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Our 2nd Grade STEM program takes students on an exciting journey of exploration, building upon their existing STEM knowledge and introducing more complex concepts and projects. We encourage collaboration, critical thinking, and creative problem-solving as students delve deeper into the world of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.
Click above to be taken to a summary of the the 2nd Grade Curriculum.
Websites & Apps:
Code.org (K-5 section, moving into some 6-12): Still a great resource. 2nd grade might be ready to start exploring some of the more advanced K-5 content and even dabble in some of the early 6-12 activities.
National Geographic Kids: Offers engaging content about animals, nature, and science, with more complex articles, videos, and interactive features.
NASA Climate Kids: A good resource for learning about climate and environmental science, with content geared towards slightly older children.
Scratch: A visual programming language that allows kids to create interactive stories, games, and animations. A good step up from ScratchJr.
Tynker: Offers a variety of coding courses and activities for kids, including block-based coding and introductory text-based coding.
ABCYa: Continues to offer educational games and activities, aligned with 2nd-grade curriculum standards.
BrainPOP Jr. (and potentially BrainPOP): Provides animated videos and quizzes on a range of topics, including science, math, and technology. (May require a subscription)
Mystery Science: Offers short videos and activities that explore science mysteries and encourage curiosity. (Some content may require a subscription)
Epic!: A digital library with a wide selection of books, including many on STEM topics.
Khan Academy Kids: Offers a comprehensive learning program for young children, including math, science, and reading activities.
Hands-on & Offline Activities (adaptable for websites/apps too):
Building Sets (LEGO, Magna-Tiles, K'NEX): Encourage more complex building projects and challenges. Explore different types of simple machines and their applications.
Science Kits: Age-appropriate science kits can provide hands-on experiments and learning experiences. Look for kits that focus on specific science concepts.
Nature Exploration and Citizen Science: Encourage observation and recording of natural phenomena. Participate in citizen science projects, such as bird watching or plant identification. Many apps can support this.
Engineering Challenges: Design and build solutions to real-world problems, such as building a bridge or designing a water filtration system.
Coding Games (Robot Turtles, Code Master, Cubetto): Reinforce coding concepts through board games and other offline activities.
Gardening: Plant seeds, observe plant growth, and learn about plant life cycles and ecosystems.
Cooking and Baking: Explore measurement, fractions, chemical reactions, and the science of food through cooking and baking.
Art Projects with a STEM Twist: Combine art with science or engineering, such as building sculptures with recycled materials, creating nature-inspired art, or designing and building miniature sets for stop-motion animation.
Field Trips: Visit science museums, nature centers, zoos, aquariums, or other educational venues.
Key Considerations for 2nd Grade STEM:
Project-Based Learning: Implement more complex projects that require students to apply their STEM knowledge and skills over an extended period of time.
Collaboration: Emphasize teamwork and collaboration on STEM activities.
Real-World Connections: Connect STEM concepts to students' lives, current events, and the world around them.
Inquiry-Based Learning: Encourage students to ask questions, investigate their own ideas, and design their own experiments.
Engineering Design Process: Reinforce the Engineering Design Process (Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, Test, Improve) and encourage students to document their design process.
Introduce Basic Data Analysis: Have students collect and analyze data from their experiments and projects.
Remember to supervise children when they are using websites and apps, and choose content that aligns with their interests and learning level. Many of the hands-on activity ideas can be extended or enhanced with related online content.
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