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2nd Grade
Theme: Connections
Generalizations:
• All connections have relationships
• Connections can lead to new discoveries
• Connections can be natural or forced
The theme for the second grade PAT curriculum is "Connections." During class each week the students will learn to make connections as they develop higher level thinking skills and creative abilities. Students practice the skill of perseverance as they experience challenging activities. Second Grade PAT incorporates a variety of techniques and strategies to promote growth in four areas:
• Critical thinking
• Creative thinking
• Logical thinking
• Problem solving
Critical thinking involves examining a situation, breaking it down into essential parts, applying concepts from various disciplines, and evaluating to reach a conclusion. Second graders enjoy delving into activities such as:
• Analyzing and decoding picture puzzles and riddles
• Attribute blocks
• Analogies
• Critical listening activities
• Activities involving sequencing, decoding, looking for patterns, finding unknowns.
Creative thinking requires students to think in a different way. They learn to think "outside the box" as they generate a variety of original and unusual ideas. Students learn how to "piggyback" or work with someone else's idea to create something new. Second graders stretch their creative muscles through:
• Brainstorming and SCAMPER techniques
• Improvisation
• Tolerance for ambiguity (connecting unrelated ideas or objects)
• Creative listening
• Visual thinking
• Draw starts (drawing picture using randomly placed lines/figures)
Logical thinking includes the use of evidence or clues to think in a sequential manner to find solutions to questions. Logical thought processes are developed with the following activities:
• Grid logic
• Deductive reasoning
• What's in the Box (similar to 20 Questions)
Problem solving combines elements of the three areas described above. Problem solving can be categorized as:
• Spontaneous problem solving (SPS) when the problem is specifically stated to students to solve.
• Creative problem solving (CPS) where the students decide which problem is most pertinent and choose a solution
Research will be a major emphasis during the spring semester. Student will discover the importance of simple machines. They will participate in "hands on" experiments that will allow them to experience the power and usefulness of simple machines in everyday life. By synthesizing information they gather through experimentation, they will have the opportunity to create new ideas/products for the future.
In addition, second graders will have the opportunity to improve their presentation skills. They will learn how to make an effective presentation and then practice these skills throughout the year. Second graders will also explore the qualities and characteristics that make them unique. They will learn to use their skills to work with other PAT students on projects that require teamwork. | 
