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Massachusetts Grade 2 Science Online Center
There is no state science test in grades 1 and 2; Massachusetts administers the MCAS Science and Technology/Engineering test in grades 5 and 8 and in high school. Grade 2 is where the habit of looking closely gets built, so this page keeps it small and hands-on: six short practice tests, 9 skill quizzes, and every Massachusetts science standard for this grade, free.
Standards source: Current Curriculum Frameworks, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
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Massachusetts Science by Grade
Every Massachusetts science center, grade 1 through grade 8.
Start With a Practice Test
Six grade 2 science practice tests, 14 questions each, no timer, instant scoring, and a written explanation for every question. They are short enough to read aloud together in one sitting. Each one opens right here.
Massachusetts Grade 2 Science Practice Test 1
Start here. A first look across every science idea for this grade.
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Massachusetts Grade 2 Science Practice Test 2
Another full set across every science idea for this grade.
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Massachusetts Grade 2 Science Practice Test 3
Another full set across every science idea for this grade.
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Massachusetts Grade 2 Science Practice Test 4
Another full set across every science idea for this grade.
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Massachusetts Grade 2 Science Practice Test 5
Another full set across every science idea for this grade.
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Massachusetts Grade 2 Science Practice Test 6
Another full set across every science idea for this grade.
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Grade 2 Science Skill Quizzes
Pick one science idea, answer 8 questions, and see exactly where it broke down. Every answer comes with a short explanation written for the grown-up reading along. Each quiz opens right here.
Describing and Sorting Materials
A short check on describing and sorting materials by their properties, with instant scoring and a full explanation for every answer.
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Choosing the Right Material
A short check on testing materials and choosing the right one for a job, with instant scoring and a full explanation for every answer.
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Taking Apart and Rebuilding
A short check on taking a set of pieces apart and building something new, with instant scoring and a full explanation for every answer.
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Heating and Cooling Changes
A short check on changes from heating and cooling, with instant scoring and a full explanation for every answer.
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What Plants Need to Grow
A short check on whether plants need sunlight and water, with instant scoring and a full explanation for every answer.
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Seeds and Pollination
A short check on how animals spread seeds and pollinate flowers, with instant scoring and a full explanation for every answer.
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Habitats and the Variety of Life
A short check on the variety of life in different habitats, with instant scoring and a full explanation for every answer.
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Fast and Slow Earth Changes
A short check on Earth changes that happen quickly or slowly, with instant scoring and a full explanation for every answer.
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Land, Water, and Maps
A short check on the shapes of land and water and where water is found, with instant scoring and a full explanation for every answer.
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Grade 2 Science Study Tools
A few minutes of review between practice tests, easy enough to do together. Both open right here.
Grade 2 Science Flashcards
All 63 words this grade is expected to know, written to be read aloud. Search the deck, filter by science area, star the tricky ones, and mark off what your child has down.
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Grade 2 Science Quick Review
Every must-know idea for this grade on one page, grouped by science area, with the vocabulary for each one.
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Massachusetts Grade 2 Science Topics
These are the 12 science standards Massachusetts sets for grade 2, from the 2016 Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework, grouped the way the state groups them. Each one carries its official code so you can trace it straight back to the state document.
Physical Science
- 2-PS1-1Describing and Sorting Materials
- 2-PS1-2Choosing the Right Material
- 2-PS1-3Analyze evidence to conclude that when material
- 2-PS1-4Heating and Cooling Changes
- 2-PS3-1(MA)Design and conduct an experiment to show
Life Science
- 2-LS2-3(MA)Develop and use models to compare how
- 2-LS4-1Use texts
Earth and Space Science
- 2-ESS2-1Wind and Water Shape the Land
- 2-ESS2-2Land and Water on Earth
- 2-ESS2-3Where Water Is Found
- 2-ESS2-4(MA)Wind and Water Shape the Land
Engineering Design
- 2.K-2-ETS1-3Engineering Design
Massachusetts Grade 2 Science Standards
Every grade 2 science standard in the 2016 Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework. If your Massachusetts classroom or report card mentions a code, you will find it here with its full wording.
Physical Science
- 2-PS1-1Describing and Sorting MaterialsDescribe and classify different kinds of materials by observable properties of color, flexibility, hardness, texture, and absorbency.
- 2-PS1-2Choosing the Right MaterialTest different materials and analyze the data obtained to determine which materials have the properties that are best suited for an intended purpose.
- 2-PS1-3Analyze evidence to conclude that when materialAnalyze evidence to conclude that when material is cut or broken into pieces, each piece is still the same material and has weight.
- 2-PS1-4Heating and Cooling ChangesConstruct an argument with evidence that some changes to materials caused by heating or cooling can be reversed and some cannot.
- 2-PS3-1(MA)Design and conduct an experiment to showDesign and conduct an experiment to show the effects of friction on the relative temperature and speed of objects that rub against each other.
Life Science
- 2-LS2-3(MA)Develop and use models to compare howDevelop and use models to compare how plants and animals depend on their surroundings and other living things to meet their needs.
- 2-LS4-1Use textsUse texts, media, or local environments to observe and compare different kinds of living things in an area and in different types of areas.
Earth and Space Science
- 2-ESS2-1Wind and Water Shape the LandInvestigate and compare the effectiveness of multiple solutions designed to slow or prevent wind or water from changing the shape of the land.
- 2-ESS2-2Land and Water on EarthMap the shapes and types of landforms and bodies of water in an area.
- 2-ESS2-3Where Water Is FoundUse informational sources to explain that water is found in oceans, rivers and streams, lakes and ponds, and may be solid or liquid.
- 2-ESS2-4(MA)Wind and Water Shape the LandObserve how blowing wind and flowing water can move Earth materials from one place to another and change the shape of a landform.
Engineering Design
- 2.K-2-ETS1-3Engineering DesignAnalyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same design problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs.
Massachusetts Grade 2: Math and English Too
Science is one of three Massachusetts grade 2 centers. Same format, same standards-first approach, for the other two subjects.
Massachusetts Grade 2 Math
Six full practice tests, printable worksheets, step-by-step lessons, and every Massachusetts grade 2 math standard.
Massachusetts Grade 2 English
Reading, writing, and language standards for Massachusetts grade 2, broken into short skill targets with practice for each one.
Massachusetts Grade 2 Science FAQ
Does Massachusetts test science in grade 2?
There is no state science test in grades 1 and 2; Massachusetts administers the MCAS Science and Technology/Engineering test in grades 5 and 8 and in high school. The standards on this page are still what grade 2 teachers in Massachusetts teach, and they are what later science testing is built on.
Which standards does grade 2 science in Massachusetts follow?
Massachusetts follows the 2016 Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework. All 12 of this grade’s standards are listed further down this page with their official codes.
How long are the practice tests?
Each of the six practice tests has 14 questions and no timer. A second grader can work through one in about ten to fifteen minutes, and there is no clock counting down while they think.
My child cannot read the questions yet. Can we still use this?
Yes, and that is how most families use it. The questions are written short and plain so you can read them aloud, and the explanation after each answer is written for you, not for the child. It says why the right answer is right and suggests something you can try together.
Is any of this free?
Yes. Every practice test and quiz on this page is free and needs no login. Progress is saved in your own browser and nowhere else.
What is the fastest way to use this page?
Do practice test 1 together, without helping. Look at the breakdown by science area, pick the weakest one, and do that skill quiz. There are 9 quizzes, one per idea, so you can work on the shaky part instead of everything at once.
Grade 2 Science in Other States
Standards, practice tests, and quizzes for grade 2 science in every state and Washington, D.C.
Start With One Practice Test
Grade 2 is a building year for science in Massachusetts. Take a timed test, see which area is thinnest, and fix that one before it compounds.