Classroom activity Grade 2 English Language Arts

Storm Drain Helpers: A Grade 2 Sort-and-Say Opinion Activity

A grade 2 sorting activity where students decide what belongs in a storm drain, then say and record an opinion with a reason joined by the word because.

Grade: Grade 2
Subject: English Language Arts
Material: Classroom activity
Time: 30 min
Prep: Low prep
Materials: Ten picture cards of items (rain, leaf, paint, cup, oil, and so on), Two labeled hoops or bins marked Only Rain and Keep It Out, One opinion strip per student, Pencils

Standards

W.2.1 Common Core ELA

Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply reasons that support the opinion, use linking words (e.g., because, and, also) to connect opinion and reasons, and provide a concluding statement or section.

How this material aligns: After sorting the cards, each student states an opinion about what belongs in a storm drain and supports it with a reason joined by the linking word because.

All materials for W.2.1 →

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This material is in the public domain (CC0) and may be copied, edited, and shared freely, without attribution. Updated 2026-07-17.

Objectives

Students will sort items into what belongs in a storm drain and what does not.
Students will say an opinion with a reason joined by the word because.
Students will record their opinion in one written sentence.

Vocabulary

Storm drain: A storm drain is the grate at the edge of a street that swallows rainwater and sends it through pipes to the nearest creek or river. That water is usually not treated, so only rain belongs down the drain.

Also: rain, opinion, because

Teacher overview

This is a whole-class sorting activity that moves into opinion talk and one written sentence. Two bins are labeled Only Rain and Keep It Out. The sort teaches the concept directly, because deciding which bin a card belongs in is the same as deciding what a storm drain should carry. After the sort, each student says an opinion about one item, gives a reason with because, and records the opinion on a strip, which practices W.2.1 in speech and in writing.

Activity Directions

Before class, place the two labeled bins at the front and shuffle the ten picture cards. Cards show a mix of items, such as rain, a leaf, paint, a cup, oil, a bag, and clean water from a hose.
Gather students where they can see both bins. Explain the rule in one line: a storm drain should carry only rain, and everything else should be kept out so it does not reach the creek.
Model one card: hold up the paint card, think aloud, and place it in Keep It Out because paint would harm the creek.
Pass out the cards so most students have one. One at a time, a student shows a card, says which bin it goes in, and drops it in. The class shows thumbs up or thumbs down to agree or disagree.
When the cards spark disagreement, such as a leaf, let two students give both sides before the class decides together.
After the sort, each student picks one item and says an opinion out loud to a partner using this pattern: "I think ___ should (or should not) go down the storm drain because ___."
Students write that same opinion on their strip, spelling as best they can, with a reason after because.
End the activity when every student has written one opinion strip. Gather for the debrief and ask, "Why should only rain go down a storm drain?"

From Water for Schools (waterforschools.org). This material is in the public domain (CC0) and may be copied, edited, and shared freely.

Answer Key

Answer: Only rain belongs in the Only Rain bin; the leaf, paint, cup, oil, and bag belong in Keep It Out because they can harm the creek the drain flows to. Clean water from a hose is a fair item for two-sided talk, since it is mostly harmless but still should not be sent down on purpose. For the debrief question "Why should only rain go down a storm drain?", the answer is that the drain runs to a creek or pond without being cleaned first, so anything else pollutes the water. Written opinions will vary but should state a position and give a reason joined with because.

Differentiation

Support

Give these students a card that is clearly one bin or the other, such as rain or paint, so the choice is not tricky. Let them say their opinion aloud and then copy it onto the strip with help.

Extension

Ask these students to take a two-sided card, such as the leaf, and argue both bins in one breath: "A leaf could go in Only Rain because ___, but Keep It Out because ___." Challenge them to add a second reason with also.

ELL supports

Use the picture cards as a shared glossary and act out each item with a gesture. Provide the spoken frame in print so students can point to the words, and accept an opinion strip with one drawn reason while English sentences build.

Extensions

Take the sort outside to a real storm drain by the curb, if the school has one, and have students name one item they see nearby that should be kept out. Keep the class together on the sidewalk, away from traffic, with adults supervising. Post the opinion strips on a hallway board titled "Only Rain Down the Drain" so other classes see the message.