What does a student learn in StateDistrict of Columbia,GradeGrade 2,SubjectScience?

Students come up with questions about the world around them that can be tested through a real experiment or solved by building something.

Students draw or build simple models, like diagrams or physical objects, to show how something in the world works or how a design is meant to solve a problem.

Students plan a simple test, collect information from it, and use what they find to check whether their idea holds up.

Students look at information gathered during an investigation, find patterns in the numbers or pictures, and explain what those patterns mean.

Students use counting, measuring, and simple math to support their science thinking. A ruler, a tally chart, or a number can help explain what they observe.

Students use what they observed or tested to explain why something happened. They back up their explanation with real evidence, not just a guess.

Students look at two different explanations or solutions, then use what they observed or tested to argue which one works better. The evidence, not opinion, decides the winner.

Students read simple science texts, look at pictures or diagrams, and share what they learned with others. They also judge whether the information they find makes sense.

Students learn that all objects are made of tiny building blocks too small to see. They explore how those pieces interact to explain why things look, feel, or behave the way they do.

Students test how pushes and pulls move objects, and explore why some things stay put while others tip over. They begin to notice patterns in how force and motion work together.

Students explore how energy shows up in everyday forms like light, heat, and sound, and how it moves from one object to another. They learn that energy doesn't disappear; it just changes form or location.

Students explore how waves like sound and light can carry energy and send information from one place to another. They investigate real examples, such as how a phone call travels or how a ripple moves across water.

Students look at how living things are built and how they work, from the tiny parts inside them to the larger systems those parts form together.

Students learn how living things in a place depend on each other for food and survival. They look at how energy moves from the sun to plants to animals, and how things like water and nutrients get used and reused.

Students look at how traits like eye color or height get passed from parents to children, and notice that siblings can share some traits while still looking different from each other.

Students compare living things to spot what makes each one unique and what traits they share with others. They start building ideas about why different creatures look and act the way they do.

Students learn where Earth sits in the solar system and study patterns like the seasons and day-and-night cycles. They also look at how Earth itself has changed over a very long time.

Students learn that Earth is made of connected layers and systems: solid ground, water, air, and living things. They look at how those systems affect each other, like how rain shapes soil or how plants change the air.

Students look at how things people do, like building or farming, change the land, water, and air. They also look at how natural events like floods or earthquakes affect where and how people live.

Students look at a problem, come up with ways to fix it, then build and test their idea to see what works and what needs improving.

Students explore how inventions change everyday life and how the needs of people shape what engineers build next.