NGSS Science and Engineering Practices 2nd Grade STEM Unit: Challenges & More

STEM Units of Study- Science and Engineering Practices includes STEM activities, complete integrated lesson plans, challenges, an introduction to science and engineering, and a complete curriculum to teach four weeks of STEM to your second graders. Each day focuses on the 5E model and provides you with the exact tools to illustrate the concepts. All of the guesswork has been removed with this NO PREP unit of study.

After completing this unit, your students will be able to compare and contrast science and engineering fields of study, work productively in your STEM lab or classroom, determine necessary tools for use, better understand scientific inquiry and the engineering design model, as well as successfully work through STEM challenges.

Included in the first 5E unit of study:

•Big Picture Broken Down- Second Grade Quarterly STEM Topics

•Unit One Overview

•Possible Structure for STEM 5 Day or 3 Day

•Unit 1: An Introduction to Science and Engineering {complete with performance expectations, disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, essential questions, vocabulary, and materials needed)

•Lesson Plans for Each Unit

•Student Activities

•Science and Engineering Student Notebook (with options for less paper)

•STEM Challenges

•Vocabulary

•Tool Sorts

•Compare and Contrast Science and Engineering

•Nonfiction Text with questions and integration of ELA standards

•Background Information {inducing purpose for the shift from science to STEM, science and engineering practices overview, science and engineering practices broken down by grade level K-5, and science topics K-5}

•Assessment- tool sorts, exit tickets, questions to nonfiction text, science and engineering notebook responses, and project designs

★Weekly Breakdown of Unit One

Week One:

Procedures and Routines in the Science/STEM/Engineering/Makerspace Classroom

Nonfiction Passages on Introduction to Science and Engineering

Questioning like a scientist and engineer

Literacy Connections: Ava Twist, Scientist and Rosie Revere, Engineer

Week Two:

Engage/Explore: Nonfiction Passages on Science and Engineering Tools

Explain/Elaborate/Evaluate: Academic Vocabulary/Sorts

Engage: Ask, Imagine, and plan a solution for a pool (STEM/Makerspace Challenge)

Explore: Create the solution

Explain/Evaluate: Reflect and Improve Upon Solutions and Share- Compare and Contrast solutions

Week Three:

Engage/Explore: Literature Connection- Questions, Questions and creating lookers in nature

Explain/Elaborate/Evaluate: Nonfiction passages on Science Inquiry and Thinking Like a Scientist

Engage/Explore: Literature Connection- The World is Waiting for YOU

Explain/Elaborate/Evaluate: Nonfiction reading passages on the Engineering Design Process and Thinking Like An Engineer

Engage/Explore: Literature Connection- Iggy Peck, Architect

Week Four:

Engage/Explore: Nonfiction Engineering and Science Safety

Explain/Elaborate/Evaluate: Comparing and Contrasting Scientists and Engineers

Engage/Explore: Ask, Imagine, and Plan Waterslide Challenge

Explore: Create Solution

Explain/Evaluate: Share out and Reflect Upon Improvements to Waterslide

Informational Text Standards Covered:

RI.1 Asking and Answering Questions

RI.4 Vocabulary

RI.5 Text Features

RI.7 Images