compare and contrast the use of archetypes in two texts.

Click HERE to view "Archetypes -- Part One: Examining an Archetype in The Princess and the Goblin."

Click HERE to view "Archetypes -- Part Three: Comparing and Contrasting Archetypes in Two Fantasy Stories." 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Archetypes – Part One: Examining an Archetype in The Princess and the Goblin:

Learn to determine the important traits of a main character named Princess Irene in excerpts from the fantasy novel The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald. In this interactive tutorial, you’ll also identify her archetype and explain how textual details about her character support her archetype.  

Make sure to complete all three parts of this series in order to compare and contrast the use of archetypes in two texts.

Click HERE to view "Archetypes -- Part Two: Examining Archetypes in The Princess and the Goblin."

Click HERE to view "Archetypes -- Part Three: Comparing and Contrasting Archetypes in Two Fantasy Stories." 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

The Power to Cure or Impair: The Importance of Setting in "The Yellow Wallpaper" -- Part One:

Learn to identify aspects of setting and character as you analyze several excerpts from “The Yellow Wallpaper," a chilling short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman that explores the impact on its narrator of being confined to mostly one room. You'll also determine how the narrator’s descriptions of the story’s setting better reveal her emotional and mental state.

This interactive tutorial is Part One in a two-part series. By the end of Part Two, you should be able to explain how the narrator changes through her interaction with the setting. Click below to launch Part Two.

The Power to Cure or Impair: The Importance of Setting in 'The Yellow Wallpaper' -- Part Two 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

The Power to Cure or Impair: The Importance of Setting in "The Yellow Wallpaper" -- Part Two:

Continue to examine several excerpts from the chilling short story “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, which explores the impact on its narrator of being confined to mostly one room. In Part Two of this tutorial series, you'll determine how the narrator’s descriptions of the story’s setting reveal its impact on her emotional and mental state. By the end of this tutorial, you should be able to explain how the narrator changes through her interaction with the setting.

Make sure to complete Part One before beginning Part Two. Click HERE to launch "The Power to Cure or Impair: The Importance of Setting in 'The Yellow Wallpaper' -- Part One." 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

The Mystery of the Past: How the Form of a Villanelle Contributes to Meaning in "The House on the Hill":

Explore the mysterious poem “The House on the Hill” by Edwin Arlington Robinson in this interactive tutorial. As you explore the poem's message about the past, you’ll identify the features of a villanelle in the poem. By the end of this tutorial, you should be able to explain how the form of a villanelle contributes to the poem's meaning.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

How Does Your Garden Grow? The Life Cycle of Plants:

Come along as we explore how a plant grows and develops from a tiny seed into a mature adult plant. Learn what a seed needs to sprout and grow and what a plant needs to grow. This is an interactive tutorial that explores the major stages in the life cycle of a typical plant. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

The Circle of Life: Animals:

Join Peep, a baby chick, and explore the major life cycle stages an animal may go through during its life in this interactive tutorial.  

Type: Original Student Tutorial

A Giant of Size and Power – Part Two: How the Form of a Sonnet Contributes to Meaning in "The New Colossus":

Continue to explore the significance of the famous poem “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus, lines from which are engraved on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. 

In Part Two of this two-part series, you’ll identify the features of a sonnet in the poem "The New Colossus." By the end of this tutorial, you should be able to explain how the form of a sonnet contributes to the poem's meaning. 

Make sure to complete Part One before beginning Part Two.

Click HERE to launch "A Giant of Size and Power -- Part One: Exploring the Significance of 'The New Colossus.'"

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Analyzing the Beginning of The Red Umbrella – Part Two: How Setting Influences Characters:

Continue to examine how setting influences characters in excerpts from The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez with this interactive tutorial.

This is part 2 in a two-part series. Make sure to complete Part One first. Click HERE to launch "Analyzing the Beginning of The Red Umbrella -- Part One: How Setting Influences Events." 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

A Giant of Size and Power -- Part One: Exploring the Significance of "The New Colossus":

In Part One, explore the significance of the famous poem “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus, lines from which are engraved on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. 

This famous poem also happens to be in the form of a sonnet. In Part Two of this two-part series, you’ll identify the features of a sonnet in the poem. By the end of this tutorial series, you should be able to explain how the form of a sonnet contributes to the poem's meaning. Make sure to complete both parts!

Click HERE to launch "A Giant of Size and Power -- Part Two: How the Form of a Sonnet Contributes to Meaning in 'The New Colossus.'"

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Analyzing the Beginning of The Red Umbrella – Part One: How Setting Influences Events:

Explore excerpts from the beginning of the historical fiction novel The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez in this two-part series. In Part One, you'll examine how setting influences events. In Part Two, you'll examine how setting influences characters.

Make sure to complete both parts! Click HERE to launch Part Two.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Physical Science Unit: Water Beach Vacation Lesson 17 Video:

This SaM-1 video provides the students with the optional "twist" for Lesson 17 and the Model Eliciting Activity (MEA) they have been working on in the Grade 3 Physical Science Unit: Water Beach Vacation. 

 

To see all the lessons in the unit please visit https://www.cpalms.org/page818.aspx.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Physical Science Unit: Water Beach Vacation Lesson 14 Video:

This video introduces the students to a Model Eliciting Activity (MEA) and concepts related to conducting experiments so they can apply what they learned about the changes water undergoes when it changes state.  This MEA provides students with an opportunity to develop a procedure based on evidence for selecting the most effective cooler.

This SaM-1 video is to be used with lesson 14 in the Grade 3 Physical Science Unit: Water Beach Vacation. To see all the lessons in the unit please visit https://www.cpalms.org/page818.aspx.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

The Flu and You: Part 2:

Discover what a virus is, actions that cause viruses like the flu to spread from one person to another, and strategies to decrease the spread of viruses to others.

This interactive tutorial is part 2 in a two-part series. Click to open part 1.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

The Flu and You: Part 1:

Discover what a virus is, actions that cause viruses like the flu to spread from one person to another, and strategies to decrease the spread of viruses to others.

This interactive tutorial is part 1 in a two-part series. Click to open part 2.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Reading into Words with Multiple Meanings:

Explore Robert Frost's poem "Mending Wall" and examine words, phrases, and lines with multiple meanings. In this interactive tutorial, you'll analyze how these multiple meanings can affect a reader’s interpretation of the poem.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

From Myth to Short Story: Drawing on Source Material – Part Two:

Examine the topics of transformation and perfection as you read excerpts from the “Myth of Pygmalion” by Ovid and the short story “The Birthmark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne. By the end of this two-part interactive tutorial series, you should be able to explain how the short story draws on and transforms source material from the original myth. 

This tutorial is the second in a two-part series. Click HERE to launch Part One.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

From Myth to Short Story: Drawing on Source Material – Part One:

Examine the topics of transformation and perfection as you read excerpts from the “Myth of Pygmalion” by Ovid and the short story “The Birthmark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne. By the end of this two-part interactive tutorial series, you should be able to explain how the short story draws on and transforms source material from the original myth.  

This tutorial is the first in a two-part series. Click HERE to launch Part Two.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Don't Plagiarize: Cite Your Sources!:

Learn more about that dreaded word--plagiarism--in this interactive tutorial that's all about citing your sources, creating a Works Cited page, and avoiding academic dishonesty!

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Play Your Part: All Your Parts and What They Do:

Take a look at some organs in your body and the jobs they do as you complete this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Avoiding Plagiarism and Citing Sources:

Learn more about that dreaded word--plagiarism--in this interactive tutorial that's all about citing your sources and avoiding academic dishonesty!

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Analyzing Word Choice in Emerson's "Self-Reliance": Part 2:

Explore excerpts from Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay "Self-Reliance" in this two-part series. This tutorial is Part Two. In this tutorial, you will continue to examine excerpts from Emerson's essay that focus on the topic of traveling. You'll examine word meanings and determine the connotations of specific words. You will also analyze the impact of specific word choices on the meaning of this portion of the essay.

Make sure to complete Part One first. Click HERE to launch Part One.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Analyzing Word Choice in Emerson's "Self-Reliance": Part 1:

Explore excerpts from Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay "Self-Reliance" in this two-part interactive tutorial series. You will examine word meanings, examine subtle differences between words with similar meanings, and think about the emotions or associations that are connected to specific words. Finally, you will analyze the impact of specific word choices on the meaning of these excerpts.

Make sure to complete both parts! Click HERE to launch Part Two.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Analyzing Figurative Meaning in Emerson's "Self-Reliance": Part 2:

Explore excerpts from Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay "Self-Reliance" in this interactive two-part tutorial. This tutorial is Part Two. In this two-part series, you will learn to enhance your experience of Emerson's essay by analyzing his use of the word "genius." You will analyze Emerson's figurative meaning of "genius" and how he develops and refines the meaning of this word over the course of the essay.

Make sure to complete Part One before beginning Part Two. Click HERE to view Part One.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Analyzing Figurative Meaning in Emerson's "Self-Reliance": Part 1:

Explore excerpts from Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay "Self-Reliance" in this interactive two-part tutorial. In Part One, you’ll learn to enhance your experience of a text by analyzing its use of a word’s figurative meaning. Specifically, you'll examine Emerson's figurative meaning of the key term "genius." In Part Two, you’ll learn how to track the development of a word’s figurative meaning over the course of a text. 

Make sure to complete both parts of the tutorial! Click HERE to launch Part Two.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

What Do Living Things Need To Survive?:

Explore the needs of living things, including plants and animals, as you complete this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Analyzing Word Choices in Poe's "The Raven" -- Part Two:

Practice analyzing word choices in "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe, including word meanings, subtle differences between words with similar meanings, and emotions connected to specific words. In this interactive tutorial, you will also analyze the impact of specific word choices on the meaning of the poem.

This is Part Two of a two-part series. Part One should be completed before beginning Part Two. Click HERE to open Part One.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Analyzing Word Choices in Poe's "The Raven" -- Part One:

Practice analyzing word choices in "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe in this interactive tutorial. In this tutorial, you will examine word meanings, examine subtle differences between words with similar meanings, and think about emotions connected to specific words. You will also analyze the impact of specific word choices on the meaning of the poem.

This tutorial is Part One of a two-part series on Poe's "The Raven." Click HERE to open Part Two.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

A Poem in 2 Voices: Jekyll and Hyde:

Learn how to create a Poem in 2 Voices in this interactive tutorial. This tutorial is Part Three of a three-part series. In this tutorial, you will learn how to create a Poem in 2 Voices using evidence drawn from a literary text: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson.

You should complete Part One and Part Two of this series before beginning Part Three.   

Click HERE to launch Part One. Click HERE to launch Part Two. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

The Voices of Jekyll and Hyde, Part Two:

Get ready to travel back in time to London, England during the Victorian era in this interactive tutorial that uses text excerpts from The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. This tutorial is Part Two of a three-part series. You should complete Part One before beginning this tutorial. In Part Two, you will read excerpts from the last half of the story and practice citing evidence to support analysis of a literary text. In the third tutorial in this series, you’ll learn how to create a Poem in 2 Voices using evidence from this story. 

Make sure to complete all three parts! Click to HERE launch Part One. Click HERE to launch Part Three. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Its all about Mood: Bradbury's "Zero Hour":

Learn how authors create mood in a story through this interactive tutorial. You'll read a science fiction short story by author Ray Bradbury and analyze how he uses images, sound, dialogue, setting, and characters' actions to create different moods. This tutorial is Part One in a two-part series. In Part Two, you'll use Bradbury's story to help you create a Found Poem that conveys multiple moods.

When you've completed Part One, click HERE to launch Part Two.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Expository Writing: Eyes in the Sky (Part 4 of 4):

Practice writing different aspects of an expository essay about scientists using drones to research glaciers in Peru. This interactive tutorial is part four of a four-part series. In this final tutorial, you will learn about the elements of a body paragraph. You will also create a body paragraph with supporting evidence. Finally, you will learn about the elements of a conclusion and practice creating a “gift.” 

This tutorial is part four of a four-part series. Click below to open the other tutorials in this series.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

The Voices of Jekyll and Hyde, Part One:

Practice citing evidence to support analysis of a literary text as you read excerpts from one of the most famous works of horror fiction of all time, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. 

This tutorial is Part One of a three-part tutorial. In Part Two, you'll continue your analysis of the text. In Part Three, you'll learn how to create a Poem in 2 Voices using evidence from this story. Make sure to complete all three parts! 

Click HERE to launch Part Two. Click HERE to launch Part Three. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Expository Writing: Eyes in the Sky (Part 3 of 4):

Learn how to write an introduction for an expository essay in this interactive tutorial. This tutorial is the third part of a four-part series. In previous tutorials in this series, students analyzed an informational text and video about scientists using drones to explore glaciers in Peru. Students also determined the central idea and important details of the text and wrote an effective summary. In part three, you'll learn how to write an introduction for an expository essay about the scientists' research. 

This tutorial is part three of a four-part series. Click below to open the other tutorials in this series.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Drones and Glaciers: Eyes in the Sky (Part 2 of 4):

Learn how to identify the central idea and important details of a text, as well as how to write an effective summary in this interactive tutorial. This tutorial is the second tutorial in a four-part series that examines how scientists are using drones to explore glaciers in Peru. 

This tutorial is part two of a four-part series. Click below to open the other tutorials in this series.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Drones and Glaciers: Eyes in the Sky (Part 1 of 4):

Learn about how researchers are using drones, also called unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs, to study glaciers in Peru. In this interactive tutorial, you will practice citing text evidence when answering questions about a text.

This tutorial is part one of a four-part series. Click below to open the other tutorials in this series.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Avoiding Plagiarism: It's Not Magic:

Learn how to avoid plagiarism in this interactive tutorial. You will also learn how to follow a standard format for citation and how to format your research paper using MLA style. Along the way, you will also learn about master magician Harry Houdini. This tutorial is Part Two of a two-part series on research writing.

Be sure to complete Part One first. Click to view Part One.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Research Writing: It's Not Magic:

Learn about paraphrasing and the use of direct quotes in this interactive tutorial about research writing. Along the way, you'll also learn about master magician Harry Houdini. This tutorial is part one of a two-part series, so be sure to complete both parts.

Check out part two—Avoiding Plaigiarism: It's Not Magic here.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

It's all about Mood: Creating a Found Poem:

Learn how to create a Found Poem with changing moods in this interactive tutorial. This tutorial is Part Two of a two-part series. In Part One, students read “Zero Hour,” a science fiction short story by author Ray Bradbury and examined how he used various literary devices to create changing moods. In Part Two, students will use words and phrases from “Zero Hour” to create a Found Poem with two of the same moods from Bradbury's story.

Click HERE to launch Part One.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Happy Halloween! Textual Evidence and Inferences:

Cite text evidence and make inferences about the "real" history of Halloween in this spooky interactive tutorial. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Plagiarism: What Is It? How Can I Avoid It?:

Learn more about that dreaded word--plagiarism--in this interactive tutorial that's all about citing your sources and avoiding academic dishonesty!

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Cyberwar! Citing Evidence and Making Inferences:

Learn how to cite evidence and draw inferences in this interactive tutorial. Using an informational text about cyber attacks, you'll practice identifying text evidence and making inferences based on the text.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Go For the Gold: Writing Claims & Using Evidence:

Learn how to define and identify claims being made within a text. This tutorial will also show you how evidence can be used effectively to support the claim being made. Lastly, this tutorial will help you write strong, convincing claims of your own.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Westward Bound: Exploring Evidence and Inferences:

Learn to identify explicit textual evidence and make inferences based on the text. In this interactive tutorial, you'll sharpen your analysis skills while reading about the famed American explorers, Lewis and Clark, and their trusted companion, Sacagawea. You'll practice analyzing the explicit textual evidence wihtin the text, and you'll also make your own inferences based on the available evidence. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

The Mystery of Muscle Cell Metabolism:

Explore the mystery of muscle cell metabolism and how cells are able to meet the need for a constant supply of energy. In this interactive tutorial, you'll identify the basic structure of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), explain how ATP’s structure is related it its job in the cell, and connect this role to energy transfers in living things.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Wild Words: Analyzing the Extended Metaphor in "The Stolen Child":

Learn to identify and analyze extended metaphors using W.B. Yeats' poem, "The Stolen Child." In this interactive tutorial, we'll examine how Yeats uses figurative language to express the extended metaphor throughout this poem. We'll focus on his use of these seven types of imagery: visual, auditory, gustatory, olfactory, tactile, kinesthetic, and organic. Finally, we'll analyze how the poem's extended metaphor conveys a deeper meaning within the text.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Set Sail: Analyzing the Central Idea:

Learn to identify and analyze the central idea of an informational text. In this interactive tutorial, you'll read several informational passages about the history of pirates. First, you'll learn the four-step process for pinpointing the central idea. Then you'll analyze each passage to see how the central idea is developed throughout the text.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

"The Last Leaf" – Making Inferences:

Learn how to make inferences based on the information included in the text in this interactive tutorial. Using the short story "The Last Leaf" by O. Henry, you'll practice identifying both the explicit and implicit information in the story. You'll apply your own reasoning to make inferences based on what is stated both explicitly and implicitly in the text. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

"Beary" Good Details:

Join Baby Bear to answer questions about key details in his favorite stories with this interactive tutorial. Learn about characters, setting, and events as you answer who, where, and what questions.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Surviving Extreme Conditions:

In this tutorial, you will practice identifying relevant evidence within a text as you read excerpts from Jack London's short story "To Build a Fire." Then, you'll practice your writing skills as you draft a short response using examples of relevant evidence from the story.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Exploring Texts:

Learn how to make inferences using the novel Hoot in this interactive tutorial. You'll learn how to identify both explicit and implicit information in the story to make inferences about characters and events.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

The Joy That Kills:

Learn how to make inferences when reading a fictional text using the textual evidence provided. In this tutorial, you'll read the short story "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin. You'll practice identifying what is directly stated in the text and what requires the use of inference. You'll practice making your own inferences and supporting them with evidence from the text.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Sweet Shop Properties Part 4: Temperature:

Visit The Sweet Shop and heat up your measuring skills as we explore temperature measurement in this interactive science tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Analyzing an Author’s Use of Juxtaposition in Jane Eyre (Part Two):

In Part Two of this two-part series, you'll continue to explore excerpts from the Romantic novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. In this tutorial, you'll examine the author's use of juxtaposition, which is a technique of putting two or more elements side by side to invite comparison or contrast. By the end of this tutorial, you should be able to explain how the author’s use of juxtaposition in excerpts from the first two chapters of Jane Eyre defines Jane’s perspective regarding her treatment in the Reed household.

Make sure to complete Part One before beginning Part Two. Click HERE to view Part One. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Is It Full?:

Investigate whether a container is "full" by exploring the three main states of matter in this interactive science tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Preparing for Lightning:

Discover the importance of preparing for severe weather like lightning in this interactive science tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Risky Betting: Analyzing a Universal Theme (Part Three):

Dive deeper into the famous short story “The Bet” by Anton Chekhov and explore the impact of a fifteen-year bet made between a lawyer and a banker.

In Part Three, you’ll learn about universal themes and explain how a specific universal theme is developed throughout “The Bet.”

Make sure to complete the first two parts in the series before beginning Part three. Click HERE to view Part One. Click HERE to view Part Two.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Lesson Plan

Holidays that Celebrate America:

In this lesson plan, students will explore the history and meaning behind various patriotic holidays and make personal connections with those holidays including, Constitution Day, Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day, Patriot Day, President’s Day, Independence Day, and Medal of Honor Day.

 

Type: Lesson Plan

Presentation/Slideshows

Forms of Water:

The Tar Heel Reader books may be downloaded as slide shows in PowerPoint, Impress, or Flash format. Each book can be speech enabled and accessed using multiple interfaces, including touch screens, the IntelliKeys with custom overlays, and 1 to 3 switches.

This book provides different examples of the different forms of water: liquid, solid, and gas.

Type: Presentation/Slideshow

Seasons:

This is an accessible, easy-to-read book about the four seasons in the Western hemisphere. It can be downloaded in Power Point, Impress, and Flash formats. For struggling or non-readers, the book can be speech enabled in a variety of voices. All of the books on the Tar Heel Reader site can be used with the Intellikeys keyboard and a custom overlay, a touch screen, and/or 1-3 switches. The text and background colors can be modified for readers with visual impairments.

Type: Presentation/Slideshow

Where Do Butterflies Come From?:

This is an accessible, easy-to-read book about the life cycle of a butterfly. It can be downloaded in PowerPoint, Impress, or Flash format. For struggling or non-readers, the book can be read to the in a variety of voices. All of the books on the Tar Heel Reader site can be used with the Intellikeys keyboard and a custom overlay, a touch screen, and/or 1-3 switches. The text and background colors can be modified for students with visual impairments.

Type: Presentation/Slideshow

Liquids: A Science Curriculum Resource Support:

This is an accessible, easy-to-read book about liquids. It can be downloaded in Power Point, Impress, and Flash formats. For struggling or non-readers, the book can be read aloud in a variety of voices. All of the books on the Tar Heel Reader site can be used with the Intellikeys keyboard and a custom overlay, a touch screen, and/or 1-3 switches. The text and background colors can be modified for students with visual impairments.

Type: Presentation/Slideshow

Three Kinds of Matter: Solids, Liquids, and Gases:

This is free, easy-to-read, and accessible book that explains the three states of matter. The book may be downloaded as slide show in PowerPoint, Impress, or Flash format. The book can be speech enabled and accessed using multiple interfaces, including touch screens, the IntelliKeys with custom overlays, and 1 to 3 switches.

Type: Presentation/Slideshow

Text Resources

States of Water:

Users can read and view pictures that explain the three phases (solid, liquid, and gas) in which water exists. An activity that illustrates water vapor in one's breath and a brief explanation of what phase changes are and what triggers them is also included.

Type: Text Resource

Case Study: Getting Noticed in the Workplace:

Using this case study students can discuss "How can an employee"s behaviors and actions drive their career stability and path?"

Type: Text Resource

Case Study: Understanding How Copyright Law Impacts A Production:

Using this case study, students can answer the question, "What are the limits of fair use regarding copyright protection?"

Type: Text Resource

Case Study: Understanding the Psychological Effects of Composition:

Using this case study, students can answer the question, "How does the composition of a scene influence how the viewer feels?"

Type: Text Resource

Video/Audio/Animations

States of Matter:

The representation is an animation showing particle arrangement and movement in a gas, liquid, and solid. In addition, there is accompanying text and a chart that compares the characteristics of a solid, liquid, and gas.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

Observe Water in Winter and Summer:

This video clip explores what happens to water in the same location over the course of different seasons. On Earth, water can be found regularly in its three distinct phases; liquid, solid, and gas. Each phase has noticeably different properties that need to be considered in certain circumstances. The phase of water is influenced by atmospheric conditions, specifically seasonal temperatures. An example, is that a boat can float and glide on water in the summer, but it cannot pass through solid ice in the winter.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

Tornado Chaser Footage:

To an outsider, chasing storms probably seems like a lot of boring periods of waiting for conditions to become evident, followed by a few moments of sheer excitement or terror. On the other hand, tornado researchers find that the effort and expenses they put into chasing down a single tornado-producing storm reflect the importance of such events, especially in terms of impact on lives and property. These NOVA-adapted video clips include footage of scientists who study supercells and the tornadoes they spawn, highlighting what they already know about these storms, and what they still want to know about how they form.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

Solar Still Part 1: Salt Water:

The process that moves water around Earth is known as the water cycle. I this ZOOM-adapted video clip, the cast uses a homemade solar still to separate pure water from a saltwater mixture, mimicing this natural process.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

Virtual Manipulative

The Disaster Area: FEMA for Kids:

Through this website, students learn about different weather disasters and what to do before, during, and after an emergency.

Type: Virtual Manipulative

Parent Resources

Vetted resources caregivers can use to help students learn the concepts and skills in this course.