Grade 2 • Science What Your Child Will Learn

Grade 2 Science

What YOur Child Will Learn

Science and Engineering Practices

Students will develop their skills in the practices of science. Each year, students will apply these skills through hands-on investigations at school and home, as well as through outdoor field experiences, to have a better understanding of the science and engineering concepts being taught. These practices, as described in A Framework for K–12 Science Education, include:g2_science.png

  • Ask questions (for science) and define problems (for engineering).
  • Develop and use models.
  • Plan and carry out investigations.
  • Analyze and interpret data.
  • Use mathematical thinking.
  • Construct explanations (for science) and design solutions (for engineering).
  • Engage in argument (discussion of opinion) based on evidence.
  • Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information.

Core Ideas

Properties of Matter

  • Different kinds of matter exist and many of them can either be solid or liquid.
  • Temperature may influence whether a material is solid or liquid.
  • Heating or cooling a substance may cause changes that can be observed. Sometimes these changes are reversible, and sometimes they are not.
  • Matter can be described by its observable properties.
  • Different materials are more well suited for different purposes, based on properties of the material.
  • A variety of objects can be built up from the same small pieces.

Download the Grade 2, Quarter 1 Parent Preview to further explore key ideas, and preview vocabulary and home connections.

Earth’s Features

  • Maps show where things are located.
  • You can map the shapes and kinds of land and water in any area.
  • Water is found in the ocean, rivers, lakes, and ponds.
  • Water exists as solid ice and in liquid form.

Download the Grade 2, Quarter 2 Parent Preview to further explore key ideas, and preview vocabulary and home connections.

Earth’s Changing Landscape

  • Wind and water can change the shape of land.
  • Some changes in Earth’s landscape happen very quickly; others occur very slowly, over a time period much longer than one can observe.
  • Solutions can be designed to slow the rate of water changing the land.
  • Because there is always more than one possible solution to a problem, it is useful to compare and test designs.

Download the Grade 2, Quarter 3 Parent Preview to further explore key ideas, and preview vocabulary and home connections.

Relationships within Habitats

  • Plants depend on water and light to grow.
  • Plants depend on animals for pollination, or to move their seeds around.
  • There are many different kinds of living things in an area, and they exist in different places on land and in the water.
  • Designs can be planned in order to communicate to others the ideas for solutions to a problem.

Download the Grade 2, Quarter 4 Parent Preview to further explore key ideas, and preview vocabulary and home connections.

Crosscutting Concepts

  • Patterns: Patterns in the natural and human designed world can be observed, used to describe phenomena, and used as evidence
  • Structure and Function: The shape and stability of structures of natural and designed objects are related to their function(s).
  • Cause and Effect: Events have causes that generate observable patterns. Simple tests can be designed to gather evidence to support or disprove student ideas about causes.
  • Energy and Matter: Objects may break into smaller pieces and be put together into larger pieces, or change shapes.
  • Stability and Change: Things may change slowly or rapidly.

cc_by_nc_sa.png This course content is offered under a CC Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike Links to an external site. license. Content in this course can be considered under this license unless otherwise noted.