2nd grade Science: how to help at home
What your child learns in 2nd grade science in the Alabama Course of Study, and simple things to try at home.
Focus areas this year
- Properties of matter, habitats and living things, and how Earth's land changes
- Science and engineering practices: testing ideas and comparing designs
- Engineering design: solving real problems in Alabama and beyond
Easy ways to practice science at home
- Try a kitchen experiment, such as what dissolves in water and what floats or sinks.
- Keep a simple weather or moon log for a month.
- Ask “What do you think will happen?” and then test it.
- Visit a park, beach or creek and look for living things and their habitats.
What each unit covers
Solids & Liquids
Sorting solids and liquids, describing melting, freezing and boiling, and changes that can or can't be undone.
Changing Materials
Ways to change materials: cutting, bending, mixing, warming and cooling keep the same material, while cooking, burning and rusting make something new.
Mixtures & Materials
Mixing liquids and solids (dissolving, separating), what sinks or floats, and which materials soak up or push away water.
Objects & Structures
Structures that hold up a load, what everyday objects are for, how fasteners join things, and where materials such as wood and wool come from.
Plants, Seeds & Pollinators
Practices testing what plants need to grow, and how animals carry pollen and spread seeds.
Plant Experiments
Children sort seeds, predict and test which conditions help plants grow, and record and graph plant growth. This is practice, not a report-card mark.
Water World
The water cycle, where our water comes from, and simple ways to save water and keep rivers clean.
Habitats Near & Far
Your child learns that many kinds of plants and animals live in habitats on land and in water, with examples from Alabama.
Land & Water Maps
Your child names the shapes and kinds of land and water on Earth and finds them on simple maps and models, with Alabama examples.
Fast & Slow Earth Changes
Your child learns that some changes to the land happen fast and some slowly, and compares ways to slow wind and water from wearing land away.
Changing Land
Your child sorts changes to the land into fast and slow, and looks at ways people keep soil and shorelines from washing away.
What the report card levels look like at home
- Beginning
- Just getting started with this idea. Short, regular practice with lots of support helps most.
- Approaching
- Understands parts of it and is building confidence. Keep practicing the tricky parts.
- Meeting
- Has it! Mixed review now and then keeps it strong.
- Exceeding
- Applies it confidently, even in new or harder situations. Try challenge mode and real-life problems.
Your child’s teacher decides the level on the report card. Read the Alabama report card guide.
Common questions
Try a kitchen experiment, such as what dissolves in water and what floats or sinks. Keep a simple weather or moon log for a month. Keep sessions short, about 10 to 15 minutes, and stop on a success.
The Alabama Course of Study 2nd grade science units include Solids & Liquids, Changing Materials, Mixtures & Materials, Objects & Structures, Plants, Seeds & Pollinators, Plant Experiments.
Free printable 2nd grade science practice sheet
Questions from every unit, with an answer key.