Unit Plan 20 (Grade 2 Science): Landforms & Bodies of Water
Second graders build maps and 3-D models to show landforms and bodies of water, exploring shapes of mountains, valleys, rivers, lakes, and oceans.
Focus: Develop models that show the shapes and kinds of landforms and bodies of water (such as mountains, valleys, deserts, rivers, lakes, and oceans) in an area.
Grade Level: 2
Subject Area: Science (Earth Science • Modeling & Mapping)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 30–45 minutes per session
I. Introduction
In this unit, students explore different landforms and bodies of water and learn how to represent them with models. Through photos, simple maps, and hands-on building, they investigate features like mountains, hills, valleys, plains, deserts, rivers, lakes, and oceans.
Students learn that models can be pictures, diagrams, or 3-D builds that help us understand where land and water are and what their shapes look like. By the end of the week, they will create a model of an area (real or imagined) that includes different kinds of land and bodies of water, addressing 2-ESS2-2.
Essential Questions
- What are some common landforms and bodies of water on Earth?
- How can we describe and compare the shapes of different landforms and water bodies?
- How can we use models (drawings, maps, or 3-D builds) to show where land and water are in an area?
- Why are models and maps helpful for understanding the world around us?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Name and identify common landforms (mountain, hill, valley, plain, desert) and bodies of water (river, lake, pond, ocean) from pictures and local examples.
- Describe how some landforms and bodies of water are similar and different in shape and size.
- Use drawings and simple maps to show where land and water are in an area (real or imagined).
- Build a 3-D model (tray model, clay build, or paper model) that represents different landforms and bodies of water in one area.
- Explain how their model represents the shapes and kinds of land and water, using labels and simple map symbols.
Standards Alignment — 2nd Grade (NGSS-Aligned)
- 2-ESS2-2 — Develop a model to represent the shapes and kinds of land and bodies of water in an area.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can name and point to different landforms and bodies of water in pictures or models.
- I can tell how two landforms or two bodies of water are the same and different.
- I can make a map or drawing that shows where land and water are in one area.
- I can build a 3-D model that includes more than one kind of landform and more than one kind of body of water.
- I can label and explain how my model shows the shapes and kinds of land and water.