Solid Water, Liquid Water
A 50-minute Grade 2 lesson on finding where water is on Earth and whether it is solid or liquid there.
Solid Water, Liquid Water is a free 50-minute Grade 2 science lesson plan for Common Core standard 2-ESS2-3 — find where water sits on Earth, and whether it is solid or liquid. 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:
- Grade 2
- Length:
- 50 minutes
- Standard:
- 2-ESS2-3
Grade 2 · Earth and Space Science
2-ESS2-3
Obtain information to identify where water is found on Earth and that it can be solid or liquid.
Objective
Students will be able to name places water is found and say whether it is solid or liquid there.
Students are successful when they can
- Names several places water is found.
- Says whether it is solid or liquid in each.
- Names a place where it is both at different times.
What you need
- A globe or world map, ice cubes, a bowl of water
- Photographs of a glacier, an iceberg, a river, a pond, frost
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — same stuff, two forms
5 min- Put an ice cube in a bowl of water and ask what is in the bowl.
- Establish that both are water.
Teach — put it on the globe
13 min- Point at the ocean and ask which form. Liquid.
- Point at the polar ice cap and ask again. Solid.
- Add a glacier, a river, a pond and a cloud, and place each on the globe.
- Ask where most of Earth's water is. In the oceans.
- Take frost on the school field: solid in the morning, liquid by lunch.
- Say the point: water is in many places, and the same water can be either form.
“Where is it, and which form is it in there?”
Investigate — map the water
17 min- Groups place labels for eight water places onto a world map.
- They mark each as solid or liquid.
- They find one place that is solid in winter and liquid in summer.
- They list three places water is found in the school grounds.
Independent practice
12 min- Students complete the 'Solid Water, Liquid Water' page.
- Check the sorting is by form rather than by size of the place.
Close
3 min- Ask where the water in the classroom tap came from.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Thinks ice is a different substance from water.
Why: It looks and feels different.
Fix: Watch an ice cube melt into the bowl. Same water.
Thinks all Earth's water is in the sea.
Why: The sea is the biggest.
Fix: Point at the ice caps, the rivers and the clouds. Most, not all.
Sorts by hot and cold places rather than by form.
Why: The two usually go together.
Fix: Frost on the field is solid in a place that is warm by lunchtime.
If they are not there yet
- Six places rather than twelve.
- Photographs to sort into two hoops.
If they finish early
- Find water in a form that is neither solid nor liquid.
- Say what happens to a glacier in a warm year.
- Order four water places by how much water each holds.
Exit ticket
Name one place water is solid and one place it is liquid, and one place it is both at different times.
What to look for: A glacier or ice cap, a river or ocean, and something like frost or a pond that freezes. Two forms only means the both-at-times step is missing.
Printable practice for 2-ESS2-3
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Solid Water, Liquid WaterSort each one into solid or liquid.
Questions about Solid Water, Liquid Water
How long does the Solid Water, Liquid Water 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 Solid Water, Liquid Water teach?
2-ESS2-3 — 2-ESS2-3, Earth and Space Science for Grade 2: “Obtain information to identify where water is found on Earth and that it can be solid or liquid.” In plain terms, find where water sits on Earth, and whether it is solid or liquid.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
A globe or world map, ice cubes, a bowl of water, photographs of a glacier, an iceberg, a river, a pond, frost 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: thinks ice is a different substance from water; thinks all Earth's water is in the sea and sorts by hot and cold places rather than by form. 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: “Name one place water is solid and one place it is liquid, and one place it is both at different times.” A glacier or ice cap, a river or ocean, and something like frost or a pond that freezes. Two forms only means the both-at-times step is missing. 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 Solid Water, Liquid Water?
Yes — 1 printable 2-ESS2-3 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 Solid Water, Liquid Water 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 2-ESS2-3 of the Next Generation Science Standards.