Skip to content
LessonPrint

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 7 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

Next set

One paper per student

12345678910111213141516171819202122232425

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 soil, not sand, best for a vegetable patch?
  • A.Sand is too dark
  • B.Soil is drier than sand
  • C.Soil holds the water and food that roots need
2.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
3.Why are old walls often built from blocks of hard rock?
  • A.Hard rock is soft to touch
  • B.Hard rock floats
  • C.Hard rock lasts a long time in wind and rain
4.Why is the hearth around a fireplace made of stone?
  • A.Stone does not burn and can take great heat
  • B.Stone is the softest material
  • C.Stone keeps the fire out of sight
5.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
6.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
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.River water is too cold
  • C.Cleaning makes it taste salty
8.Why is clay, not sand, used to make a pot?
  • A.Clay is always red
  • B.Sand is too heavy
  • C.Clay holds its shape when molded and hardens when it is fired

LessonPrint · 2-PS1-2 · Set 7 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Earth Materials at Work

Set 7. Prints on its own sheet.

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

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