All standards
2-ESS1-1 · Science
Earth's Systems
Your child should give examples of Earth changes that happen fast (earthquake, volcano) and slow (erosion, mountain building).
What the standard actually says
Use information from several sources to provide evidence that Earth events can occur quickly or slowly.
Domain: Earth's Systems — Understanding how Earth changes over time and how water, wind, and land interact.
Next Generation Science Standards*Examples and home activities
- Watch time-lapse videos of erosion, plant growth, or volcanos online.
- Make a T-chart: 'Fast Changes' vs. 'Slow Changes' — brainstorm together.
Printable practice worksheet — 2-ESS1-1
Name: ______________________ Date: ____________ Standard: 2-ESS1-1
1. What did you observe? Draw it.
2. Write one question you want to investigate.
3. What do you predict will happen? Why?
4. Record your data in a simple chart.
5. What did you find out?
6. What would you change if you tried again?
secondgrade.com · Science · 2-ESS1-1
Lessons that teach this
11 lessons list 2-ESS1-1.
Week 20
- Monday · Science — Students will observe that some Earth changes happen quickly and others slowly, and model weathering by breaking rock into smaller pieces (2-ESS1-1, 2-ESS2-1).
- Wednesday · Science — Students will model erosion by water and wind and describe how moving water and air carry soil from one place to another (2-ESS2-1).
- Friday · Science — Students will conclude that wind and water break down and move land, and that plants can slow erosion (2-ESS2-1, 2-ESS1-1).
Week 23
- Monday · Science — Students will observe and record daily weather, build a simple wind tool, and describe wind as moving air that can change the land (2-ESS2-1, 2-ESS1-1).
- Wednesday · Science — Students will measure wind strength with a homemade tool, compare readings across the day, and connect strong wind to fast changes on Earth (2-ESS1-1, 2-ESS2-1).
- Friday · Science — Students will use a week of weather data to describe patterns and explain that wind and weather cause both fast and slow changes to Earth's surface (2-ESS1-1, 2-ESS2-1).
Week 24
- Monday · Science — Students will review the unit by building a single model that shows land, liquid water, ice, and wind acting on Earth's surface (2-ESS1-1, 2-ESS2-1, 2-ESS2-2, 2-ESS2-3).
- Wednesday · Science — Students will demonstrate what they know by sorting Earth changes as fast or slow and drawing a map of the review model with a complete key (2-ESS1-1, 2-ESS2-2, 2-ESS2-3).
- Friday · Science — Students will state the big ideas of the unit in their own words and celebrate their work with a combined Earth science and history showcase (2-ESS1-1, 2-ESS2-1, 2-ESS2-2, 2-ESS2-3).
Week 36
- Monday · Science — Students will review the year's science units by sorting portfolio work into topics and choosing their best piece from each (2-PS1-1, 2-LS2-1, 2-LS4-1, 2-ESS2-1, K-2-ETS1-1).
- Friday · Science — Students will present their science portfolio, reflect on their growth as a scientist, and receive awards tied to real skills demonstrated during the year (all Grade 2 science standards reviewed).
Where it lives in our curriculum
This standard is taught in these weeks: