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2nd grade sub plans: writing

A 2nd grade writing block for a substitute, 45 minutes: write the prompt on the board (today's is “Choose an animal and write about where it lives, what it eats and how it stays safe.”), give partners two minutes to talk, then students draw first and write a sentence or two about the picture. Volunteers read theirs aloud, and the papers go to the teacher.

Checked October 30, 2026. Made from Peabody Teach's own passages, worksheets and brain break cards.

Make the whole day at 2nd grade ▸

The writing block

Writing

  1. Write this on the board: “Choose an animal and write about where it lives, what it eats and how it stays safe.”
  2. Give partners two minutes to tell each other their idea out loud before anyone writes.
  3. Students draw a picture first, then write one or two sentences about it. Sound words out together rather than spelling each one for them.
  4. Volunteers read theirs aloud at the end. Collect the papers for the teacher.

On the projector: Writing prompts by grade

Break: Eye tour (45 sec, silent). Keep your head still. Look up, then down, then left, then right, then make a slow circle with your eyes. Look at something far away, then something close. Stop if your eyes feel tired.

Subbing 2nd grade

Second graders can work on their own for fifteen or twenty minutes, answer questions in sentences, and usually know the class jobs. A clear schedule on the board does most of the managing for you.

  • Write the schedule on the board first thing and cross off each block as you finish it.
  • Use partners for checking answers, not for doing them.
  • Have the extra-time sheet ready: early finishers are the start of most noise.

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