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Elementary Staff

Science

 

2nd Grade

Mrs. Peterson

Grade Level Overview for Second Grade Science

In second grade life science the children use physical characteristics such as color, shape, size, and number of parts to extend their knowledge of classification. They observe and identify the distinguishing characteristics that familiar animals and plants pass from one generation to the next.  The children expand their knowledge of the basic survival needs of these plants and animals.

 

In physical science children describe common physical changes in matter including changes of size and shape, freezing, melting, and dissolving.  Children also classify and identify familiar objects using observable attributes such as color, size, shape, smell, magnetic properties, hardness, and texture.  In addition, they make sounds and describe them in terms of loudness and pitch

In earth science children describe how water exists in three states and learn to identify sources of drinking water and its uses.  They also explore local weather conditions and seasonal changes and their knowledge of severe weather safety precautions is extended.

The Characteristics, Needs, & Development of Living Things
 

Abstract

 

In this life science unit children investigate the characteristics, the basic needs, and the growth and development of familiar plants and animals. They observe a variety of plant and animal life to determine how they are alike and different, and they identify characteristics for plant and animal classification.  Children examine how plants and animals grow and change.  They describe the sequence of events of the life cycles of plants and animals.  Children recognize that most animals grow to resemble their parents, but some animals such as butterflies and frogs change in both form and size as they develop. Children not only explore plant and animal growth cycles, but also the human life cycle, by exploring the growth and development of their family members. They discover that plants and animals go through predictable life cycles, including growth, reproduction, and death. Children learn that living things need other living things and certain nonliving things in order to survive and that living things get their energy in various ways.

                         

Unit Title: The Characteristics, Needs, and Development of Living Things

 

Grade Level/Course Title: Second Grade/Scientific Description and Classification

 

Focus Questions:          

 

1.   How do animals differ from plants as they grow?

2.  What do living things need to survive?

3.  What is the basis for classification of plants and animals?

Benchmarks

 
Children will:
  • compare and classify familiar organisms on the basis of observable physical characteristics (III.2.E.2).
  • describe life cycles of familiar organisms (III.2.E.3).
  • describe the basic requirements for all living things to maintain their existence (III.5.E.2).
  • develop research skills by gathering information on plant or animal growth, classification, or basic needs (I.1.E.5).

 

Assessment Tasks
 

1. Classify a given variety of plant and animal life.  Explain in writing the basis for the classification (III.2.E.2, I.1.E.5).

 

2. Describe in writing, with illustrations, the growth and development of two animal species. Include the basic needs of each species within its environment (III.5.E.2, I.1.E.5).

 

3. Explain how the life cycle of an insect or frog is different from that of a bird (III.2.E.3).

 

Key Concept
  • basic needs
  • characteristic
  • classification
  • growth/development
  • life cycle
Matter - Its Properties and Changes

Abstract

In this physical science unit children identify and describe properties of matter (e.g., color, size, shape) and two of the three states of matter (e.g., solid and liquid). They classify common objects by these two states of matter.  Children use multiple objects for their classification such as copper, wood, plastic, Styrofoam, water, milk, juice, air, and helium.  They investigate the properties of solids and liquids.  Children investigate how to change a solid to a liquid and a liquid to a solid. They observe and explore physical changes in matter, such as change in size, change in shape, melting, freezing, and dissolving. 

Unit Title:  Matter - Its Properties and Changes

Grade Level/Course Title:  Second Grade/Scientific Description and Classification

Focus Questions:        

1.   What is matter?

2.   What is a property?

3.   How can matter change?

Benchmarks 

Children will:
  • classify common objects and substances according to observable attributes/properties (IV.1.E.1).
  • describe common physical changes in matter (IV.2.E.1).
  • develop solutions to problems about physical changes in matter through investigation (I.1.E.2).

 
Assessment Tasks

1.   Classify a set of objects by state of matter and describe in writing the reasoning used (IV.1.E.1).

 

2. Create an investigation that demonstrates how to change water from a solid to a liquid.  Explain in writing how the process takes place and how this process happens in the everyday world (IV.2.E.1, I.1.E.2).

 

3. Create an object that keeps an ice cube from melting and explain what properties make this object useful (IV. 2.E.1, IV.1.E.1).

 
Key Concepts
  • attribute
  • liquid
  • matter
  • property
  • solid

 
Adventures in Sound

Unit 3:  Adventures in Sound

Abstract

In this physical science unit children explore and describe the characteristics of sound.  Through exploration, they learn that sound is produced when objects vibrate. Children investigate the concept of sound using common materials, such as radios, musical instruments, and tuning forks.  They learn that pitch is determined by the frequency of the vibrations and that the amplitude (height) of the vibrations determines volume. Children experiment how to make the pitch of the sound higher or lower and how to make a sound louder or softer.

Unit Title: Adventures in Sound

Grade Level/Course Title: Second Grade/Scientific Description and Classification

Focus Questions:            

  1. How is sound made?
  2. What causes sounds to be different?
  3. What is the difference between pitch and volume?

Benchmarks

Children will:

  • describe sounds in terms of pitch and volume (IV.4.E.1).
  • explain how sounds are made (IV.4.E.2).
  • construct charts or graphs about sound and prepare summaries of observations (I.1.E.6).
  • show how sound can be made into music through creative expression (I.1.E.2).

Assessment Tasks

  1. Given a variety of materials, create a musical instrument. Explain in writing how the musical instrument makes sound (IV.4.E.2, I.1.E.2).
  2. Given various lengths of PVC pipe, explore the pitch and volume. Create a chart ordering the pipes by each pitch.  Write a summary explaining pitch and what was discovered about volume (IV.4.E.1, I.1.E.6).

Key Concepts

  • pitch
  • sound
  • vibration
  • volume
Water, Water Everywhere

Unit 4: Water, Water Everywhere

 

Abstract

 

In this earth science unit children explore water and its properties. They discover where it can be found, its forms, how it can be used, and how it can change in form.  They learn about surface water such as rivers, waterfalls, ponds, lakes, streams, and oceans and discuss the differences between the various bodies of water.  Children gain an understanding that water is in the air, underground, and in the oceans.  They discuss differences between fresh water and salt water and learn that there is more salt water than fresh water, making fresh water a valuable resource.  Children compare the amount of land and water on earth.  They identify sources of drinking water such as wells, rivers, springs, and the Great Lakes.  Children investigate various uses of water including drinking, cleaning, food preparation, generating electricity, recreation, irrigation, farming, transportation, and industry.  They look at which uses consume more water than others, the misuses of water, and ways water can be conserved. Children explore how water changes form.  They learn about two of the three states of water, solid and liquid (ice, liquid water).  Children compare these different states and experiment with how heat is either added or removed as water goes from one state to another. 

 

Unit Title: Water, Water Everywhere

 

Grade Level/Course Title: Second Grade/Scientific Description and Classification

 

Focus Questions:        

  1. Where can you find water?
  2. How can water change its form?
  3. Where does drinking water come from?

                                

Benchmarks

Children will:
  • describe major surface water features of the earth (V.1.E.1).
  • describe how water exists on earth in two of the three states (solid and liquid) (V.2.E.1).
  • identify sources of water and its uses (V.2.E.3).
  • show how water and surface water can be illustrated through drawing, models, and other creative expression (II.1.E.2).

 

Assessment Tasks

  1. Describe how water exists in liquid and solid states and explain in writing with illustrations how it changes from one form to the other (V.2.E.1, II.1.E.2).
  2. Indentify uses of water within the school and describe one of its source (V.2.E.3).
  3. Explain in writing, with illustrations, how water gets to the kitchen sink (V.2.E.3, II.1.E.2).
  4. Indentify the major surface water features and create models of two of them.  Describe how these surface water features are used by the public (V.1.E.1, V.2.E.3, II.1.E.2).

 

Key Concepts

  • lake
  • ocean
  • river / stream
  • surface water
  • waterfall
  • water source

Weather and Seasons

Abstract

In this earth science unit children learn about weather conditions, seasonal changes in Michigan’s weather, and safety during severe weather.  Children recognize that weather changes from day to day and determine the factors that affect weather, such as temperature, wind, precipitation, and clouds.  They learn about the four seasons and the types of weather within each.  Children use simple tools to measure weather conditions such as temperature, wind, and rain.  They observe and graph the daily weather and use this information to predict future weather conditions. Children discuss and record information about weather conditions and organize their observations and data on graphs and charts. They identify various types of severe weather and the safety precautions needed for each such as watch, warning, sirens, and safety locations.

Unit Title:  Weather and Seasons

Grade Level/Course Title:  Second Grade/Scientific Description and Classification

Focus Questions:            

1.   What changes occur in the weather from day today?

2.   What changes occur in the weather from season to season?

3.   What are some safety precautions for severe weather?

Benchmarks

Children will:

  • describe weather conditions (V.3.E.1).
  • describe seasonal changes in Michigan's weather (V.3.E.2).
  • explain appropriate safety precautions during severe weather (V.3.E.3).
  • manipulate simple weather measurement devices (e.g., thermometer, windsock, and rain gauge) that aid observation and data collection (I.1.E.3).
  • show how weather and seasons can be illustrated through drawings, models, and other creative expressions (II.1.E.2).

Assessment Tasks

1.Observe and record the weather for a given month. Describe and interpret in writing the types of weather conditions (V.3.E.1, I.1.E.3).

 

2. Construct

a model that represents each of the four seasons.   Describe in writing the weather that is associated with each (V.3.E.1, V.3.E.2, II.1.E.2).

 

3. Create a weather broadcast that describes a severe weather condition and explain what safety precautions to take (V.3.E.3, V.3.E.1, II.1.E.2).

 

Key Concepts

  • measure
  • precipitation
  • season
  • severe weather
  • temperature
  • thermometer