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Holding the Land in Place is a free printable Grade 2 science worksheet on comparing solutions that slow wind or water changing the land, aligned to Common Core standard 2-ESS2-1. 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 pupils 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.

Holding the Land in Place

2-ESS2-1

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

1.What should be kept the same when comparing two slope designs?
  • A.The colour of the tray
  • B.Nothing at all
  • C.The same jug of water, the same slope and the same soil
2.Test results: bare soil lost a big pile, grassed soil lost hardly any. Which solution worked better?
  • A.Neither worked
  • B.The bare soil
  • C.The grass, because hardly any soil washed down
3.A plastic sheet let no soil wash off but the water ran off fast. What is the drawback?
  • A.There is no drawback
  • B.Plastic is green
  • C.The fast water may wash soil away further down
4.Why test two designs rather than just building the best-looking one?
  • A.The results show which actually holds the soil
  • B.Looks are what matter
  • C.Testing wastes time
5.What does a barrier at the bottom of a slope do?
  • A.Makes the slope steeper
  • B.Catches soil that has already washed down
  • C.Stops the rain falling
6.Why does planting grass on a slope hold the soil?
  • A.Grass is heavy
  • B.The grass covers the soil so water cannot wash it away
  • C.Grass drinks all the water
7.Which would you choose to stop a sand dune blowing away?
  • A.A smooth plastic sheet
  • B.Plants with roots that hold the sand
  • C.Nothing at all
8.A wall stops soil washing down but costs a lot. How do you decide?
  • A.Weigh how well it works against what it costs
  • B.Always pick the cheapest
  • C.Always pick the strongest

LessonPrint · 2-ESS2-1 · Set 20 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Holding the Land in Place

Set 20. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.The same jug of water, the same slope and the same soil
  2. 2.The grass, because hardly any soil washed down
  3. 3.The fast water may wash soil away further down
  4. 4.The results show which actually holds the soil
  5. 5.Catches soil that has already washed down
  6. 6.The grass covers the soil so water cannot wash it away
  7. 7.Plants with roots that hold the sand
  8. 8.Weigh how well it works against what it costs

More practice for 2-ESS2-1

Compare designs meant to stop wind or water reshaping the land.

Teaching this next? Holding the Land in Place is the 50-minute plan for it, with the misconceptions to expect.

All Grade 2 worksheets

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to 2-ESS2-1 of the Next Generation Science Standards.