Skip to main content
Science Standards

2nd Grade Science Standards (NGSS*)

All 14 2nd grade performance expectations of the Next Generation Science Standards, each explained in plain English. The official wording of each one is a click away.

14 standards

Structure and Properties of Matter

4 standards
2-PS1-1
Plan and run an investigation to sort materials by properties you can observe, like color, texture, hardness and how easily they bend.
Official wording
Plan and conduct an investigation to describe and classify different kinds of materials by their observable properties.
2-PS1-2
Test different materials and study the results to choose the best one for a job, like picking the most absorbent cloth to soak up a spill.
Official wording
Analyze data obtained from testing different materials to determine which materials have the properties that are best suited for an intended purpose.
2-PS1-3
Observe how a set of small pieces, like building bricks, can be taken apart and built into something new, and explain it with evidence.
Official wording
Make observations to construct an evidence-based account of how an object made of a small set of pieces can be disassembled and made into a new object.
2-PS1-4
Argue from evidence that heating or cooling can cause some changes that can be undone, like melting butter, and some that cannot, like cooking an egg.
Official wording
Construct an argument with evidence that some changes caused by heating or cooling can be reversed and some cannot.

Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems

3 standards
2-LS2-1
Plan and run a test, changing one thing at a time, to find out if a plant needs light and water to grow well.
Official wording
Plan and conduct an investigation to determine if plants need sunlight and water to grow.
2-LS2-2
Make a simple model that copies how an animal spreads seeds or moves pollen between flowers, like a fuzzy stick that grabs seeds the way fur does.
Official wording
Develop a simple model that mimics the function of an animal in dispersing seeds or pollinating plants.
2-LS4-1
Observe plants and animals in different habitats to compare how many kinds of living things each place has, like a pond, a forest and a desert.
Official wording
Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats.

Earth's Systems: Processes that Shape the Earth

4 standards
2-ESS1-1
Use several sources to show with evidence that some Earth events happen fast, like earthquakes and volcanoes, and some slowly, like rocks wearing away.
Official wording
Use information from several sources to provide evidence that Earth events can occur quickly or slowly.
2-ESS2-1
Compare different designs that keep wind or water from reshaping the land, like windbreaks, dikes or planting grass to hold soil in place.
Official wording
Compare multiple solutions designed to slow or prevent wind or water from changing the shape of the land.
2-ESS2-2
Make a model, such as a map or sand tray, that shows the kinds and shapes of land and water in a place, like hills, lakes and rivers.
Official wording
Develop a model to represent the shapes and kinds of land and bodies of water in an area.
2-ESS2-3
Gather information to find where water is on Earth, like oceans, rivers and glaciers, and that it can be solid ice or liquid water.
Official wording
Obtain information to identify where water is found on Earth and that it can be solid or liquid.

Engineering Design

3 standards
K-2-ETS1-1
Ask questions, observe and gather facts about something people wish were different, then describe a simple problem a new or better tool could solve.
Official wording
Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.
K-2-ETS1-2
Draw a sketch or build a simple model to show how the shape of an object helps it work, like a wide base that keeps a tower from tipping.
Official wording
Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.
K-2-ETS1-3
Test two objects made to solve the same problem and compare the results to see what each one does well and where it falls short.
Official wording
Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs.

The official document

Official wording from NGSS Lead States. 2013. Next Generation Science Standards: For States, By States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. The plain-English lines and everything else on this page are EMStudio’s own explanations, written beside the official wording. They are not part of the standards.

*NGSS is a registered trademark of WestEd. Neither WestEd nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of this product, and do not endorse it.