NORTH CAROLINATHE TAR HEEL STATE
North Carolina Grade 2 Science Online Center
There is no state science test in grade 1 or grade 2; the North Carolina End-of-Grade science test is given in grades 5 and 8, with a Biology end-of-course test 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 North Carolina science standard for this grade, free.
Standards source: Standard Course of Study, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
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North Carolina Science by Grade
Every North Carolina 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.
North Carolina Grade 2 Science Practice Test 1
Start here. A first look across every science idea for this grade.
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North Carolina Grade 2 Science Practice Test 2
Another full set across every science idea for this grade.
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North Carolina Grade 2 Science Practice Test 3
Another full set across every science idea for this grade.
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North Carolina Grade 2 Science Practice Test 4
Another full set across every science idea for this grade.
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North Carolina Grade 2 Science Practice Test 5
Another full set across every science idea for this grade.
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North Carolina 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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North Carolina Grade 2 Science Topics
These are the 13 science standards North Carolina sets for grade 2, from the North Carolina Standard Course of Study – K-12 Science (2023), 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
- PS.2.1.1Heating and Cooling Changes
- PS.2.1.2Analyze and interpret data to compare
- PS.2.1.3Analyze and interpret data to compare
- PS.2.2.1Sound and Vibrations
- PS.2.2.2Sound and Vibrations
Life Science
- LS.2.1.1Life Cycles
- LS.2.1.2Life Cycles
- LS.2.2.1Obtain
- LS.2.2.2Analyze and interpret data to illustrate variations
Earth and Space Science
- ESS.2.1.1Energy and Heat
- ESS.2.1.2Weather Patterns
- ESS.2.1.3Daylight and the Seasons
- ESS.2.1.4Weather Patterns
North Carolina Grade 2 Science Standards
Every grade 2 science standard in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study – K-12 Science (2023). If your North Carolina classroom or report card mentions a code, you will find it here with its full wording.
Physical Science
- PS.2.1.1Heating and Cooling ChangesCarry out investigations to illustrate examples of matter changing from a solid to a liquid and from a liquid to a solid by heating and cooling.
- PS.2.1.2Analyze and interpret data to compareAnalyze and interpret data to compare the amount (volume and weight) of water in a container before and after freezing.
- PS.2.1.3Analyze and interpret data to compareAnalyze and interpret data to compare the amount of water left over time in an open container to that in a closed container.
- PS.2.2.1Sound and VibrationsCarry out investigations to illustrate how sound is produced by vibrating objects and columns of air.
- PS.2.2.2Sound and VibrationsUse models to summarize the relationship between sound and how sounds are produced and detected by parts of the body that vibrate.
Life Science
- LS.2.1.1Life CyclesUse models to summarize the life cycle of animals including: birth, developing into an adult, reproducing, aging and death.
- LS.2.1.2Life CyclesObtain, evaluate and communicate information to compare life cycles of different animals.
- LS.2.2.1ObtainObtain, evaluate, and communicate information to summarize ways in which animals closely resemble their parents and ways they are different.
- LS.2.2.2Analyze and interpret data to illustrate variationsAnalyze and interpret data to illustrate variations among offspring of the same parents.
Earth and Space Science
- ESS.2.1.1Energy and HeatObtain, evaluate, and communicate information to summarize how energy from the sun serves as a source of light and warms land, air, and water.
- ESS.2.1.2Weather PatternsUse mathematics and computational thinking to summarize weather conditions (temperature, wind direction, wind speed, precipitation).
- ESS.2.1.3Daylight and the SeasonsCarry out investigations to collect data comparing weather patterns over time, relating observable patterns to time of day and time of year.
- ESS.2.1.4Weather PatternsObtain, evaluate and communicate information about tools scientists use for observing, recording, and predicting weather changes day to day and during seasons.
North Carolina Grade 2: Math and English Too
Science is one of three North Carolina grade 2 centers. Same format, same standards-first approach, for the other two subjects.
North Carolina Grade 2 Math
Six full practice tests, printable worksheets, step-by-step lessons, and every North Carolina grade 2 math standard.
North Carolina Grade 2 English
Reading, writing, and language standards for North Carolina grade 2, broken into short skill targets with practice for each one.
North Carolina Grade 2 Science FAQ
Does North Carolina test science in grade 2?
There is no state science test in grade 1 or grade 2; the North Carolina End-of-Grade science test is given in grades 5 and 8, with a Biology end-of-course test in high school. The standards on this page are still what grade 2 teachers in North Carolina teach, and they are what later science testing is built on.
Which standards does grade 2 science in North Carolina follow?
North Carolina follows the North Carolina Standard Course of Study – K-12 Science (2023). All 13 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 North Carolina. Take a timed test, see which area is thinnest, and fix that one before it compounds.