Early Learning - 2nd Grade for ME Unit 3 - Week 2 Lesson 1 - Science and Engineering: Matter and Its Interactions

Aug 29, 2026

Second Grade for ME Unit 3, Week 2 Lesson 1 focuses on Physical Science through the investigation of reversible and irreversible changes using melting. Students make predictions and collect data on how long it takes an ice cube to melt in different classroom locations. Learners engage in group roles for setting up experiments, tracking start and end times, recording observations, and organizing findings on melting charts while discussing patterns and evidence from their data.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time10 min

AccessFree to download

Opening

Class discussion about melting

Investigation

Group roles and experiment setup

Collecting start/end time data

Observing melting in different locations

Unit 3: Connecting Places, Connecting People WEEK 2 Lesson 1 Science and Engineering: Physical Science Matter and Its Interactions: Reversible and Irreversible Changes (Melting) | S &E Big Ideas | Matter changes states when we cool it or heat it.
Some changes of matter are reversible, some are not. | | --- | --- | | S & E Guiding Questions | How can water change?
Can a solid be changed to a liquid? | | Content
Objective | I can make predictions and collect data about how long it will take a cube of ice to melt in different parts of the classroom. (2-PS1-4, Practice 3) | | Language
Objective | I can listen and add to my classmates’ ideas about what makes a solid turn into a liquid. (SL.1.2. b) | | Vocabulary | melt: to turn matter that is solid into a liquid | | Materials and Preparation | Children will work in groups of four to five. Strategically assign them.
● ice tray filled with ice cubes
● small ziplock plastic bag
● Science and Engineering packets
● writing tools
● Role Cards, one set for each group, cut apart
● Group Cards, one numbered pair for each group, cut apart Clip the Role Cards and Group Cards together (or place sets in envelopes) for each group.
Note: The roles are: Materials Manager A and B and Recorder A and
B. In a group of 5, three children will share the two Materials Manager roles. The Materials Managers (A and B) will collect ice cubes and petri dishes for their groups.
● petri dishes, 2 for each group
● digital clock
● magnifiers (optional)
● chart paper and markers
Prepare the following two charts, Melting and Melting Ice Data. | Science and Engineering U3 W2 L1 Focus on Second/ 2nd Grade for ME | Boston Public Schools Department of Early Childhood P-2/ Maine Department of Education | |
Melting Ice Data Group \# Location Start Time End Time Elapsed Time How long did it take to melt? 1A 1 B 2A 2B 3A 3B 4A 4B | | --- | --- | | Opening
9 minutes | Last week we learned that matter can exist in three diferent states: solid, liquid, and gas. Today, we will explore how one kind of matter that exists as a solid can change into a liquid. The solid we’ll begin with is ice.
Put an ice cube inside a bag and hold it up. Facilitate a conversation to elicit children’s experiences with melting:
Have you seen ice melting? What have you noticed?
Have you seen anything else melting? What can you tell us about what you observed?
How do you think melting happens? | Science and Engineering U3 W2 L1 Focus on Second/ 2nd Grade for ME | Boston Public Schools Department of Early Childhood P-2/ Maine Department of Education | | As children share their experiences, record them on the Melting web, organizing their ideas into categories, as appropriate.
Today we will explore melting through an investigation. Your challenge is to get an ice cube to melt as quickly as possible by placing it in diferent areas of the classroom. Think silently for a moment about where you might put an ice cube to make it melt quickly.
You can share your ideas once you get into your groups. Each group will experiment with two diferent locations in the classroom and record your findings in your packets.
Show the corresponding page in the packet.
Today, each person in your group will have a job, or role. Explain each role, and refer to the cards.
Each group has As and Bs who will work together. As will set up one ice cube in a petri dish in one location, and Bs will set up the other ice cube in the other location. Each Recorder will tell the start time to record in your packets—the time when you put your ice cubes in their locations. [Indicate the clock children will use.]
Stay by your petri dish and observe what happens to the ice cube.
While your ice cube melts, talk about what you observe and make predictions. Sketch what is happening in your packet.
When your ice cube has melted completely, Recorders will tell the end time to record in

FAQs

What is the main science focus of this lesson?

The lesson focuses on physical science by studying how matter changes states during melting and how different conditions affect the speed of melting.

How do students conduct the melting investigation?

Students place ice cubes in different classroom locations, record start time, observe the melting process, and record end time when the ice is completely melted.

What do students do with the data they collect?

Students fill in group data on a class chart and use self-assessment questions to discuss what they observed, make predictions, and identify examples of science and engineering practices.

Aug 29, 2026

Upload by Berry Peter