Classroom activity Grade 2 Science
Gravensford Pond in Four Seasons: A Solid or Liquid Sort
Grade 2 groups sort twelve cards about water around one pond across four seasons into solid and liquid, then compare the two totals by subtracting.
Objectives
- Students will sort twelve places where water is found into solid water and liquid water.
- Students will count and compare the two sorted piles using addition and subtraction within 100.
- Students will explain that the same pond can hold solid water in one season and liquid water in another.
Vocabulary
Key words: solid, liquid, frost, dew, season
Teacher overview
Water at one pond looks like several different substances over the course of a year, which makes a single location a better sorting set than a scattered list of oceans and glaciers. This activity uses the fictional Gravensford Pond and its park, following the same water through winter frost, spring rain, summer dew, and fall gutters. Snow and frost are the cards most often left off a water list, since neither pours, so the sorting trays are labeled solid and liquid rather than water and not water, and the discussion questions return twice to the fact that card 1 and card 7 show the same pond.
Activity Directions
Setup, before the groups arrive. Cut one set of twelve cards per group from the table on the student handout, or print the table and have students cut it. Lay out two mats or trays for each group, one labeled Solid and one labeled Liquid.
Opening, about 5 minutes. Hold up an ice cube and a cup of water. Ask what is the same about the two, then what is different. Land on the words solid and liquid, and write them on the board above simple drawings.
Round one, about 10 minutes. Groups spread all twelve cards face up and read them together. Each group sorts every card onto the Solid mat or the Liquid mat. Set the rule that a card may not be moved once both hands are off it, which keeps groups talking before they place rather than after.
Round two, about 6 minutes. Groups regroup the same twelve cards by season instead, making four piles. Ask each group which season pile holds the most solid cards. Circulate and ask one group at a time to justify a single card placement out loud.
Handout, about 10 minutes. Students return to their seats and answer questions 1 through 7 on the student handout using the card table.
Closing check, about 4 minutes. Hold up card 1 and card 7 and ask the class to answer together whether the two cards show the same pond. Then ask for a thumbs up from every student who can say what changed between the two. If fewer than three quarters of the class raise a thumb, resort those two cards as a whole group before ending.
Student Handout
Gravensford Pond sits in a town park. Here are twelve cards. Each one shows water somewhere in the park.
| Card | What it shows | Season |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ice on the top of Gravensford Pond | Winter |
| 2 | Snow on the boathouse roof | Winter |
| 3 | Frost on the dock rail | Winter |
| 4 | Rain falling on the pond | Spring |
| 5 | A puddle on the park path | Spring |
| 6 | Water melting off the last pond ice | Spring |
| 7 | Pond water where the ducks swim | Summer |
| 8 | Water running from the park hose | Summer |
| 9 | Dew on the grass | Summer |
| 10 | Rain in the gutter by the boathouse | Fall |
| 11 | Ice cubes in the snack stand freezer | Fall |
| 12 | Wet leaves on the dock | Fall |
- How many cards show water as a solid?
- How many cards show water as a liquid?
- How many more liquid cards are there than solid cards?
- Which season has the most solid cards: winter, spring, summer, or fall?
- Card 6 shows water melting off the last pond ice. Is that melted water solid or liquid?
- Card 1 and card 7 both show the pond. In which card is the pond water solid?
- Name one place on the cards where water is found outdoors.
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: 4 cards. Cards 1, 2, 3, and 11 show ice, snow, frost, and ice cubes.
- Answer: 8 cards. The other eight cards all show water that pours or drips.
- Answer: 4 cards. Subtract the solid total from the liquid total: 8 - 4 = 4.
- Answer: Winter. Cards 1, 2, and 3 are all winter solids, which is more than any other season.
- Answer: Liquid. Melted ice pours and takes the shape of the low spots on the pond.
- Answer: Card 1. The pond top is frozen in winter, while card 7 shows the same pond as liquid water in summer.
- Answer: Accept any outdoor place named on a card, such as the pond, the boathouse roof, the dock rail, the park path, the grass, or the gutter.
Differentiation
Support
Give these groups six cards rather than twelve, choosing cards 1, 2, 4, 7, 9, and 11 so that the solid and liquid examples are as clear as possible. Tell them that 3 of their six cards show solid water as a starting count, and ask them to check it by touching each card.
Extension
Ask students to write two new cards for Gravensford Pond, one solid and one liquid, name the season for each, and hand them to another group to sort. The writer must be able to say which mat the card belongs on before trading.
ELL supports
Show a photo or a quick sketch beside each card word for frost, dew, and gutter, since those three are the least likely to be familiar. Allow students to answer questions 4 through 6 by holding up the correct card instead of writing.
Extensions
Post a two column chart by the classroom window and add one new card each week for a month, drawn from water the class actually notices outside. Sorting the new cards keeps the solid and liquid categories in use long after the activity ends.