Virginia SOL 2.11.a

Social Studies2nd Grade

The Standard

locating the countries of North America and the bordering oceans

Virginia Standards of Learning for History and Social Science

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students find Canada, the United States, and Mexico on a map or globe. They identify the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic oceans and describe where each lies.
What Mastery Looks Like: Students correctly label the three countries and three oceans on a blank map. They use words such as north, south, east, and west to explain locations.
Common Misconceptions: Students may think North America means only the United States. They may switch the Atlantic and Pacific oceans or assume every country touches all three oceans.
How to Assess It: Give students a blank map and ask them to label Canada, the United States, Mexico, and the three bordering oceans.

Lesson moves

Give pairs a globe and six sticky labels to mark Canada, the United States, Mexico, and the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic oceans.
Ask students to explain which country is north of the United States and which ocean is east of it.
Play Map Relay, with teams racing to place country and ocean cards correctly on a large floor map.
Plan an imaginary trip from Virginia to Mexico, Canada, or an ocean, then trace the route and name the direction traveled.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 2.11.a, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

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