Second Grade

Students observe the traits of different animals and use that information to organize them into groups based on their characteristics
Students observe animals, plants, and the physical characteristics of two different habitats. They collect and analyze data to compare the biodiversity between the two habitats
Students identify frogs based on their unique calls and use that information to determine the level of frog species diversity within multiple habitats
Students investigate which kinds of birds are likely to visit a bird feeder based on what they eat and design and build a prototype bird feeder that attracts a specific type of bird

October/November

Students observe the traits of different animals and use that information to organize them into groups based on their characteristics
Students observe animals, plants, and the physical characteristics of two different habitats. They collect and analyze data to compare the biodiversity between the two habitats
Students identify frogs based on their unique calls and use that information to determine the level of frog species diversity within multiple habitats
Students investigate which kinds of birds are likely to visit a bird feeder based on what they eat and design and build a prototype bird feeder that attracts a specific type of bird

Students develop physical models of seed structures. They observe how structure affects the seed’s function in dispersing away from the tree
Students develop a model of a furry animal and then use it to test how far seed models with different structures can travel
Students conduct an investigation to determine that plants need water and light to grow
Students plan and conduct a series of virtual experiments in order to determine how much water and sunlight a set of mystery plants need in order to stay healthy and survive

Students develop a model of the Earth’s surface and use it to discover an important principle about how rivers work: rivers flow downhill, from high places to low places
Students investigate the effects of rocks tumbling in a river. Based on their observations, they construct an explanation for why rocks on the top of mountains are much bigger than the sand at the beach
Students use a model (i.e. a map) to examine the different factors, including the shapes and kinds of land, that contribute to flash floods. They use this to predict where flash floods are most likely to happen
Students create a model landform and investigate how some Earth events can occur quickly, while others occur slowly
Students compare multiple solutions for preventing erosion

Students investigate different material properties, such as flexibility and absorbency, and use those properties to design and build a hat that protects them from the sun
Students conduct an investigation of conductors and insulators in order to determine which are best suited for allowing people to handle hot items
Student conduct an investigation of different materials in order to determine which are most and least easily melted
Students design a new invention that takes advantage of the unique properties of a futuristic material
Students construct an evidence- based account of how a structure built of paper can be disassembled and rebuilt in new ways
Students conduct an investigation where they examine three different soil models. They use this information to determine which type of soil has the properties that will result in the best mud that can be used to build a house