Reading Two Sets of Results
A 50-minute Grade 2 lesson on analysing data from two designs to compare the strengths and weaknesses of each.
Reading Two Sets of Results is a free 50-minute Kindergarten to Grade 2 science lesson plan for Common Core standard K-2-ETS1-3 — test two designs for the same problem and compare how each performs. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.
- Grade:
- Kindergarten to Grade 2
- Length:
- 50 minutes
- Standard:
- K-2-ETS1-3
Kindergarten to Grade 2 · Engineering Design
K-2-ETS1-3
Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs.
Objective
Students will be able to compare two designs on their results and name a strength and a weakness of each.
Students are successful when they can
- Compares using the recorded results.
- Names a strength and a weakness of both designs.
- Says what the results do not tell them.
What you need
- The slope test results from the erosion lesson
- A four-box chart: strengths and weaknesses for two designs
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — the winner's weakness
5 min- Read the slope results: plastic lost no soil but water ran off fast.
- Ask whether the winner is straightforwardly best.
Teach — four boxes, not one verdict
13 min- Fill the grass strengths box: hardly any soil lost, and it grows itself.
- Fill the grass weaknesses box: it takes weeks to establish.
- Fill the plastic strengths box: no soil lost at all, works at once.
- Fill the plastic weaknesses box: fast run-off, and it has to be bought.
- Say the move: every design has both boxes, and a verdict needs the job.
- Ask what the results do not tell you: what each costs, and how long it lasts.
“Now the other box. What is wrong with the one that won?”
Investigate — fill the grid
17 min- Groups take their own results from two designs they tested.
- They fill all four boxes from the recorded data.
- They write one thing the results do not tell them.
- They choose a design for a stated situation and justify it from the grid.
Independent practice
12 min- Students complete the 'Reading Two Sets of Results' page.
- Check answers use the record rather than a preference.
Close
3 min- Ask which design the school should use on the real bank, and why.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Fills only the winner's strengths.
Why: It won.
Fix: All four boxes. A design with no weaknesses has not been examined.
Invents a weakness the results do not show.
Why: The box has to be filled.
Fix: Point at the record. If it is not there, put it under what the results do not tell you.
Gives a verdict without a situation.
Why: One design did better.
Fix: Better for what? A bank you need fixed today is a different job from one you can plant.
If they are not there yet
- Two boxes rather than four.
- A grid with the first box filled in.
If they finish early
- Combine the strengths of both into a third design.
- Say what extra test would settle the choice.
- Find a situation where the weaker design wins.
Exit ticket
Grass lost hardly any soil but takes weeks to grow. Plastic lost none but sends water off fast. Which would you use, and for what situation?
What to look for: Either, with the situation named and both designs' boxes used. A verdict with no situation means the better-at-what idea needs another run.
Printable practice for K-2-ETS1-3
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Reading Two Sets of ResultsRead the record, then answer the questions.
Questions about Reading Two Sets of Results
How long does the Reading Two Sets of Results lesson take?
50 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 13 min, investigate 17 min, independent practice 12 min, close 3 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.
Which standard does Reading Two Sets of Results teach?
K-2-ETS1-3 — K-2-ETS1-3, Engineering Design for Kindergarten to Grade 2: “Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs.” In plain terms, test two designs for the same problem and compare how each performs.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
The slope test results from the erosion lesson, a four-box chart: strengths and weaknesses for two designs and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.
What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?
Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: fills only the winner's strengths; invents a weakness the results do not show and gives a verdict without a situation. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.
How do I know whether the lesson worked?
The exit ticket asks: “Grass lost hardly any soil but takes weeks to grow. Plastic lost none but sends water off fast. Which would you use, and for what situation?.” Either, with the situation named and both designs' boxes used. A verdict with no situation means the better-at-what idea needs another run. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.
Is there a worksheet to go with Reading Two Sets of Results?
Yes — 1 printable K-2-ETS1-3 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.
Is Reading Two Sets of Results free to use?
Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 8 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-09-08. Aligned to K-2-ETS1-3 of the Next Generation Science Standards.