Montague Township School District
Science Curriculum Guide
Grade 2
2025-2026
Andrea Rettig · Jen Battikha
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Description
Grade 2 science curriculum encompasses five units spanning life science, physical science, and earth science domains. Students investigate observable properties of matter, explore relationships between plants and animals in habitats, understand reversible and irreversible changes to materials, identify Earth's land and water features, and apply engineering design to address erosion and land change problems. Throughout the year, students engage in planning and carrying out investigations, developing and using models, constructing explanations, and analyzing data to develop three-dimensional understanding aligned with Next Generation Science Standards.
Big Ideas
- Observable properties of materials determine their use and suitability for different purposes.
- Plants depend on light and water to grow; animals depend on plants for food and help plants with seed dispersal and pollination.
- Some changes to matter caused by heating or cooling are reversible; others are permanent.
- Water exists in solid and liquid forms and is found in oceans, rivers, lakes, and ponds across Earth.
- Wind and water change the shape of land over time; humans design solutions to slow or prevent these changes.
Essential Questions
- What do plants need to grow and how do animals and plants interact?
- How can we describe, classify, and use the properties of different materials?
- How can objects and matter change, and are all changes reversible?
- What are the shapes and locations of land and water on Earth?
- In what ways do humans slow or prevent wind and water from changing the land?
Core Textbook
Life Sciences — Inquisitive
Earth and Space Sciences
Life Sciences
Physical Sciences
Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science
Students participate in shared research and writing projects using trade books and digital resources to support science learning across all units. They ask and answer questions about key details in informational texts, describe connections between scientific ideas and concepts, recall and gather information from provided sources to answer questions, write opinion pieces with evidence to support claims, create audio recordings and add visual displays to clarify ideas, and recount key ideas from texts read aloud or presented through media. These literacy practices are explicitly referenced in connection with standards 2-PS1-1 through 2-PS1-4, 2-LS2-1, 2-LS2-2, 2-LS4-1, 2-ESS1-1, 2-ESS2-1, 2-ESS2-2, 2-ESS2-3, K-2-ETS1-1, K-2-ETS1-2, and K-2-ETS1-3.
Students apply mathematical practices and content standards throughout the science units. They reason abstractly and quantitatively, model with mathematics, and use appropriate tools strategically when collecting and analyzing data from investigations. Students draw picture graphs and bar graphs with single-unit scale to represent data sets with up to four categories, read and write numbers to 1000 using base-ten numerals and expanded form, and use addition and subtraction within 100 to solve word problems involving lengths. These mathematical connections are explicitly referenced in relation to standards 2-PS1-1, 2-PS1-2, 2-LS2-1, 2-LS2-2, 2-LS4-1, 2-ESS1-1, 2-ESS2-1, 2-ESS2-2, K-2-ETS1-1, and K-2-ETS1-3.
Assessment occurs throughout each unit through multiple methods aligned with three-dimensional learning expectations. Formative assessments include investigations, observations, data collection during hands-on activities, and student-generated sketches or models that demonstrate understanding of core concepts. Benchmark assessments occur within units to check progress toward performance expectations. Summative assessments require students to apply learning through design challenges, evidence-based arguments, model development, or written explanations that demonstrate mastery of unit standards. Assessments balance traditional methods with performance-based tasks requiring students to plan investigations, construct explanations using evidence, and develop engineering solutions.
| Unit | Formative | Summative | Benchmark | Alternative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01Relationships in Habitats | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| 02Properties of Matter | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| 03Changes to Matter | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 04The Earth's Land and Water | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| 05Changes to Earth's Land | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Coverage | 5/5 | 5/5 | 2/2 | 5/5 |
| Unit | IEP | 504 | MLL | At-Risk | Gifted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01Relationships in Habitats | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 02Properties of Matter | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 03Changes to Matter | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 04The Earth's Land and Water | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 05Changes to Earth's Land | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Coverage | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |