Grade 2 Science Standards in Arkansas, Simplified

We understand that the demands on educators are significant. Our focus is on providing tools that help simplify your planning and instruction. A key part of this is understanding the role of academic standards in your classroom.

Academic standards are learning goals that specify what students are expected to learn in each subject at a particular grade level. These standards set the expectations for student knowledge, but they do not prescribe specific teaching methods or curriculum. For instance, a second-grade science standard might be to 'describe and classify materials by observable properties,' giving you the flexibility to decide how to teach that concept.

What Are Grade 2 Science Standards in Arkansas?

In Arkansas, the second-grade science standards are organized into three core areas to build a foundational understanding of the world. These learning goals help you structure your lessons around key scientific concepts. The standards cover the following domains:

• Physical Science (PS)
• 2-PS1-1: Describe and classify materials by observable properties
• 2-PS1-2: Test materials to determine which are best suited for specific purposes
• 2-PS1-3: Observe materials undergoing reversible and irreversible changes
• Life Science (LS)
• 2-LS2-1: Investigate how plants depend on water, light, and animals for growth and pollination
• 2-LS4-1: Make observations of plants and animals to compare biodiversity in habitats
• Earth and Space Science (ESS)
• 2-ESS1-1: Use information from fossils to understand past environments
• 2-ESS2-1: Investigate how wind and water shape the land
• 2-ESS2-2: Develop models to represent landforms and water bodies
• 2-ESS2-3: Obtain information to protect Earth’s resources

These standards provide clear learning targets that can be translated into hands-on activities and experiments for your students. You can design lessons where students test different materials or observe biodiversity in the schoolyard.

The framework for these standards is guided by national models from the Next Generation Science Standards and goals set by the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Key Tested Standards

In Grade 2 Science for Arkansas, key tested standards often align with foundational concepts important for student progression. Understanding which standards are typically assessed can help you focus your instructional time and better prepare your students. Based on trends, the most likely tested standards are:

• Physical Science (PS):
  • 2-PS1-1: Classify materials by their properties (solid, liquid, texture, color, etc)
  • 2-PS1-2: Test materials for specific uses (e.g., waterproof, flexibility)
• Life Science (LS):
  • 2-LS2-1: Investigate plant needs (water, light) and their connection to animals (pollination, seed dispersal)
  • 2-LS4-1: Compare biodiversity in different habitats
• Earth and Space Science (ESS):
  • 2-ESS1-1: Understand fossils and what they reveal about Earth’s past
  • 2-ESS2-1: Explore how wind and water change landforms
  • 2-ESS2-2: Model landforms and water bodies

Source: Next Generation Science Standards. Source: Arkansas Department of Education, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Example Learning Objectives for Unit Planning

Learning objectives translate broad academic standards into clear, student-centered goals for a specific lesson. They define what students should be able to do by the end of your instruction, often framed as "I can" statements. This approach helps focus your teaching and makes learning targets visible to students.

For the Physical Science standard on classifying materials, your objectives could be:

• Standard: 2-PS1-1 (Classify materials by observable properties)
  • I can describe objects using properties like color, texture, and weight.
  • I can group objects based on how they look, feel, or behave.
  • I can explain why objects are grouped together using their properties.

For the Life Science standard on plant needs, objectives might look like this:

• Standard: 2-LS2-1 (Plants depend on water, light, and animals to grow and pollinate)
  • I can explain what plants need to grow (water, sunlight, and soil).
  • I can describe how animals help plants by pollinating or spreading seeds.
  • I can investigate and observe what happens when plants don’t get enough of what they need.

Key Changes & Updates

The Arkansas K-12 Science Standards were updated in 2015 to align with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). This update introduced a focus on three-dimensional learning, which shifts instruction from memorization to application. The goal is to have students actively "do" science by engaging in practices like conducting investigations and designing solutions. It also encourages making connections across different scientific disciplines, such as identifying patterns or cause-and-effect relationships in the natural world.

For second-grade classrooms, these changes brought a greater emphasis on hands-on learning and real-world phenomena. The key updates included:

• A focus on the observable properties of materials
• An emphasis on how plants depend on animals for pollination
• The use of models and investigations to study landforms and habitats

Create with TeachShare

We know that aligning every lesson to specific standards can be time-consuming. Our platform is designed to lighten that load, helping you create engaging, standards-aligned resources in minutes, not hours. You can instantly generate lessons, activities, and assessments tailored to any Arkansas standard, giving you more time to focus on what you do best—teaching. Start creating standards-aligned instructional resources with TeachShare now.