Second graders are REALLY successful at identifying the properties regarding light transmission, color, and shape.  So now they're on to the big leagues, learning new properties of materials.

In fact, they're designing the tests to determine the texture and flexibility of a solid.  We discussed using our senses--in particular our hands!  Not all solids are bumpy or flexible.  Some are smooth or rough, and others are rigid.  

Through one last sorting activity, second graders are learning that solids have many different properties!  

Q:  Are all solids hard?
A:  No, because a pillow is a solid and it's soft.

Q:  Are all solids opaque?
A:  No, because glass is transparent.

Q:  Are all solids absorbent?
A:  No, because my table is waterproof.

So even though solids have different properties, they still share one thing in common--their shape doesn't change when you place it in different containers!

Keep up the great work second grade!

Now that second graders can identify the differences between liquids and solids, we're off to comparing solids.  Even though each solid does not take the shape of a container it might fill, it is still distinguishable from the next solid it comes in contact with.  

Second graders are classifying various solids by their properties.  Properties describe an object based on our five senses.  We'll be classifying these solids in more ways than one!

Second graders are just beginning a new unit on matter.  We started class with a formative assessment tool called "What is a solid?"  This tool is giving me a better understanding of what students already know about solids.  Below you will see how some second graders identified a solid they knew of and something that was not a solid.  They had to give reasoning why each of those materials fit a category pertaining to solids.  We've got some work ahead of us...and that's perfectly okay!

Some students said that only the materials that were hard were solids.  Others disagreed and said solids could be soft.  Students also said that if a material could fall out of your hand, that it couldn't be a solid.  We surely had some interesting conversations regarding some misconceptions they have!