Courses

Ontario · Grade 2

Social Studies, Grade 2

Ontario’s Grade 2 social studies course, from Heritage and Identity: Changing Family and Community Traditions to People and Environment: Global Communities.

Learn thisPractice test
Units
2
Lessons
4
Skills
22
Provincial exam
None
Official curriculum
Ontario Ministry of Education

Unit by unit

Every skill in the course, numbered by unit.

Unit 1 · 11 skills

Heritage and Identity: Changing Family and Community Traditions

Traditions Across Generations

Families, Community Diversity, and Heritage

The official wording · 11 outcomes
1.1
compare ways in which some traditions have been celebrated over multiple generations in their family and identify some of the main reasons for changes in these traditions
1.2
compare their family structure and some of their traditions and celebrations with those of their peers’ families
1.3
compare some of the past and present traditions and celebrations of various ethnocultural groups in their local community, and identify some of the main reasons for the change
1.4
identify some ways in which First Nations, Métis, and/or Inuit individuals, communities, and nations are reclaiming traditions, customs, teachings, and celebrations that were banned, lost, or practised in secret due to settlement and/or colonization
1.5
identify and describe different types of families
1.6
identify various groups in their community and describe some of the ways in which their community reflects this diversity
1.7
identify places and/or countries of personal or familial significance, and locate them on a globe and/or print, digital, or interactive map
1.8
describe some significant traditions and celebrations of their families, their peers, and their own communities, as well as of some other communities in Canada, including First Nations, Métis, and/or Inuit communities
1.9
demonstrate an understanding of simple chronology by identifying and organizing chronologically some important events and/or people from multiple generations in their family and/or community
1.10
identify some ways in which heritage is passed on through various community celebrations, traditions, teachings, ceremonies, and events
1.11
identify some ways in which heritage is passed on through various family celebrations and practices, including at least one First Nation, Métis, and/or Inuit family celebration or practice

Key ideas

  1. Traditions are passed down through generations and can change over time.

  2. Families come in many forms — one parent, two parents, blended, multigenerational, foster.

  3. Reasons for change include immigration, new technology, and acts of colonization.

  4. All family types are valid and important.

  5. Families have different structures, traditions, and celebrations.

Watch out for

  • Thinking traditions never change.
  • Thinking there is only one 'real' type of family.
  • Not connecting a change to a reason.

Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit

Unit 2 · 11 skills

People and Environment: Global Communities

Communities Around the World

Mapping the World

The official wording · 11 outcomes
2.1
compare selected communities from around the world, including their own community, in terms of the lifestyles of people in those communities and some ways in which the people meet their needs
2.2
describe some of the ways in which two or more distinct communities have adapted to their location, climate, and physical features
2.3
demonstrate an understanding of the importance of sustainability in people’s interrelationship with their natural environment and of some of the consequences of sustainable and/or non-sustainable actions
2.4
demonstrate an understanding that there are a variety of countries, continents, physical features, and bodies of water around the world and that their locations can be represented in different ways
2.5
identify continents, significant bodies of water, the equator, poles, and hemispheres, using a globe, print, digital, or interactive maps, and/or a mapping program
2.6
identify cardinal directions on a map and use these directions when locating selected communities, countries, and/or continents
2.7
identify the location of selected countries, cities, and/or towns around the world, including at least one contemporary First Nation, Métis, or Inuit community, and describe how their location and climate are related
2.8
demonstrate the ability to extract information on the location and climate of a region from photographs and print, digital, and/or interactive maps
2.9
identify basic human needs and describe some ways in which people in communities around the world meet these needs
2.10
describe selected communities around the world, including at least one contemporary First Nation, Métis, or Inuit community, with reference to their major physical features, wildlife, and some aspects of their culture
2.11
describe similarities and differences between their community and a community in a different region in the world

Key ideas

  1. Communities around the world have different lifestyles.

  2. The world has many countries, continents, physical features, and bodies of water.

  3. People meet their needs in different ways depending on where they live.

  4. Their locations can be shown with globes, maps, and mapping programs.

  5. Communities adapt to their location, climate, and physical features.

Watch out for

  • Thinking everyone meets needs the same way.
  • Thinking a map and a globe show different worlds.
  • Not connecting lifestyle to place.

Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit

The official curriculum

This page follows Ontario’s own curriculum for Social Studies, Grade 2.

The Ontario Curriculum, Social Studies Grades 1-6; History and Geography Grades 7-8Ontario Ministry of Education · dcp.edu.gov.on.ca · Read July 31, 2026

Textbooks

The textbooks Ontario Ministry of Education lists for Social Studies, Grade 2:

  • D2L Ontario Social Studies 2D2L Corporation · 2021 · in classrooms until August 31, 2027

From the Trillium List, read October 27, 2026. ontario.ca

Study it in MapleMind

MapleMind teaches Social Studies, Grade 2 one skill at a time. Each skill gets a short lesson, practice as you go and a check worth up to three stars. It remembers where you stopped.

Geography of Canada, Grade 9 in the MapleMind app on a tablet: its units, Unit 2 open, and the skills done so far with their starsGeography of Canada, Grade 9 in the MapleMind app on a phone: its units, Unit 2 open, and the skills done so far with their stars
Pictured: Geography of Canada, Grade 9, another Ontario course, partway through Unit 2.

Practise it

Course Companion

Your year in one workbook

A fun way to keep Social Studies, Grade 2 organized, get to know your child better and see early when they need a hand. Fill it in on a screen, or print it.

Pages
22
Fillable fields
1,187
Price
$4.99
See the Course Companion

Questions about Social Studies, Grade 2

What is Social Studies, Grade 2?

Ontario’s Grade 2 social studies course: 2 units and 22 skills, from Heritage and Identity: Changing Family and Community Traditions to People and Environment: Global Communities.

What units are in Social Studies, Grade 2?

1. Heritage and Identity: Changing Family and Community Traditions and 2. People and Environment: Global Communities.

Is there a provincial exam for Social Studies, Grade 2?

No. Ontario gives no provincial exam for Social Studies, Grade 2.

What textbook does Social Studies, Grade 2 use?

The textbooks Ontario Ministry of Education lists for Social Studies, Grade 2: D2L Ontario Social Studies 2, D2L Corporation.

What comes after Social Studies, Grade 2?

Social Studies, Grade 3.

Can MapleMind help with Social Studies, Grade 2?

Yes. MapleMind teaches every skill of Social Studies, Grade 2, step by step, with practice and checks, and its tutor answers questions about any of them. It’s free with daily limits, on iPhone, Android and the web.

Before this course

After this course

Get ready for Social Studies, Grade 2

Practise every skill of Social Studies, Grade 2 in MapleMind, free with daily limits.