What does a student learn in StateRhode Island,GradeGrade 2,SubjectScience?

Students figure out which questions can actually be tested with an experiment and which problems can be fixed with a design or invention. They practice telling the difference between a question science can answer and one it can't.

Students draw pictures, diagrams, or simple sketches to show how something in the world works, like why the sky looks dark at night or how a bridge holds weight.

Students plan simple tests and collect information to answer a science question. They decide what to observe, then record what they find out.

Students look at data they've collected, such as a chart or tally sheet, and explain what it shows. They spot patterns, like which result happened most often or how something changed over time.

Students use counting, measuring, and simple math to answer science questions. For example, they might count how many times something happens or measure how far an object moves.

Students take what they observed or tested and use it to explain why something happened or how a problem could be solved. The explanation has to connect back to actual evidence, not just a guess.

Students look at two different explanations or solutions, then use what they observed or tested to argue which one holds up better. The evidence does the convincing, not just an opinion.

Students read simple science texts, look at diagrams or data, and share what they found with others. This practice builds the habit of checking information before passing it along.

Students sort and describe everyday materials by properties like color, texture, and hardness. They start building an understanding of why materials look and behave the way they do.

Students push, pull, and observe how objects speed up, slow down, or stay still. They learn why a kicked ball rolls and eventually stops, and what it takes to get a heavy object moving.

Students test how energy moves and changes, like watching heat warm a cold object or seeing light bounce off a mirror. They learn that energy shifts from one form to another but doesn't disappear.

Students explore how waves carry energy and information from one place to another. They look at examples like sound and light to understand how waves move and how people use them to send signals.

Students look closely at living things to understand how the parts work together, from the tiny building blocks inside a plant or animal to the larger body systems that keep it alive.

Students explore how living things in a habitat depend on each other for food and shelter. They look at how animals eat plants or other animals, and how the same water and nutrients get used again and again.

Students look at plants, animals, or people across generations to see which traits get passed down and which ones turn out different. A kitten might have its mother's eye color but a different coat pattern.

Students look at different plants and animals to find what makes each one unique and what they share with others. This builds toward understanding why living things change over generations.

Students learn where Earth sits in the solar system and how it moves around the sun. They also look at how Earth itself has changed over a very long time.

Students look at how land, water, air, and living things affect each other. A rainstorm soaking into soil, or a tree's roots breaking up rock, are the kinds of connections students explore.

Students explore how things people do, like building roads or cutting down trees, change the land, water, and air around them. They also look at how storms, floods, and earthquakes affect where and how people live.

Students figure out what a problem is, come up with ideas to fix it, build or draw a solution, then test it and improve it based on what they find out.

Students explore how inventions shape everyday life and how everyday needs lead to new inventions. A new tool changes how people work; a community problem pushes engineers to find a solution.