Holding the Land in Place
A 50-minute Grade 2 lesson on comparing designs meant to slow or prevent wind or water changing the shape of the land.
Holding the Land in Place is a free 50-minute Grade 2 science lesson plan for Common Core standard 2-ESS2-1 — compare designs meant to stop wind or water reshaping the land. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.
- Grade:
- Grade 2
- Length:
- 50 minutes
- Standard:
- 2-ESS2-1
Grade 2 · Earth and Space Science
2-ESS2-1
Compare multiple solutions designed to slow or prevent wind or water from changing the shape of the land.
Objective
Students will be able to compare two slope designs using the soil each one lost.
Students are successful when they can
- Tests both designs on the same slope with the same water.
- Compares by how much soil moved.
- Names a drawback of the winning design.
What you need
- Trays of soil on a slope, a jug, grass turf, small stones, plastic sheet
- A catch tray to collect washed soil
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — the bare slope
5 min- Pour a jug of water down a bare soil slope and collect what washes off.
- Ask how the class could stop that.
Teach — compare, do not admire
13 min- Repeat the pour on a grassed slope and collect what washes off.
- Put the two catch trays side by side. The grass lost hardly any.
- Say what stayed the same: same jug, same slope, same soil.
- Try a plastic sheet: no soil lost, but the water ran off fast.
- Ask what that fast water might do further down. It is a drawback.
- Say the rule: compare on the results, and name what each solution costs.
“How much soil is in each tray? Now what is the drawback?”
Investigate — test three designs
17 min- Groups test bare soil, a plant cover and a barrier on the same slope.
- They collect and compare what washed off each time.
- They rank the three by soil lost.
- They write one drawback of their best design.
Independent practice
12 min- Students complete the 'Holding the Land in Place' page.
- Check answers compare using the soil lost.
Close
3 min- Ask what the school should do about the bank by the playground.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Pours a different amount of water on each design.
Why: Pouring by hand varies.
Fix: Same jug, filled to the same line, every time.
Says the best design has no drawbacks.
Why: It won the test.
Fix: The plastic lost no soil and sent water rushing off. Name the cost.
Judges by which slope looks tidiest.
Why: Tidy looks protected.
Fix: Weigh or look at the catch trays. The soil lost is the measure.
If they are not there yet
- Two designs rather than three.
- A results sheet with the bare-soil row filled.
If they finish early
- Combine two designs and predict the result.
- Test whether a steeper slope changes the ranking.
- Say which design would suit a windy sand dune.
Exit ticket
Bare soil lost a big pile and grassed soil lost hardly any. Which design worked better, and what is one drawback of it?
What to look for: The grass, on the soil lost, with a drawback such as time to grow. A verdict with no drawback means the second half is missing.
Printable practice for 2-ESS2-1
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Holding the Land in PlaceCircle the best answer.
Questions about Holding the Land in Place
How long does the Holding the Land in Place lesson take?
50 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 13 min, investigate 17 min, independent practice 12 min, close 3 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.
Which standard does Holding the Land in Place teach?
2-ESS2-1 — 2-ESS2-1, Earth and Space Science for Grade 2: “Compare multiple solutions designed to slow or prevent wind or water from changing the shape of the land.” In plain terms, compare designs meant to stop wind or water reshaping the land.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
Trays of soil on a slope, a jug, grass turf, small stones, plastic sheet, a catch tray to collect washed soil and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.
What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?
Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: pours a different amount of water on each design; says the best design has no drawbacks and judges by which slope looks tidiest. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.
How do I know whether the lesson worked?
The exit ticket asks: “Bare soil lost a big pile and grassed soil lost hardly any. Which design worked better, and what is one drawback of it?.” The grass, on the soil lost, with a drawback such as time to grow. A verdict with no drawback means the second half is missing. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.
Is there a worksheet to go with Holding the Land in Place?
Yes — 1 printable 2-ESS2-1 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.
Is Holding the Land in Place free to use?
Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 8 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-09-08. Aligned to 2-ESS2-1 of the Next Generation Science Standards.