Unit Plan 7 (Grade 2 Social Studies): Using Sources to Learn

Focus: Gather and sort information from books, interviews, and photographs, and decide which information is relevant and trustworthy for simple questions about people and communities.

Grade Level: 2

Subject Area: Social Studies (Inquiry • Literacy • Communities)

Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 30–45 minutes per session

I. Introduction

In this unit, students learn how to use different sources to find information about their world. They practice gathering facts from books, interviews, and photographs, and they begin to think about whether information is relevant (on-topic) and reliable (can we trust it?). Through guided practice, they sort examples of evidence that help answer a question from examples that do not. By the end of the unit, students create a simple “Source Sort” page that shows how they used more than one source to learn about a person, place, or community helper.

Essential Questions

• What is a source, and how can books, interviews, and photographs help us learn?
• How do we know if information from a source is about our question (relevant) or not really helpful?
• How can we tell if a source seems trustworthy or not quite right?
• Why is it important to use more than one source when we learn about people and communities?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Identify books, interviews, and photographs as sources of information.
2. Use at least two simple sources (e.g., a short book page and a photograph, or a photograph and a short interview) to gather information about a person, place, or community topic.
3. Sort pieces of information into “helps answer my question” (relevant) and “does not help” (not relevant).
4. Begin to notice basic reliability clues, such as whether a picture matches the topic or whether a book is about the subject they are studying.
5. Create a “Source Sort” product that shows their question, the sources they used, and a few pieces of relevant evidence.

Standards Alignment — 2nd Grade (C3-based custom)

• 2.C3.Inq.2 — Gather information from multiple simple sources (photos, maps, short texts, interviews).
  • Example: Use a children’s atlas, a local map, and a librarian interview to learn about services.
• 2.C3.Inq.3 — Evaluate information (relevance, basic reliability) and sort evidence.
  • Example: Decide which pictures actually show public services vs. private businesses.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can name books, interviews, and photographs as sources.
• I can use at least two sources to learn about a person, place, or community helper.
• I can sort information into “helps answer my question” and “does not help.”
• I can tell if a picture or book is about my topic or not.
• I can make a page that shows my question, my sources, and some relevant information I learned.