2-PS1-4 lessons
Construct an argument with evidence that some changes caused by heating or cooling can be reversed and some cannot.
The Next Generation Science Standards code 2-PS1-4 asks students to: “Construct an argument with evidence that some changes caused by heating or cooling can be reversed and some cannot.” These Fieldbook lessons teach it hands-on, with everyday materials, a printable teacher guide and a student sheet.
Earth and Sky at Home Grades K–5 · partly supports this standard
- How do crystals grow? 40 min to set up, then 5 min a day for 5 to 7 days
Children watch the grown-up make strong salt, Epsom salt and sugar solutions, set out dishes and a string, then check them every day for a week. They finish able to explain that crystals form when dissolved particles line up as the water leaves.
- How does a cloud form? 40 min
Children watch the grown-up set up two jars of hot water with ice on top, add a wisp of smoke to one, and compare the clouds. They finish able to explain that clouds form when moist air cools and water collects on tiny specks.
Winter Science at Home Grades K–5 · partly supports this standard
- Can you make frost in a can? 40 min
Children crush ice, pack it into two cans, add salt to one, and watch water and then frost appear on the outside. They finish able to explain that the water and frost came out of the air, not through the can.
- Why does salt melt ice? 40 min
Children race three ice cubes covered in salt, sugar and nothing, then use a pinch of salt to lift an ice cube out of a glass with a piece of string. They finish able to explain that salt melts ice by mixing into the water, and that it makes the ice colder, not warmer.
NGSS is used as written in Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, so the code 2-PS1-4 matches there. Other states word and number their own versions: see curriculum alignment for your state's codes.
More NGSS standards for Grade 2
All standards we teach · Curriculum alignment by state and province
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