Virginia SOL 2.7.c

Science2nd GradeEarth and Space Systems

The Standard

changes can happen quickly or slowly over time.

Virginia Standards of Learning for Science

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students identify changes to Earth’s surface that happen quickly and changes that happen slowly. They compare examples and use observations to explain the difference.
What Mastery Looks Like: Students can sort events such as landslides, floods, erosion, and canyon formation by how quickly they happen. They support each choice with a clear time clue or observation.
Common Misconceptions: Students may think all large changes happen quickly or that slow changes cannot be observed. They may also confuse how long an event lasts with how quickly it changes the land.
How to Assess It: Give students two events: a landslide moves soil downhill in minutes, and a river wears away rock for many years. Ask them to label each quick or slow and explain why.

Lesson moves

Pour water quickly and then drip water slowly over two sand trays, then compare how the land changes.
Ask students to write which changes land faster, a flood or a flowing river, and give one reason.
Play a quick or slow sorting game with picture cards showing floods, landslides, erosion, and canyon formation.
Compare local photos of a storm-damaged streambank and a weathered sidewalk, then identify clues about each change’s speed.

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