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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 20 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 the hearth around a fireplace made of stone?
  • A.Stone does not burn and can take great heat
  • B.Stone keeps the fire out of sight
  • C.Stone is the softest material
2.Why do potters add water to dry clay?
  • A.Wet clay becomes soft enough to shape
  • B.Water changes clay into sand
  • C.Water makes clay harder
3.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
4.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
5.Why is soil, not sand, best for a vegetable patch?
  • A.Soil holds the water and food that roots need
  • B.Soil is drier than sand
  • C.Sand is too dark
6.Why are sandbags piled up when a river is about to flood?
  • A.Sandbags float on top of the flood
  • B.Wet sand is heavy and packs tight, so it holds back water
  • C.Sand drinks up the whole river
7.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
8.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

LessonPrint · 2-PS1-2 · Set 20 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Earth Materials at Work

Set 20. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Stone does not burn and can take great heat
  2. 2.Wet clay becomes soft enough to shape
  3. 3.Clay holds its shape when molded and hardens when it is fired
  4. 4.It makes the ice melt, so the roads are less slippery
  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.Hard rock lasts a long time in wind and rain
  8. 8.Loose sand is soft to land on

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