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Learning Standards Standards

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year science moves from noticing things to testing them. Students plan small investigations, like checking what plants need to grow or which materials work best for a job. They watch how heating and cooling change things, and how wind and water reshape the land over time. By spring, students can describe what they saw, group materials by how they look and feel, and explain their thinking with evidence.

  • Materials and properties
  • Plant needs
  • Habitats
  • Earth changes
  • Water on Earth
  • Simple investigations
Source: Nevada Nevada Academic Content Standards
Year at a glance
How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.
  1. 1

    Sorting and testing materials

    Students look closely at everyday materials like wood, cloth, metal, and plastic. They sort them by what they can see and feel, then test which ones work best for a job, like keeping something warm or holding water.

  2. 2

    Building, melting, and freezing

    Students take small pieces apart and rebuild them into something new. They also watch what happens when things heat up or cool down, and decide which changes can be undone and which cannot.

  3. 3

    How plants and animals live

    Students grow plants to find out what they need to stay alive. They also study how animals help plants by spreading seeds or moving pollen, and build a simple model that copies what a bee or bird does.

  4. 4

    Life in different habitats

    Students compare the plants and animals that live in places like forests, deserts, ponds, and meadows. They notice how each habitat has its own mix of living things.

  5. 5

    Earth's land and water

    Students look at how Earth changes. Some events, like a volcano erupting, happen fast. Others, like a canyon forming, take a very long time. They map land and water in an area and find where water shows up as ice or liquid.

  6. 6

    Protecting the land

    Students study how wind and water wear down the land. They compare different solutions, like planting grass or building a wall, and decide which ones do a better job of holding the land in place.

Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 2.

  • Matter and its Interactions

    2-PS1

    Students learn that everything around them is made of matter. They explore how materials look, feel, and behave, and what happens when you mix, heat, or cool them.

  • Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy

    2-LS2

    Students study how plants and animals depend on each other and their surroundings to survive. They look at what living things need, like food, water, and shelter, and where those needs get met.

  • Biological Evolution

    2-LS4

    Students sort and compare living things by their physical features, noticing that animals and plants of the same kind look similar but not identical. That variation is the starting point for understanding how life changes over time.

  • Earth's Place in the Universe

    2-ESS1

    Students learn how Earth fits into the larger universe, looking at patterns in the sky like the sun, moon, and stars to understand how things change over days and seasons.

  • Earth's Systems

    2-ESS2

    Students learn how water, wind, and land shape the Earth around them. They observe how rain fills rivers, how wind moves soil, and how the ground beneath their feet is part of a bigger system.

Matter and its Interactions

  • Plan and conduct an investigation to describe and classify different kinds of…

    2-PS1-1

    Students sort everyday materials like wood, metal, fabric, and plastic by what they can observe: color, texture, hardness, and whether the material bends or breaks. They plan a simple test, collect findings, and group materials by what those properties have in common.

  • Analyze data obtained from testing different materials to determine which…

    2-PS1-2

    Students test different materials, like wood, plastic, or fabric, to figure out which one works best for a specific job. A raincoat needs to block water; a window needs to let light through.

  • Make observations to construct an evidence-based account of how an object made…

    2-PS1-3

    Students take apart a simple object and use the same pieces to build something new. This shows that materials can be rearranged without being used up or changed.

  • Construct an argument with evidence that some changes caused by heating or…

    2-PS1-4

    Heating and cooling can change materials in ways that can be undone (melting ice) or ways that can't (burning wood). Students practice making a case for which kind of change happened, using examples as proof.

Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

  • Plan and conduct an investigation to determine if plants need sunlight and…

    2-LS2-1

    Students plan a simple test to find out whether plants grow differently without sunlight or water. They observe what happens and use the results to draw a conclusion.

  • Develop a simple model that mimics the function of an animal in dispersing…

    2-LS2-2

    Students build or draw a simple model that shows how an animal, like a bee or a squirrel, helps move seeds or carry pollen from plant to plant.

Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity

  • Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in…

    2-LS4-1

    Students look closely at the plants and animals living in places like a pond, a forest, or a desert and note how the mix of living things changes from one place to the next.

Earth's Place in the Universe

  • Use information from several sources to provide evidence that Earth events can…

    2-ESS1-1

    Students gather facts from books, videos, and other sources to show that some Earth changes happen in seconds (like an earthquake) and others take thousands of years (like a canyon forming).

Earth's Systems

  • Compare multiple solutions designed to slow or prevent wind or water from…

    2-ESS2-1

    Students look at different designs meant to protect land from wind and water erosion, then compare how well each one works.

  • Develop a model to represent the shapes and kinds of land and bodies of water…

    2-ESS2-2

    Students draw or build a simple map showing the land and water in a place, like hills, rivers, or lakes. The model helps them describe what the ground and water around them actually look like.

  • Obtain information to identify where water is found on Earth and that it can be…

    2-ESS2-3

    Water shows up on Earth as liquid (oceans, rivers, rain) and as solid (snow, ice). Students learn where each form is found and what makes water change between the two.

Common Questions
  • What science will students learn this year?

    Students study four big areas: what things are made of, how plants and animals live and help each other, how Earth changes over time, and where water shows up on Earth. Most learning happens by trying things, watching closely, and talking about what they noticed.

  • How can families support science learning at home?

    Go outside and notice things together. Sort the laundry by fabric, melt an ice cube on the counter, water a plant on the windowsill, or watch a bee on a flower. A few minutes of looking and asking questions does more than a worksheet.

  • My child says science is just playing with stuff. Is that right?

    Mostly, yes. At this age, science means testing materials, growing seeds, building small models, and talking about what happened. The thinking work is hidden inside the play, and students are learning to give reasons for what they see.

  • What should students be able to do by the end of the year?

    Students should be able to sort objects by what they feel and look like, explain that plants need sun and water, point out fast and slow changes to the land, and say where water is found. They should also back up an idea with something they observed.

  • How should the year be sequenced?

    A common path is matter in the fall, plants and seed dispersal in late fall and winter when classroom plants have time to grow, animal habitats in late winter, and Earth and water in the spring. Heating and cooling fits well near winter holidays with ice and warm water.

  • Which topics usually need the most reteaching?

    Reversible versus non-reversible changes trip students up. Melting and freezing feel similar to baking or burning, so students need many side-by-side examples. The idea that wind and water slowly reshape land also needs repeated, concrete examples like a sandy ramp under a watering can.

  • Do students need to memorise science vocabulary?

    A few words help, such as solid, liquid, material, habitat, and model. The bigger goal is using the words in a sentence about something students actually saw, not reciting definitions on a quiz.

  • How can investigations stay manageable in a busy classroom?

    Pick one variable and keep the rest the same. Two cups of beans, one in sun and one in a closet, will carry the plant unit for weeks. Reusing a few setups across standards saves prep and gives students time to notice small changes.

  • How do I know students are ready for third grade science?

    Look for students who can plan a simple test, record what they see with pictures or short sentences, and use that record to back up an answer. Strong second graders also ask follow-up questions instead of stopping at the first result.