News, Events & Social Media

Our 2nd grade students are putting the finishing touches on an in-depth, three-week dive into one of the most pivotal chapters in American history, the Civil War.

Over the course of the unit, learners explored the deep controversy over slavery that divided the North and the South, and took a meaningful look at what it truly meant to be enslaved. They also studied some of the era's most significant figures, including Harriet Tubman, Abraham Lincoln, Clara Barton, Robert E. Lee, Joseph De Castro, and Ulysses S. Grant, examining the unique role each played during that turbulent time. Students examined the Emancipation Proclamation and its far-reaching significance, and analyzed key battles such as Gettysburg and how they helped shape the course of the war.

To bring the unit to a close, students will take part in a memorable culminating activity with their choice of two creative writing options. They may write about what it would have been like to witness or experience one of the war's key events firsthand, or they may imagine sitting down to dinner with one of the fascinating individuals they studied — asking questions and learning more about that person's life and experience.

The class will also collaborate in groups to create a class book, complete with illustrations and captions highlighting all of the important people and events from the unit. The book will encompass everything they've learned and provide a keepsake they can look back on for years to come.