Grade 2 Science Tutor
In the second grade, students begin to develop and deepen their understanding of the basic concepts learned in the first grade.
Overall Expectations
- Assess ways in which animals have an impact on society and the environment, and ways in which humans have an impact on animals and the places they live
- Investigate similarities and differences in the characteristics of various animals
- Demonstrate an understanding that animals grow and change and have distinct characteristics
- Assess the impact on society and the environment of simple machines and mechanisms
- Investigate mechanisms that include simple machines and enable movement
- Demonstrate an understanding of movement and ways in which simple machines help to move objects
- Assess ways in which the uses of liquids and solids can have an impact on society and the environment
- Demonstrate an understanding of the properties of liquids and solids
- Assess ways in which the actions of humans have an impact on the quality of air and water, and ways in which the quality of air and water has an impact on living things
- Investigate the characteristics of air and water and the visible/invisible effects of and changes to air and water in the environment
- Demonstrate an understanding of the ways in which air and water are used by living things to help them meet their basic needs
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Grade 2 Science Sample Curriculum
Understanding life systems: growth and changes in animals
- Identify positive and negative impacts that animals have on humans (society) and the environment and suggest ways in which the impact can be minimized or enhanced
- Identify positive and negative impacts that different kinds of human activity have on animals
- Follow established safety procedures and humane practices specific to the care and handling of live animals during science and technology investigations
- Observe and compare the physical characteristics and the behavioral characteristics of a variety of animals
- Investigate the life cycle of a variety of animals
- Use scientific inquiry/research skills and knowledge acquired from previous investigations, to investigate the basic needs, characteristics, behavior etc.
- Use appropriate science and technology vocabulary, including life cycle, migration, adaptation, body coverings, and classify
- Identify and describe major physical characteristics of different types of animals
- Describe an adaptation as a characteristic body part, shape, or behavior that helps a plant or animal survive in its environment
- Identify ways in which animals are helpful to, and ways in which they meet the needs of, living things, including humans, to explain why humans should protect animals and the places where they live
- Identify ways in which animals can be harmful to humans
Understanding structures and mechanisms: Movement
- Assess the impact on society and the environment of simple machines that allow movement
- Investigate and describe different kinds of movement
- Investigate the structure and function of simple machines
- Use technological problem-solving skills and knowledge and skills acquired from previous investigations, to design, build, and test a mechanism that includes one or more simple machines
- Use appropriate science and technology vocabulary, including push, pull, beside, above, wheel, axle, and inclined plane
- Describe different ways in which objects move
- Identify ways in which the position of an object can be changed
- Identify the six basic types of simple machines – lever; inclined plane; pulley; wheel and axle, including gear; screw; and wedge – and give examples of ways in which each is used in daily life
- Describe how each type of simple machine allows humans to move objects with less force
- Identify simple machines used in devices that move people
Understanding Matter and Energy: Properties of liquids and solids
- Assess the ways in which liquids and solids in the home are used, stored, and disposed of in terms of the effect on personal safety and the health of the environment, and suggest responsible actions to replace inappropriate practices
- Assess the impacts of changes in state of solids and liquids on individuals and society
- Investigate the properties of liquids and solids
- Investigate, through experimentation, interactions that occur as a result of mixing and/or dissolving liquids and solids, liquids and liquids, and solids and solids
- Use scientific inquiry/experimentation skills to investigate liquids and solids in terms of their capacity for buoyancy
- Use technological problem-solving skills, and knowledge acquired from previous investigations, to design, build, and test a structure that involves interactions between liquids and solids
- Use appropriate science and technology vocabulary, including clear, opaque, runny, hard, greasy, and granular
- Identify objects in the natural and built environment as solids or liquids
- Describe the properties of solids and liquids
- Describe the characteristics of liquid water and solid water, and identify the conditions that cause changes from one to the other
- Identify conditions in which the states of liquids and solids remain constant and conditions that can cause their states to change
- Describe some ways in which solids and liquids can be combined to make useful substances
- Explain the meaning of international symbols that give us information on the safety of substances
Understanding Earth and Space Systems: Air and water in the environment
- Assess the impact of human activities on air and water in the environment, taking different points of view into consideration
- Assess personal and family uses of water as responsible/efficient or wasteful, and create a plan to reduce the amount of water used
- Investigate, through experimentation, the characteristics of air and its uses
- Investigate, through experimentation, the characteristics of water and its uses
- Investigate the stages of the water cycle, including evaporation condensation, precipitation, and collection
- Investigate water in the natural environment
- Use appropriate science and technology vocabulary, including solid, liquid, vapour, evaporation, condensation, and precipitation
- Identify air as a gaseous substance that surrounds us and whose movement we feel as wind
- Identify water as a clear, colourless, odourless, tasteless liquid that exists in three states and that is necessary for the life of most animals and plants
- Describe ways in which living things, including humans, depend on air and water
- Identify sources of water in the natural and built environment
- Identify the three states of water in the environment, give examples of each
- State reasons why clean water is an increasingly scarce resource in many parts of the world
