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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 4 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 sandbags piled up when a river is about to flood?
  • A.Sandbags float on top of the flood
  • B.Sand drinks up the whole river
  • C.Wet sand is heavy and packs tight, so it holds back water
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 old walls often built from blocks of hard rock?
  • A.Hard rock is soft to touch
  • B.Hard rock lasts a long time in wind and rain
  • C.Hard rock floats
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 river water cleaned before it comes out of the faucet?
  • A.Cleaning makes it taste salty
  • B.River water is too cold
  • C.River water can carry mud and germs that make people ill
6.Why is soil, not sand, best for a vegetable patch?
  • A.Soil holds the water and food that roots need
  • B.Sand is too dark
  • C.Soil is drier than sand
7.Why do potters add water to dry clay?
  • A.Water changes clay into sand
  • B.Water makes clay harder
  • C.Wet clay becomes soft enough to shape
8.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

LessonPrint · 2-PS1-2 · Set 4 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Earth Materials at Work

Set 4. Prints on its own sheet.

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

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