Second Grade Lesson Plans (20 results)

Science Buddies' second grade science projects are the perfect way for second grade students to have fun exploring science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Our second grade projects are written and tested by scientists and are specifically created for use by students in the second grade. Students can choose to follow the science experiment as written or put their own spin on the project.

For a personalized list of science projects, second graders can use the Science Buddies Topic Selection Wizard. The wizard asks students to respond to a series of simple statements and then uses their answers to recommend age-appropriate projects that fit their interests.

Let us help you find a science project that fits your interests, with our Topic Selection Wizard.

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Water Transport in Plants

Lesson Plan Grade: 2nd

5 reviews

Your students might know that plants need water to survive. But how does a plant "drink" and get water from the soil all the way up to its' leaves? In this lesson plan, students will observe how plants (flowers and celery) suck up dye-stained water, which makes the petals and leaves change color! This allows students to visualize the process of how water moves through a plant. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

2-LS2-1. Plan and conduct an investigation to determine if plants need sunlight and water to grow.

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Building Junkbots—Robots from Recycled Materials

Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-8th

7 reviews

Junkbots are easy-to-build robots that you can make using a simple circuit and some recyclable materials. In this lesson, your students will learn about engineering design as they compete to build the fastest robot. No previous robotics experience is required! Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

MS-ETS1-4. Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.

Make a Miniature Habitat

Lesson Plan Grade: Kindergarten-2nd

5 reviews

Get creative with your students in this hands-on lesson plan! Students will use mostly natural materials to build a shoebox habitat that mimics a real-life habitat for an animal of their choice. As they present their miniature habitats to each other, students realize that not all habitats are suitable for all animals. Each animal species needs the resources of a specific habitat to survive. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

K-ESS-3-1. Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants and animals (including humans) and the places they live.
2-LS4-1. Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats.>/li>

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Greywater Gadgetry

Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-12th

Create a two-part system for filtering greywater. Teams will focus on communication and systems engineering as they build separate components to filter solid and liquid waste and then combine them into one device. Learning Objectives Students will: Consider the potential effects of drought and how greywater could be part of the solution. Design a system for filtering out solid waste or liquid waste. Consider effective communication strategies with their team. Collaborate on their design… Read more

Paper Bridge Design Challenge

Lesson Plan Grade: Kindergarten-2nd

15 reviews

Your students have probably walked or ridden over a bridge at some point in their lives. In this engineering activity they will design and make bridges out of folded pieces of paper, and test how much weight they can hold with pennies. How does the shape of a bridge affect its strength? Let your students explore and find out with this lesson! This lesson can be expanded to a second lesson looking at how the material a bridge is made out of can change its strength; see second lesson for details. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

K-2-ETS1-2. 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. Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs.

Invent an Insect

Lesson Plan Grade: 2nd-5th

4 reviews

There are thousands of species of insects in our world, and each are adapted to survive in their habitat. In this activity, students will learn what an insect is and what some of their adaptations are. Then they will put their knowledge into play by "creating" an insect that is adapted to live in their assigned environment. Read more

Investigate the Properties of Liquids

Lesson Plan Grade: 2nd

4 reviews

When discussing material properties, most of us usually think of solid materials and material properties such as hardness, flexibility, or strength. However, liquids are characterized by distinct properties, too. Some of these properties overlap with those of solids, like density or transparency, but others are more specific to liquids. Viscosity—the resistance of a fluid to flow—and surface tension, are two examples of properties that are specifically used to characterize liquids.… Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

2-PS1-1. Plan and conduct an investigation to describe and classify different kinds of materials by their observable properties.

Modeling Water Bodies

Lesson Plan Grade: 2nd

7 reviews

In this lesson plan, students investigate different types of water bodies on Earth by making models of lakes, oceans, and rivers inside an aluminum pan using various materials and real water. By describing each water body and sharing their observations about their differences and similarities, students will be able to identify the typical characteristics of each water body. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

2-ESS2-2. Develop a model to represent the shapes and kinds of land and bodies of water in an area.
2-ESS2-3. Obtain information to identify where water is found on Earth and that it can be solid or liquid.

Testing Material Properties

Lesson Plan Grade: 1st-2nd

6 reviews

Plastic, metal, wood, and stone. We encounter many different materials every day. Each object around us is made of a specific material. Why are they not all made from the same material? The answer is that every material has different properties; some are hard and others are soft, some are transparent and others are opaque. For each product that is produced, the material from which it is made determines many of its properties. This is why material testing is so important. These tests allow… Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

2-PS1-1. Plan and conduct an investigation to describe and classify different kinds of materials by their observable properties.

Paper Bridge Materials Challenge

Lesson Plan Grade: 2nd

4 reviews

Steel, concrete, wood—real bridges are built from many different materials. How do engineers decide which materials to use? In this activity, your students will expand on the previous paper bridges lesson plan by building and testing bridges made from different materials. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

2-PS1-2. Analyze data obtained from testing different materials to determine which materials have the properties that are best suited for an intended purpose.

Mapping Landforms

Lesson Plan Grade: 2nd

3 reviews

In this lesson, students will build three-dimensional play dough models from pictures that show various landforms and bodies of water. As they analyze and compare their different models, students will realize that there are many different types of landforms and bodies of water on Earth. Based on their play dough models, students will discuss how various landforms and bodies of water can be represented on a map. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

2-ESS2-2. Develop a model to represent the shapes and kinds of land and bodies of water in an area.

The Role of Interdependence for Pollination and Seed Dispersal

Lesson Plan Grade: 2nd

3 reviews

Pollination and seed dispersal are both crucial processes in a plant's reproduction cycle. These processes are helped along by many factors, including different animals. For instance, some animals disperse the plant seeds, while others transfer pollen from one flower to another. In this lesson plan, students will investigate the interdependence between plants and animals for pollination and seed dispersal by creating interdependence webs out of yarn. Based on their created interdependence webs,… Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

2-LS2-2. Develop a simple model that mimics the function of an animal in dispersing seeds or pollinating plants.

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