Teach young students how camels have adapted to their environment by building a diorama.
By the second grade, students will start to explore the fundamentals of new subjects, such as science. This is a good time to get kids hooked on science by exposing them to a variety of engaging activities that will help them learn and discover more about the world around them. Science activities in grade two should be kept straightforward and easy to understand.
Animal Habitats
Young students can learn about animals and their environments by raising small animals or insects in the classroom. Raise caterpillars and watch the process as they turn into butterflies. Build an earthworm habitat in a fish tank by layering pea gravel, fine sand, leaves, vegetable peelings and soil. Place the earthworms on top and spray lightly with water from a spray bottle. The worms will burrow down, and over time will mix up the layers to make a rich compost. Kids can then use this compost to grow plants from seeds in pots.
Dioramas
Second-grade science generally includes the study of one or more biomes (ecological communities). Have students chose a biome and make a diorama of that biome in a shoebox. They can paint the bottom and sides of the box and then place the appropriate animals and plants made from materials such as pipe cleaners, clay, cotton balls and cardboard inside the diorama.
Animal Adaptations
Animal adaptations are a good way to teach young students about the connection between environment and animal life. Discuss the way that various animals have adapted to their environment. Have the children choose an environment, such as the desert, arctic region, jungle or ocean. Give each child some clay and art materials, such as pipe cleaners, beads, feathers, Popsicle sticks and paper. Ask the children to create an animal that is specially adapted to their environment. Children can then describe to the class how their animal is adapted to its environment.
Mixtures
Teach second-grade students about mixtures with a few simple activities. Take a cup of hot water and add sugar to it, one spoonful at a time. Describe to the children they way the sugar is mixing with the water. Continue to add sugar until no more will dissolve. Ask the children for ideas about get the sugar to come back out of the water. Pour some of the water into a shallow container and leave it in a warm place for several days. The water will dissolve, leaving behind sugar crystals. Children can separate a mixture of sugar and sand by mixing it with warm water, so that the sugar dissolves. Pour the water through a filter to separate out the sand, then let the water evaporate to get the sugar crystals.
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