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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 22 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 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
2.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
3.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
4.Why are sandbags piled up when a river is about to flood?
  • A.Sand drinks up the whole river
  • B.Sandbags float on top of the flood
  • C.Wet sand is heavy and packs tight, so it holds back water
5.Why is salt spread on icy roads in winter?
  • A.It feeds the plants by the road
  • B.It makes the roads shine
  • C.It makes the ice melt, so the roads are less slippery
6.Why is sand put under the swings in a playground?
  • A.Loose sand is soft to land on
  • B.Sand keeps the swings dry
  • C.Sand makes the swings faster
7.Why are some dams built from rock with a core of packed clay?
  • A.Clay is light enough to float
  • B.Rock soaks up the water
  • C.Clay lets very little water through, and the rock is heavy and strong
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.River water is too cold
  • C.Cleaning makes it taste salty

LessonPrint · 2-PS1-2 · Set 22 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Earth Materials at Work

Set 22. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Wet clay becomes soft enough to shape
  2. 2.Hard rock lasts a long time in wind and rain
  3. 3.Stone does not burn and can take great heat
  4. 4.Wet sand is heavy and packs tight, so it holds back water
  5. 5.It makes the ice melt, so the roads are less slippery
  6. 6.Loose sand is soft to land on
  7. 7.Clay lets very little water through, and the rock is heavy and strong
  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.