2nd Grade Math Lesson Plan with Template

Whether you’re a veteran teacher or this is your first year teaching, you may be on the hunt for new lesson plans to use this school year. 

Maybe you’ve had some lessons fall flat, noticed some holes in your current teaching plan, or just want something new. Adding in new lessons each year is a great way to find the best method to teach your students. 

But you need new ideas to make new lesson plans. And sometimes that can be the hardest part. 

If you’re feeling stuck when trying to come up with ideas for 2nd grade math lesson plans, it can be helpful to start with the objectives that your students are learning. 

Here is an overview of the math curriculum standards for second grade.

Addition and Subtraction

• Mastery of addition and subtraction within 100, using place value understanding and properties of operations.
• Use mental strategies to add and subtract, including making ten and decomposing numbers.

Word Problems

• Solve one- and two-step word problems involving addition and subtraction.
• Represent and interpret word problems using drawings and equations with symbols for unknown numbers.

Number Operations and Base 10

• Understand place value to the hundreds place.
• Count within 1000; skip-count by 5s, 10s, and 100s.
• Read and write numbers to 1000 using base-ten numerals, number names and expanded form.

Measurement and Length

• Measure lengths using appropriate tools such as rulers, yardsticks and measuring tapes.
• Estimate lengths using units of inches, feet, centimeters, and meters.
• Compare and order objects by length.

Whole Numbers

• Understand the concept of even and odd numbers.
• Partition circles and rectangles into two, three or four equal shares and describe the shares using words (e.g., halves, thirds, fourths).

Clocks/Time

• Tell and write time from analog and digital clocks to the nearest five minutes, using a.m. and p.m.
• Understand concepts of hours and minutes and the relationship between them.

Dollar

• Solve word problems involving dollar bills, quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies, using $ and ¢ symbols appropriately.

2-Dimensional Shapes and Geometry

• Identify and describe 2-dimensional shapes (e.g., triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons).
• Understand that shapes can be composed and decomposed into other shapes.

Circles

• Recognize and name circles as one of the basic geometric shapes.
• Understand the concept of partitioning circles into equal shares.

We know that you are always improving, always wanting your students to succeed. 

And we want to help you with that!

So we put together a free sample lesson plan for a second grade math class. It focuses on one skill outlined in the curriculum standards. It outlines the lesson objectives, teaching strategies, material needed, procedures, grading and goals for the end of the lesson. 

An example math lesson plan can take the guesswork out of a new lesson. It can help you make sure you don’t miss any of the important ingredients of a successful and engaging lesson. 

You can choose to use this sample lesson plan exactly how it is or change parts of it to better fit your students. 

If you teach multiple grades or are just looking for a different grade level, check out our other lessons plans. 

• 1st Grade Math Lesson Plan
• 3rd Grade Math Lesson Plan
• 4th Grade Math Lesson Plan
• 5th Grade Math Lesson Plan
• 6th Grade Math Lesson Plan
• 7th Grade Math Lesson Plan
• 8th Grade Math Lesson Plan

Scroll down for the 2nd grade math lesson plan example!

Learning Objectives or Goals:

1. Understand the concepts of perimeter, area and volume.
2. Accurately measure and calculate the perimeter of various polygons.
3. Calculate the area of squares, rectangles and triangles.
4. Understand and compute the volume of rectangular prisms.
5. Apply these concepts in solving real-life problems.

Teaching Strategies to be Used:

• Direct Instruction: Introduce key concepts and formulas with clear explanations and examples.
• Hands-On Activities: Use physical manipulatives and interactive tasks to reinforce learning.
• Collaborative Learning: Encourage group work and peer discussions.
• Visual Aids: Utilize charts, diagrams and models.
• Real-Life Applications: Connect lessons to everyday situations to enhance relevance and understanding.

Materials Needed:

• Rulers and measuring tapes
• Grid paper and plain paper
• Various 3D shapes (cubes, rectangular prisms)
• Chart paper and markers
• Calculators
• Interactive whiteboard or projector
• Worksheets with practice problems

Specific Procedures and Activities:

1. Introduction (10 minutes):
2. Begin with a brief discussion about where we encounter shapes and measurements in daily life (e.g., planning a garden, building a bookshelf).
3. Introduce the concepts of perimeter, area and volume with simple definitions and examples.
4. Direct Instruction (20 minutes):
5. Perimeter: Explain how to find the perimeter of polygons. Show examples with different shapes and use a ruler to measure sides on grid paper.
6. Area: Discuss how to calculate the area of squares, rectangles and triangles. Draw shapes on the board and walk through the calculations.
7. Volume: Introduce the concept of volume, focusing on rectangular prisms. Use physical models to demonstrate and calculate volume.
8. Guided Practice (15 minutes):
9. Provide students with worksheets containing various shapes.
10. Have students measure sides, calculate perimeters, areas and volumes with guidance.
11. Hands-On Activity (20 minutes):
12. Divide students into small groups and give each group a set of 3D shapes.
13. Ask them to measure dimensions and calculate the volume of each shape.
14. Encourage groups to discuss their findings and compare results.
15. Real-Life Application Activity (15 minutes):
16. Present a scenario (e.g., designing a small park) and ask students to plan the layout using given measurements. They need to calculate the perimeter for fencing, area for grass and volume for a sandbox.
17. Allow students to work in pairs to come up with their designs and calculations.
18. Review and Discussion (10 minutes):
19. Review key concepts and correct common errors seen during activities.
20. Allow students to ask questions and clarify any doubts.
21. Highlight the importance of accurate measurement and calculation.

How the Lesson will be Graded or Scored:

• Participation (20%): Active participation in discussions and group activities.
• Accuracy of Calculations (40%): Correctness in worksheets and real-life application tasks.
• Group Collaboration (20%): Effective teamwork and communication in group tasks.
• Completion of Assignments (20%): Timely and complete submission of all tasks and worksheets.

Goals for the End of the Lesson or Unit:

• Short-Term Goals:
• Students can confidently measure and calculate the perimeter, area and volume of given shapes.
• Students can apply mathematical concepts to solve practical problems.
• Long-Term Goals:
• Students develop a strong foundational understanding of geometry and measurement.
• Students can recognize and use these mathematical concepts in various real-world contexts.
• Students improve collaborative and problem-solving skills.

Looking to up the fun in your classroom while keeping your students learning?

Prodigy Math can do just that! Prodigy Math is an engaging online world for students to journey through as they practice their math skills. 

The game was designed with teachers in mind. It teaches curriculum standards and collects all of the scoring information into one easy-to-reference teacher dashboard. 

There’s no longer a need to spend hours making, grading and tweaking math worksheets. 

Prodigy Math does all that work for you. The game’s algorithm sees what your students excel in and struggle with and changes the content to be exactly what they need.