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2nd grade · Science · Unit 6 of 7

Fast & Slow Earth Changes

Volcanoes in a day, canyons over ages.

What your child practices

Practices sorting Earth events into fast ones (eruptions, landslides, floods) and slow ones (erosion, carving canyons), and comparing ways people slow wind and water from changing land.

Maine Learning Results learning standard: 2-ESS1-1; 2-ESS2-1 · Earth events happen quickly or slowly, and ways to stop wind and water from changing land

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Some changes are fast, like volcanoes, landslides and floods.
  2. Some are slow, like wind and water wearing away land over years.
  3. Plant roots and rock walls help slow these changes.

Example: Water carves a canyon over many years. Fast or slow? Many years is a long time. That is a slow change. Answer: slow

Fast & Slow Earth Changes in Maine

In the Maine Learning Results, this is unit 6 of 7 in 2nd grade Science, after Plants, Seeds & Pollinators and before Build, Test & Rebuild.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Maine Department of Education

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    What can a big storm wave do quickly?

    • Make a canyon
    • Wash away part of a beach
    • Freeze the ocean
    • Grow a mountain

  2. Question 2

    Mount St. Helens erupted in one day. That is a…

    • no change
    • pretend change
    • fast change
    • slow change

  3. Question 3

    Which takes the longest?

    • A canyon forming
    • A landslide
    • An eruption
    • A flood

  4. Question 4

    Lava from a volcano cools into new rock in days. This is…

    • fast
    • no change
    • slow
    • millions of years

  5. Question 5

    Water wears away rock over time. This is called…

    • melting
    • eruption
    • erosion
    • freezing

  6. Question 6

    A mudslide covers a road after heavy rain. What could help next time?

    • Add more water
    • Remove the rocks
    • Cut down the trees
    • Plant trees on the slope

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