2nd grade science-- what does your school do?

[Mizelenius]

I was surprised about my DD's 2nd grade science class. They just had a unit test about matter. It had multiple choice questions like this:

-Viscous is a property of liquids that means
a. thick and slow moving
b. hard
c. runny

It had short answer questions like this:
What would happen if you left water in an open container for several days? (DD wrote: evaporate)

How are solids and liquids different
(DD wrote: no flow and flow)

I was surprised by this . . .we sure weren't being tested like that in 2nd grade when I was young. Am I underestimating the students of today? It looks like the test (for the most part) was part of the FOSS program and the teacher only made up some of the questions, so I am guessing this isn't unheard of for beginning-of-the year-2nd-grade . . .but I'm still surprised.

DD even had a STUDY GUIDE for the test. I didn't have her study, though.

[sunnmama]

My dd's second grade class has been studying the life cycle, including raising caterpillars into butterflies. I don't know if they have actually taken any science tests (although they write about what they are learning in class), but they are learning big vocabulary about the life cycle.

I just asked my second grader your 3 questions, and she could answer the 2 short answer questions (evaporate and "one you can hold, and one runs through your fingers"). She doesn't know the word viscous, but she hasn't been taught it. So I am guessing she would be able to do that test, if she had been taught the material.

[mammastar2]

I don't know how dd is evaluated, as she hasn't mentioned anything - I'm sure it's not by multiple choice tests, though!

Right now, they're doing 'kitchen chemistry.' Not completely sure what that entails, but they read a book about how similarities between science and cooking, and they've been mixing interesting things and talking about their properties.

I think that the content of what your child is learning may be fine, but the form of evaluation doesn't seem age-appropriate.

[egoldber]

In the first month they studied the life cycle and living and non-living things. Then they began a unit study of insects. They raised crickets and released them, then had an "assessment" of them which consisted of multiple pages of multiple choice and fill in the blank questions. And included labeling all the parts of the cricket (things like palpi and cerci and things I had never heard of....) They just finished a unit on arachnids in similar detail.

I agree, I don't remember doing ANYTHING like this until older grades, but DD does well on the assessments and enjoys the units very much. Science is her favorite subject (after recess....).

ETA: With the crickets they also kept an observation journal where they took notes on how their crickets were growing and changing over time.

[Luvmyboyz]

ds has weekly multiple choice tests but they aren't always science, some have been social studies. They are studying hibernation, migration, and estevation right now for science and will have a test on Friday. He came home yesterday and told me all about what beavers and turtles do to get ready for winter. Now I need him to tell me how I can get ready for it :

[Luvmyboyz]

Originally Posted by egoldber

I agree, I don't remember doing ANYTHING like this until older grades, but DD does well on the assessments and enjoys the units very much. Science is her favorite subject (after recess....).

ETA: With the crickets they also kept an observation journal where they took notes on how their crickets were growing and changing over time.

We are in the same boat. Some of his multiple choice tests seem pretty hard to me for a second grader but he hasn't had difficulty with them yet so I'm sure it's fine. Recess and P.E. are my sons favorites at school, distantly followed by math and science

The cricket project sounds really fun!

[supervee]

My DS must be on a similar standard course of study. They are finishing matter and will start sound soon. He could answer the questions, but says they don't have any tests in science. They have been doing experiments with liquids, solids, air... demonstration and then hands-on.

[Mizelenius]

These science classes in other schools sound great! I wish I could sit in on them!

supervee: Good to know DD's school matches with others!

I think that the content of what your child is learning may be fine, but the form of evaluation doesn't seem age-appropriate.

I think that is what bothers me the most-- the assessment. Thankfully, DD did not seem to stress about the test (she barely remembered that she'd taken it but got 100%) but it just doesn't sit right with me.

[SpringMom]

If you are in CA then your child will (with your consent) take the multiple choice standardized test at the end of the year. These small, fun, assessments sound like a way to ease children into the test taking process. It would be good to know if the teacher is varying the display of knowledge with pictures, journals and observations as well.

[smilingmomma]

Hmmm. I teach 1st grade and use the Foss Program. I'm not happy with it and change the order of the lesson plans and often skip experiments that are too complicated. I'm not aware of any FOSS tests but perhaps they don't introduce the testing component until 2nd grade. I can say for a fact that the Second Grade teacher next to me is not testing her students.

We are a private school, with a fairly traditional approach (save for the Everyday Math Curriculum) and we don't have to follow the same testing guidelines as public schools So we might not use that element of the program.

Also to add, the first grade curriculum introduces the idea of Weather and Solids/liquids/Gas (matter) in a unified approach and I believe those themes are followed into second grade with more attention paid to matter. A good teacher will take a flexible approach to the Foss Curriculum, it can be very demanding and not exactly age appropriate.