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2nd grade · Science · Unit 2 of 7

Water World

The water cycle

What your child practices

The water cycle, where our water comes from, and simple ways to save water and keep rivers clean.

Maine Learning Results learning standard: 2-ESS2-3 · where water is found on Earth and the forms it takes

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. The sun warms water, and it rises into the air.
  2. The water forms clouds of tiny drops, then falls as rain or snow.
  3. The water flows back to lakes and oceans, and the cycle starts again.

Example: What comes right after clouds form in the water cycle? Clouds hold tiny drops of water. When the drops get heavy, they fall. Answer: rain or snow falls

Water World in Maine

In the Maine Learning Results, this is unit 2 of 7 in 2nd grade Science, after Solids & Liquids and before Changing Materials.

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

    Put the water cycle in order. Start with the sun warming the water.

    • 🌧️Rain or snow falls
    • ☀️Sun warms water and it rises
    • 🌊Water collects in rivers and oceans
    • ☁️Clouds form

  2. Question 2

    Which of these needs water to live?

    • 🌳a tree
    • 🪨a rock
    • 🚚a toy truck

  3. Question 3

    In the water cycle, what happens right after clouds get heavy with water?

    • 🌞The sun goes out
    • 🌊The ocean disappears
    • 🌧️Rain or snow falls

  4. Question 4

    Steam from a kettle is water as a…

    • 🧱solid
    • ♨️gas
    • 🪨rock

  5. Question 5

    Ocean water tastes…

    🌊
    • 🧂salty
    • 🍋sour
    • 🍬sweet

  6. Question 6

    Does it save water or waste water?

    Sort into: 👍 saves water · 👎 wastes water

    • 🪣collect rain for plants
    • 💦leave the hose running
    • 🚿take a short shower
    • 🛁take a really full bath
    • 🪥turn off the tap while brushing
    • 🚰let the tap drip

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