2-LS2-1
The standard
Plan and conduct an investigation to determine if plants need sunlight and water to grow.
Next Generation Science Standards
What this standard means
Students need to ask a simple testable question about plant growth, choose one thing to change, and keep the rest the same. They should compare plants with and without light, or plants with and without water, then observe and record what happens over time.
Mastery looks like a fair test with clear observations, such as height, leaf color, or wilting. Students can use their results to say what plants need. They often get stuck changing too many things at once, forgetting to water consistently, or making claims from one quick look instead of repeated observations.
Ways to teach it
- Set up four bean plants, change only water or only light, and have students measure height with cubes every two days.
- Ask students to write: What did we change, what stayed the same, and what did the plant show us?
- Show two plant photos from the class investigation and ask students to identify the evidence that one plant grew better.
- Connect to home by having students list where people place houseplants and why those spots help the plants grow.
Plan a lesson for 2-LS2-1
Generate a complete lesson plan aligned to this standard, with objectives, activities, and materials. Free, no account needed.
Related standards
- HS-ESS2-5
Plan and conduct an investigation of the properties of water and its effects on Earth materials and surface processes.
- 2-PS1-1
Plan and conduct an investigation to describe and classify different kinds of materials by their observable properties.
- K-PS3-1
Make observations to determine the effect of sunlight on Earth's surface.
- 1-PS4-3
Plan and conduct an investigation to determine the effect of placing objects made with different materials in the path of a beam of light.