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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 16 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 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
2.Why do potters add water to dry clay?
  • A.Water changes clay into sand
  • B.Wet clay becomes soft enough to shape
  • C.Water makes clay harder
3.Why are old walls often built from blocks of hard rock?
  • A.Hard rock floats
  • B.Hard rock is soft to touch
  • C.Hard rock lasts a long time in wind and rain
4.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
5.Why is the hearth around a fireplace made of stone?
  • A.Stone is the softest material
  • B.Stone does not burn and can take great heat
  • C.Stone keeps the fire out of sight
6.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.Rock soaks up the water
  • C.Clay is light enough to float
7.Why is salt spread on icy roads in winter?
  • A.It makes the roads shine
  • B.It feeds the plants by the road
  • C.It makes the ice melt, so the roads are less slippery
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 16 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Earth Materials at Work

Set 16. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Clay holds its shape when molded and hardens when it is fired
  2. 2.Wet clay becomes soft enough to shape
  3. 3.Hard rock lasts a long time in wind and rain
  4. 4.Soil holds the water and food that roots need
  5. 5.Stone does not burn and can take great heat
  6. 6.Clay lets very little water through, and the rock is heavy and strong
  7. 7.It makes the ice melt, so the roads are less slippery
  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.