Second Grade Programs

Essential Questions: How does erosion affect a landscape and ecosystem?

Description: Students will learn about geology as well as erosion during a hike through the woods. They will hike to the outdoor classroom where they will learn the definition using hand movements to help them remember what erosion is. Then they will continue their hike looking for more signs of natural erosion. At the end of the hike students will share with the class what erosion they saw and what they think caused it. For their final activity they will play a relay erosion game to further explain how water can break away rock and soil. 

Standards:
2-ESS1-1: Use information from several sources to provide evidence that Earth events can occur quickly or slowly (e.g., weathering, erosion).
SEP.6: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions. Compare multiple solutions to a problem.
5. 2.DM.3: Data Analysis and Measurement. Evaluate reasonableness of observations, results, and solutions throughout processes.

Essential Question: How do predatory fish and prey fish adapt their bodies to camouflage themselves into their environment. 

Description: Students will start by learning what predator and prey mean and how those terms are related to camoflauge. Students will get to observe real fish and make observations on the coloration of the fish and how this might help camouflage them in the lake. For the activity they will be using the Virtual Aquarium to camouflage a native fish to the virtual aquarium background. They will do this by coloring a fish then scanning it into the Virtual Aquarium. At the end of the lesson the students’ fish will be in the aquarium and they can see how well all their fish are camouflaged in the background. 

Standards:
2-LS4-1: Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats (e.g., adaptation).
2.AM.1: Apply modeling to represent physical or conceptual objects.
2.AM.3: Describe that systems have parts that work together to accomplish a goal (e.g., fish parts, adaptation).

Essential Question: What are the different types of erosion? Can wind and water change the shape of land? 

Description: Students will learn what erosion is and the different types of erosion we have. They will discuss how each of these are different and see real life examples of what they look like. Once they have gathered their background information they will see the effect wind erosion has. Using the Augmented Reality Sandtable students will take straws and blow through them directing it at the landscape built on the sandtable. Then once they see the effect wind has on the land they will be given different erosion control devices to place on the land to prevent erosion from happening. In the end, students will know different ways to control erosion as well as the effect erosion has on land. 

Standards:
2-ESS2-3: Obtain information to identify where water is found on Earth and that it can be a solid or liquid (e.g., weathering, erosion).
ESS2.A: Earth Materials and Systems: Wind and water can change the shape of the land.
SEPS.2: Developing and using models and tools.
SEPS.4: Analyzing and interpreting data.

Essential Question: What are the effects of pollutants in the lake? 

Description: Students will be doing experiments based on pollution commonly found in lakes and streams. They will learn what a pollutant is, what an ecosystem is, and how the two are connected. For their activity they will have four cups of water and each cup will get a specific pollutant. Students will have an observation sheet so that when they put a pollutant into each cup they can write what they are observing. Once completed, students will share how humans are impacting the lake with the pollutants they used and how they could prevent these pollutants from being in our lakes and streams.

Standards:
2-PS1-1: Plan and conduct and experiment to describe and classify different materials by their observable properties (e.g., water properties, pollutant properties).
2.CC.1: Collect and document evidence to share information with others.
SEPS.3:Constructing and performing investigations.