This simple guide will help you give your child a superb 2nd grade science and engineering experience that focuses on marine biology and fluid dynamics.
A Prelude to Specialization
In grades PK-1, our curriculum introduced children to the extraordinary vastness the subjects of science and engineering. Each grade level covered what might be called “general science” and “general engineering”, with information about all manner of subfields (e.g., astronomy, biology, mechanical engineering, automotive engineering, etc.). This is the most approachable way to present large amounts of information to younger children – they often don’t have the attention span to learn about a single topic for an extended period of time, unless it’s something they find especially interesting. Moreover, they tend to benefit from developing a basic concept of how different topics relate to one another before studying a specific one in great detail.
In 2nd grade, we gradually begin the process of acclimating students to more specialized learning. Although we would still characterize 2nd grade as covering “general science” and “general engineering”, it places heavy emphasis on one particular area of study: the science & engineering of water and water-related things. This includes elements of marine biology, fluid dynamics, and marine engineering. Roughly half of the grade level focuses on these areas, with the remainder consisting of a more general selection of topics.
As students learn more about what different types of scientists and engineers do, they’ll naturally develop a clearer picture of what they would like to do with their own lives. This is one of the most important outcomes of any education, and we’ll be placing a high value on information that can help students set clear career goals for themselves.
The Playlist
Our free playlist for 2nd grade science & engineering contains an incredible amount of educational content, weighing in at well over 40 hours.
Students who have been following our curriculum will see many familiar faces: we’ve included videos from Mystery Science, Brave Wilderness, Phil McCordic (host of Science Max), Operation Ouch, and other sources we’ve used in the past. We’ve also included videos from a variety of new channels, such as BlueWorldTV, Nemours KidHealth, Design Squad Global, and Insider Business. Regardless of the source, the videos in this playlist are on average more complex than those of previous grade levels.
Much like our playlists for lower grade levels, our 2nd grade playlist covers the subjects of science and engineering quite broadly. That having been said, it does place heavy emphasis on topics related to the science of fluids: there is an extensive amount of information about marine biology, fluid dynamics, marine/ocean engineering, and the physical and molecular properties of water.
Continue Using Our Recommended Science Tools
In our 1st grade science guide, we listed all of the science lab materials you will need for grades 1-3. This included a prepackaged science kit (the Japace Surprising Science Kit), as well as the LeapFrog Magic Adventures Microscope.
You should try to finish up most of the projects from the science kit that you didn’t complete in 1st grade. That having been said, it’s okay if you aren’t able to finish everything, and you should feel free to save some projects for 3rd grade.
Just like in 1st grade, you should continue to encourage your child to view any interesting little bugs, rocks, plants, or baubles in the microscope.
Continue Using The Incredible Machine
In our 1st grade engineering guide, we explained how to get children started with The Incredible Machine, which is a video game series that asks players to design clever solutions to a wide range of engineering problems. Children should continue playing The Incredible Machine – Even More Contraptions throughout 2nd grade. At a minimum, they should complete all “Easy” difficulty lessons and at least 25 “Medium” difficulty puzzles. Ideally, the should complete all of the “Medium” difficulty puzzles.
The “Medium” difficulty missions have hints, but they are not visible unless the player first clicks the “Show Hints” button.
Higher Grade Levels Will Split Science and Engineering
As we’ve already mentioned, higher grade levels of our curriculum begin to cover the subjects of science and engineering independently, in order to allow for a greater degree of specialization. You can already check out our 3rd grade engineering guide, which focuses on helping students develop the basic skills required for doing computer-aided design work.
