Grade 2 Lesson plan
Road Salt at Rowanwood School: A Grass Seed Water Test
A five-day grade 2 investigation comparing grass seed watered with plain water against seed watered with salty water, matched to the brown strip beside a road.
NGSS · Grade 2
2-LS2-1 Investigate whether plants need sunlight and water to grow
Plan and conduct an investigation to determine if plants need sunlight and water to grow.
Assessment boundary: Assessment is limited to testing one variable at a time.
Why water teaches this standard well
This is the first standard where students test water as a resource living things depend on. A simple watered-versus-unwatered bean experiment builds the idea that water sustains life, which later grounds lessons on irrigation, drought, and why communities protect their water supplies.
Materials tagged with this code are written to the full standard and assessment boundary, and each carries a written note explaining the alignment. See how we review materials.
3 materials aligned to 2-LS2-1
Lesson plans
Grade 2 Lesson plan
Bean Rows at the Fennhurst School Garden: A Watering Test
Grade 2 students plan a one-variable test of whether bean seedlings need water, measure heights with a centimeter ruler, and compare a watered row with a dry row.
Classroom activities
Grade 2 Classroom activity
Colored Water Up the Celery Stalks at Wistmoor School
A two-day grade 2 station rotation in which groups set celery and a white flower in dyed water, bag a leafy stem, and find where the water travels.