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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 15 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 old walls often built from blocks of hard rock?
  • A.Hard rock lasts a long time in wind and rain
  • B.Hard rock floats
  • C.Hard rock is soft to touch
2.Why is clay, not sand, used to make a pot?
  • A.Sand is too heavy
  • B.Clay holds its shape when molded and hardens when it is fired
  • C.Clay is always red
3.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
4.Why do potters add water to dry clay?
  • A.Water makes clay harder
  • B.Water changes clay into sand
  • C.Wet clay becomes soft enough to shape
5.Why is sand put under the swings in a playground?
  • A.Sand makes the swings faster
  • B.Sand keeps the swings dry
  • C.Loose sand is soft to land on
6.Why is the hearth around a fireplace made of stone?
  • A.Stone keeps the fire out of sight
  • B.Stone is the softest material
  • C.Stone does not burn and can take great heat
7.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
8.Why is soil, not sand, best for a vegetable patch?
  • A.Soil is drier than sand
  • B.Soil holds the water and food that roots need
  • C.Sand is too dark

LessonPrint · 2-PS1-2 · Set 15 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Earth Materials at Work

Set 15. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Hard rock lasts a long time in wind and rain
  2. 2.Clay holds its shape when molded and hardens when it is fired
  3. 3.Wet sand is heavy and packs tight, so it holds back water
  4. 4.Wet clay becomes soft enough to shape
  5. 5.Loose sand is soft to land on
  6. 6.Stone does not burn and can take great heat
  7. 7.River water can carry mud and germs that make people ill
  8. 8.Soil holds the water and food that roots need

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