Social Studies is the study of our world and its history, geography and people. In the elementary curriculum, the study of social studies is connected to language arts. Many of the social studies content goals are enhanced through the use of social studies based literature. Students in second grade will begin the year with a study of communities. They will analyze images of urban, rural and suburban communities to learn about the advantages and disadvantages of different kinds of communities. They will learn to read maps and to locate important geographic features on a physical map. They will continue using these skills to explore how people use natural resources and discover how pollution is caused by misuse of the environment. Second grade students will learn about the production and distribution of goods. They will learn to distinguish between needs and wants and learn how to be a wise consumer. Later in the year, students will learn why communities grow and decline. They will take a look at how one community changed and how one person can make a difference in a community. They will take part in a mock city council and learn how to participate as a good citizen. Students will also study the interdependence of communities and the social connections among U.S. communities.