Scope and sequence · Science
Grade 2 Earth Science: The Earth's Surface
A year of true stories about the ground under our feet, from Hillary and Tenzing on the top of Mount Everest and the morning Mount St. Helens blew its side away to the San Francisco earthquake, the long dark rooms of Mammoth Cave, the ice of Glacier Bay, the dinosaur bones of Utah and John Wesley Powell’s boats in the Grand Canyon, each one looked at closely, measured with hands and rulers, and built again in small at the kitchen table.
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What to cover
32 of 36 lessons are MUST COVER. They are tested on the unit tests and exams, or are skills the SAT/ACT relies on. OPTIONAL lessons are enrichment. Do them if time allows. The course is complete when the MUST COVER lessons are done.
Unit 1: Mountains
- MUST COVER 1.1 Mount Everest Climbed (May 29, 1953) ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.2 Folded Towel Mountains · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.3 Mountains of the Bible (Sinai, Zion, Ararat) · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.4 Tree Line and Snow Line · unit test
Unit 2: Volcanoes
- MUST COVER 2.1 Mount St. Helens (May 18, 1980) ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.2 Baking-Soda Volcano and What It Gets Wrong · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.3 Lava Rocks: Pumice and Obsidian · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.4 Hawaii’s Volcanoes · unit test
Unit 3: Earthquakes
- MUST COVER 3.1 San Francisco, 1906 ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.2 Shake Table with Blocks ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.3 Why Buildings Fall or Stand · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.4 The Earthquake at Philippi (Acts 16:26) · unit test
Unit 4: Caves
- MUST COVER 4.1 Mammoth Cave ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.2 Stalactites from String and Epsom Salt · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.3 Bats in Caves · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.4 David in the Cave of Adullam (1 Samuel 22) · unit test
Unit 5: Glaciers and Ice
- MUST COVER 5.1 Glacier Bay ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.2 Ice That Carves (Ice Cube on Clay) ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.3 Icebergs Float, Mostly Under Water · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.4 Polar Explorers · unit test
Unit 6: Oceans and Shores
- MUST COVER 6.1 Tides ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.2 Waves shape beaches · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.3 Sand from shells · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.4 “Hitherto shalt thou come” (Job 38:11) · unit test
Unit 7: Dinosaur Lands
- MUST COVER 7.1 Dinosaur National Monument ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.2 Footprints in Rock (Glen Rose, Texas) · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.3 Plant Eaters and Meat Eaters · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.4 Dinosaurs on the Ark? What Genesis Says About “Every Creeping Thing” · unit test
Unit 8: The Grand Canyon
- MUST COVER 8.1 John Wesley Powell’s Voyage (1869) ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.2 Layers Like a Cake · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.3 How Fast Can Water Carve? Mount St. Helens’ Little Canyon (1982) · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.4 A Canyon Diorama · unit test
Unit 9: Bonus: Field Lab OPTIONAL unit
- OPTIONAL 9.1 Landform Hike
- OPTIONAL 9.2 Yard Stream Table
- OPTIONAL 9.3 Shake Test Day
- OPTIONAL 9.4 Creek or Shore Visit
36-week pacing calendar
From the course’s own 36-week pacing guide, with catch-up and review weeks added to fill a 36-week (180-day) year.
| Week | Plan | Done | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | Session 1: Lesson 1.1 Mount Everest Climbed (May 29, 1953): warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 2 | Session 1: Lesson 1.2 Folded Towel Mountains: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 3 | Session 1: Lesson 1.3 Mountains of the Bible (Sinai, Zion, Ararat): warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 4 | Session 1: Lesson 1.4 Tree Line and Snow Line: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 1 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 5 | Session 1: Lesson 2.1 Mount St. Helens (May 18, 1980): warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 6 | Session 1: Lesson 2.2 Baking-Soda Volcano and What It Gets Wrong: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 7 | Session 1: Lesson 2.3 Lava Rocks: Pumice and Obsidian: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 8 | Session 1: Lesson 2.4 Hawaii’s Volcanoes: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 2 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 9 | Session 1: Lesson 3.1 San Francisco, 1906: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 10 | Session 1: Lesson 3.2 Shake Table with Blocks: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 11 | Session 1: Lesson 3.3 Why Buildings Fall or Stand: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 12 | Session 1: Lesson 3.4 The Earthquake at Philippi (Acts 16:26): warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 3 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 13 | Session 1: Lesson 4.1 Mammoth Cave: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 14 | Session 1: Lesson 4.2 Stalactites from String and Epsom Salt: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 15 | Session 1: Lesson 4.3 Bats in Caves: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 16 | Session 1: Lesson 4.4 David in the Cave of Adullam (1 Samuel 22): warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 4 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 17 | Session 1: Lesson 5.1 Glacier Bay: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 18 | Session 1: Lesson 5.2 Ice That Carves (Ice Cube on Clay): warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 19 | Session 1: Lesson 5.3 Icebergs Float, Mostly Under Water: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 20 | Session 1: Lesson 5.4 Polar Explorers: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 5 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 21 | Session 1: Lesson 6.1 Tides: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 22 | Session 1: Lesson 6.2 Waves shape beaches: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 23 | Session 1: Lesson 6.3 Sand from shells: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 24 | Session 1: Lesson 6.4 “Hitherto shalt thou come” (Job 38:11): warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 6 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 25 | Session 1: Lesson 7.1 Dinosaur National Monument: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 26 | Session 1: Lesson 7.2 Footprints in Rock (Glen Rose, Texas): warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 27 | Session 1: Lesson 7.3 Plant Eaters and Meat Eaters: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 28 | Session 1: Lesson 7.4 Dinosaurs on the Ark? What Genesis Says About “Every Creeping Thing”: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 7 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 29 | Session 1: Lesson 8.1 John Wesley Powell’s Voyage (1869): warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 30 | Session 1: Lesson 8.2 Layers Like a Cake: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 31 | Session 1: Lesson 8.3 How Fast Can Water Carve? Mount St. Helens’ Little Canyon (1982): warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 32 | Session 1: Lesson 8.4 A Canyon Diorama: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 8 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 33 | Session 1: Lesson 9.1 Landform Hike: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 9.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 34 | Session 1: Lesson 9.2 Yard Stream Table: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 9.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 35 | Session 1: Lesson 9.3 Shake Test Day: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 9.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 36 | Session 1: Lesson 9.4 Creek or Shore Visit: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 9.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 9 review and unit project |
Grading: Oral narration (the child tells the story and the big idea back in his or her own words) 40%, Make-and-do projects (tried with care, and the child can say what happened) 30%, Field notebook (a dated drawing for each lesson) 15%, Unit reviews and unit projects (oral, 20 points each as a guide) 15%. Scale: No letter grades. Mark each checklist item “Got it,” “Growing” or “Let’s try again.” The percents above only show where to spend your attention.