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Earth Materials at Work is a free printable Grade 2 science worksheet on explaining why a rock, a soil or water suits the job it is used for, aligned to NGSS performance expectation 2-PS1-2. It prints 8 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

Set 14 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

Earth Materials at Work

2-PS1-2

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

1.Why are some dams built from rock with a core of packed clay?
  • A.Clay lets very little water through, and the rock is heavy and strong
  • B.Clay is light enough to float
  • C.Rock soaks up the water
2.Why do potters add water to dry clay?
  • A.Water makes clay harder
  • B.Wet clay becomes soft enough to shape
  • C.Water changes clay into sand
3.Why is salt spread on icy roads in winter?
  • A.It makes the roads shine
  • B.It makes the ice melt, so the roads are less slippery
  • C.It feeds the plants by the road
4.Why is sand put under the swings in a playground?
  • A.Sand makes the swings faster
  • B.Loose sand is soft to land on
  • C.Sand keeps the swings dry
5.Why is soil, not sand, best for a vegetable patch?
  • A.Sand is too dark
  • B.Soil holds the water and food that roots need
  • C.Soil is drier than sand
6.Why are sandbags piled up when a river is about to flood?
  • A.Wet sand is heavy and packs tight, so it holds back water
  • B.Sandbags float on top of the flood
  • C.Sand drinks up the whole river
7.Why is clay, not sand, used to make a pot?
  • A.Clay holds its shape when molded and hardens when it is fired
  • B.Sand is too heavy
  • C.Clay is always red
8.Why is river water cleaned before it comes out of the faucet?
  • A.River water can carry mud and germs that make people ill
  • B.Cleaning makes it taste salty
  • C.River water is too cold

LessonPrint · 2-PS1-2 · Set 14 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Earth Materials at Work

Set 14. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Clay lets very little water through, and the rock is heavy and strong
  2. 2.Wet clay becomes soft enough to shape
  3. 3.It makes the ice melt, so the roads are less slippery
  4. 4.Loose sand is soft to land on
  5. 5.Soil holds the water and food that roots need
  6. 6.Wet sand is heavy and packs tight, so it holds back water
  7. 7.Clay holds its shape when molded and hardens when it is fired
  8. 8.River water can carry mud and germs that make people ill

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to 2-PS1-2 of the Next Generation Science Standards.