Description

This module provides grade 2 students with earth science core ideas dealing with earth materials and Earth events that cause changes to landforms. Students engage with the anchor phenomenon of earth materials that cover the planet’s surface. They observe rocks and classify them based on properties, study the results of weathering and erosion, locate natural sources of water, and determine how to represent the shapes and kinds of land and bodies of water on Earth.

Students investigate two phenomena and two problems:

• Anchor phenomenon 1—Rocks in a river
• Anchor phenomenon 2—Different materials in soil
• A problem to solve 3—Reduce soil erosion
• A problem to solve 4—Plan for soil erosion study

Students use simple tools to observe, describe, analyze, and classify solid earth materials. The investigations complement the students’ experiences in the Solids and Liquids Module with a focus on earth materials and the influence of engineering and science on society and the natural world. Students explore how wind and water change the shape of the land and compare ways to slow the process of erosion.

Students develop and use models, plan and carry out investigations, and analyze data to answer questions and construct explanations. Students gain experiences that contribute to their understanding of the crosscutting concepts of patterns; cause and effect; stability and change; and scale, proportion, and quantity.