The Earth Science Museum has mixed up its exhibits in this 2nd grade science sort. Students place 12 labels, such as Earthquake, Tsunami, Cave forming, and Tree roots breaking a rock, under Fast Earth Changes or Slow Earth Changes. The sheet defines fast as seconds, minutes, or days and slow as years or millions of years. Two Think About It questions follow. The answer key explains the tricky labels. It covers NGSS 2-ESS1-1 in three pages.
2-ESS1-1
“Use information from several sources to provide evidence that Earth events can occur quickly or slowly.”
Sorting the 12 labels by how long each event takes is the core task, and question 1 asks students to give a reason for their hardest choice.
Twelve labels list events from Volcano erupting and Flash flood to Grand Canyon forming and Wind blowing sand against rock.
Students write each label in the Fast Earth Changes or Slow Earth Changes column. Six belong in each.
Question 1 asks which label was trickiest and why. Question 2 asks for one new fast change and one new slow change for the museum.
Card sort
Cut the 12 labels into cards and let groups sort them on the desk first. Students can move a card after talking, which is harder to do on paper.
Class debate
Rock falling off a cliff causes argument, because the fall is fast but the loosening is slow. The answer key uses it as an example, so plan a minute for it.
Homework
Send question 2 home. Families can suggest changes such as a hurricane or a glacier melting, and students bring them back for the class museum.
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