The students will also observe the growth and development of butterflies
through a series of stages: eggs, larva, chrysalides and adults to complete
the life cycle. They will witness firsthand the metamorphosis of insects and
learn about the food they need to survive. They will study the response of
these organisms to stimuli and learn about their distinguishing physical
characteristics.
Second grade students will increase their understanding of the elements of
weather: temperature, barometric pressure, cloud cover, and wind speed and
direction. Students will become familiar with the use of various weather
instruments: thermometer, barometer, wind vane, hygrometer and rain gauge.
After acquiring the skills of observing and recording weather conditions and
building weather instruments, student teams will set up and use their own
weather stations to collect weather data and make weather predictions.
The students will describe matter by its characteristics (takes up space,
can be weighed, can be touched) and identify the three states of matter –
solid, liquid and gas, and the properties of each. They will infer that
heating and cooling change the state of matter of a given substance, with
particular attention paid to water – evaporation, condensation, melting and
freezing. The students will construct simple models of molecules.
