Grade 2 – Curriculum
Unit 1 – We Gathers as Believers
Theme – We are welcomed into the Church community of believers. Through the sacrament of Baptism, we become members of the Church and try to follow the example of Jesus, Mary, and the saints. As part of the Church community, we offer to God prayers of thanks and praise.
Chapter 1 – Our Church Welcomes Us
· Explore communities in our lives
· Realize that the Mass celebrates God’s love for us
· Explain the terms “God’s People” and “Body of Christ”
· Identify ways to care for others and welcoming people
· Offer praise and thanks to God for being God’s people
· Explore signs of belonging
· Identify the signs of the sacrament of Baptism
· Explain the effects of the sacraments of initiation
· Identify ways to bring God’s light to others
· Pray for all recipients of the sacraments of initiation
· Recognize real heroes in the world today
· Identify the saints as people who help us follow Jesus
· Realize that we are called to be good and holy
· Aspire to act in good and holy ways
· Pray a litany of the saints
· Explore celebrations in which we give thanks
· Recognize prayers of praise and thanks
· Value various types of prayer, including sacred music
· Compose prayers of praise and thanks
· Offer in song prayers of praise and thanks
Theme – Through the Church we can
acquire a sense of morality and virtue. Through the sacrament of
Reconciliation, we can celebrate God’s forgiveness and learn to reestablish our
relationships with others, God, and the Church community.
Chapter 5 – We Can
Choose What is Good
·
Recognize
that God gives us free choice
·
Explain
what our conscience does for us
·
Recognize
the nature of sin and God’s readiness to forgive
·
Practice
making good choices
·
Celebrate
making good choices
·
Explore
the concept of reconciliation
·
Describe
the parts of the sacrament of Reconciliation
·
Appreciate
the presence of God’s grace and forgiveness in our lives
·
Recognize
ways of reconciling with others
·
Celebrate
God’s forgiveness
·
Explore
what being responsible means
·
Recognize
the origin and nature of the Ten Commandments
·
Understand
the nature of mortal sin and venial sin
·
Make an
examination of conscience
·
Offer
God a prayer for forgiveness of our sins
·
Explore
ways of saying “I’m sorry”
·
Recite
from memory a prayer of sorrow
·
Realize
that the Holy Spirit helps us do better
·
Recognize
God’s love for us as sinners
·
Offer a
prayer of sorrow
Theme – At Mass we listen to the
word of God in the Scripture readings and learn from the homily. We are also
encouraged to renew our beliefs and express our concerns for those who are in
need.
Chapter 9 – We Learn
About God’s Love
·
Explore
the variety of God’s creation
·
Recognize
and appreciate God’s love in creation
·
Acknowledge
the place of the Bible in our faith
·
Identify
ways of caring for God’s creation
·
Offer
prayers of praise to God for all creation
·
Explore
storytelling and favorite stories
·
Recognize
and appreciate the power of God’s word
·
Identify
the nature of the Gospel, homily and the Nicene Creed
·
Learn
the responses of the Liturgy of the Word
·
Pray a
responsorial psalm together
·
Explore
the many actions we take daily
·
Describe
the loving service that Jesus asks of us
·
Identify
ways of giving loving service
·
Imitate
Saint Martin de Porres as an example of loving service
·
Offer a
saint’s prayer to God
·
Share
wishes and dreams
·
Place
our trust in God’s love and care for us
·
Recognize
what petitions and intercessions are
·
Learn to
be sensitive to the needs of others
·
Pray for
the needs of others
· Explore the reasons for giving up things we want
· Understand the Jesus died on the cross to save us from sin and death
· Affirm our belief in the Resurrection of Jesus
· Identify sacrifices that show our love for others
· Remember in prayer the death and resurrection of Jesus
· Explore various kinds of hunger that we have
· Understand what happens during the Liturgy of the Eucharist
· Affirm our belief that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist
· Learn the steps involved in receiving Jesus in the Eucharist
· Pray a meditation prayer
· Explore the kinds of work that people do
· Describe the loving actions that Jesus did for people
· Learn about Father Damien as an example of loving service
· Identify ways of practicing the New Commandment of Jesus
· Pray the thumb prayer
· Explore the times of the day for doing things
· Realize that Jesus taught the Lord’s Prayer to his followers
· Understand the meaning of the Lord’s Prayer
· Identify times of the day for prayer
· Pray together the Lord’s Prayer
Theme – Through the Holy Spirit, the Church works for justice and peace in the community and in the world.
Chapter 17 – God Gives Us the Holy Spirit
· Appreciate the special gifts we have to help others
· Explain what we mean by spiritual gifts
· Understand that the Holy Spirit is our helper, guide, and teacher
· Identify and appreciate our own individual gifts
· Pray a prayer to the Holy Spirit
· Explore how we use words and actions to communicate
· Learn about the Sign of Peace exchanged during Mass
· Learn about the sacraments of Holy Orders and Matrimony
· Recognize the life of Pope John Paul II as one of service to the Church
· Pray together a prayer of peace and service
· Explore what is fair and unfair in life
· Explain the concepts of peace and justice and their place in the teaching of Jesus
· Identify actions which promote peace and justice
· Cite examples of peace and justice in the world today
· Pray for peace and justice through singing
· Identify and appreciate God’s gifts all around us
· Realize that we can offer prayers of blessing to God and ask God to bless others
· Recognize that the Holy Spirit guides us as we pray
· Compose prayers of blessing
· Pray a prayer of blessing
** Advent
· Understand that Advent is a time of waiting and preparing
· Learn that the season of Advent is a four-week preparation for Christmas
· Identify how they can wait and prepare their hearts for Jesus
· Appreciate how we get ready for Jesus’ birth at Christmas
· Learn how John the Baptizer prepared the way for Jesus’ coming
· Express how we can make ready the way of the Lord
· Think about how they follow Jesus as his disciples
· Learn about the life of Saint Andrew the Apostle
· Appreciate that Advent is a time for following Jesus more closely
· Understand that Advent is a time for prayer
· Learn how to pray a litany
· Express their prayers through word and gesture
** Christmas
· Reflect on ways we celebrate the birth of Jesus
· Learn about the visit of the shepherds to the manger
· Reflect on the miracle of Jesus’ birth
· Appreciate the different ways we tell the Christmas story
· Learn about the first Christmas crèche
· Understand that Christmas recalls the story of Jesus’ birth
· Understand that we sing special Christmas songs to express our joy at Jesus’ birth
· Learn the Christmas song, “Away in a manger”
· Express their joy at Jesus’ birth
** Lent
· Understand the significance of the Sign of the Cross
· Describe what happens on Ash Wednesday and its meaning
· Appreciate the meaning of the cross for their lives
· Understand that Lent is a time of getting ready for Easter
· Discover the meaning and purpose of Lent
· Express how they will follow Jesus during Lent
· Learn about Jesus’ time of fasting and prayer in the desert
· Describe the Lenten customs of fasting and prayer
· Express how they will pray during Lent
· Describe Lent as the time before Easter when we pray and fast as Jesus did
· Understand the Lenten customs of fasting and sacrifice
· Choose Lenten practices that help them to observe Lent
· Identify Lest as a season of turning away from sin
· Learn that God is always ready to forgive us when we sin and help us to live better lives
· Express sorrow for sin and a desire to return to God
** Holy Week
· Explore the importance of celebrating holidays
· Learn what the three days of the Easter Triduum commemorate
· Identify the events associated with each of the days of the Triduum
· Understand what makes meals special
· Understand that at the Eucharist, bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood of Christ
· Appreciate that the Eucharist recalls the Last Supper of Jesus with his followers
· Explore being thankful
· Identify the consecrated bread and wine as the Body and Blood of Christ
· Express their love and thanks to Jesus for the gift of the Eucharist
** Easter
· Appreciate reasons for expressing joy
· Learn that at Easter we celebrate Jesus, risen from the dead and alive with us today
· Understand the meaning of “Alleluia”
· Appreciate experiences of being amazed
· Learn about Mary Magdalene, Peter, and John coming to the tomb on Easter morning
· Describe how Jesus’ followers felt about the good news of Jesus’ resurrection
· Value the gifts that the Holy Spirit gives
· Learn about the disciples receiving the Holy Spirit
· Identify Pentecost as the birthday of the Church
· Identify special things we do to celebrate Easter
· Understand that God is the giver of life and blessing
· Express themselves in thanks and praise to God
** Holy Days
· Appreciate the ways a mother cares for her child
· Learn about the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
· Identify the ways that Mary cared for Jesus
· Be aware about what happens when someone is baptized
· Learn about the baptism of Jesus
· Value baptism as a sign of God’s love and care
· Be aware of people who are lonely
· Learn about the life and ministry of Saint Valentine
· Express their care and concern for others
· Explore the mystery of the Trinity
· Learn about the mystery of the Trinity
· Appreciate the symbols used to represent the Persons of the Holy Trinity
** Mary
· Identify experiences of serving God
· Learn about the Presentation of Mary
· Express how they can serve God
· Understand pilgrimage as a journey to a religious place
· Learn about the appearance of Our Lady of Knock
· Express their devotion to Mary in prayer
· Explore the meaning of the word “yes”
· Learn about Mary’s “yes” to God’s will
· Appreciate the Hail Mary as a prayer recalling events in Mary’s life
· Appreciate different ways of praying
· Learn about the special prayer called the Rosary
· Learn how to pray the Rosary
** Saints
· Identify different ways that they can help others
·
Learn about the life of Saint Margaret of
· Appreciate people who live Christian lives
· Understand that God calls each of us to do a special work
·
Learn about the life of Saint Anthony of
· Appreciate the ways that God calls us to help others
· Explore the importance of welcoming a newborn
· Learn about Elizabeth, Zechariah, and John the Baptizer
· Reflect on how we learn new things from others
· Learn about the life of Saint Angela Merici
· Choose to share what they have learned with others
· Reflect on experiences of sharing
· Learn about the life of Saint Vincent de Paul
· Express how they can share what they have with others
** Holy People
· Explore ways in which they are the same as others and ways they are different
· Learn about Dr. King’s work for the rights of all people
· Respect Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a follower of Jesus
· Share experiences of learning activities in early childhood education
· Learn about the contributions made by Maria Montessori
· Understand that they can serve God in many ways
· Learn about the life of Blessed Andre Bessette
· Appreciate that when we do small things for others, we serve God
· Think about the vocation God calls them to when they grow up
· Learn about the religious order of the School Sisters of Notre Dame
· Express what they think they would like to be as adults