Why a Sponge Soaks Up a Spill, Read and Answer
Written by Adi Ackerman, Head Teacher
"Why a Sponge Soaks Up a Spill, Read and Answer" is written for 2nd Grade (Ages 7-8), and it covers NGSS 2-PS1-1. If your little one is a year younger but already steady on material properties, the page still works. You may just need to read the instructions out loud. And if they are older and observable properties never quite stuck, this is a short review rather than busywork.
2 pages in this set
2nd grade science worksheet: read how water fills a sponge's tiny holes so it absorbs a spill while water runs off a plastic cup. Answer key included. Part of our observable properties collection. Aligned to NGSS standards.
How do I use this worksheet?
Put a sponge, a rubber band, a paper strip and a plastic cup on the table and let your child test each one. Read the passage together afterward and check the questions with the answer key.
What students will practice
- Students will describe a material with property words such as soft, flexible or absorbent.
- Students will explain how a property, such as soaking up water, makes a material useful.
- Students will compare two materials that act differently, such as rubber and paper.
Curriculum Links
Next Generation Science Standards
Science · 2nd Grade
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FAQ
How do I use this observable properties worksheet?
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Put a sponge, a rubber band, a paper strip and a plastic cup on the table and let your child test each one. Read the passage together afterward and check the questions with the answer key.
What does this worksheet teach?
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Read how water fills a sponge's tiny holes so it absorbs a spill while water runs off a plastic cup. To absorb means to soak up. The directions on the page read: Read the passage. Then, turn the page and answer the questions. On page 2: Circle the letter of the best answer for questions 1 to 3, and write the answers to questions 4 and 5 on the lines. The answer key covers the questions on page 2.
Can I use this observable properties worksheet for homeschool or classroom?
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Yes, both. We made it for 2nd Grade material properties, and the page works the same whether it lands on a kitchen table or a center rotation. At home, most families go through it together and talk the answers out loud, and that talking is where most of the learning happens with observable properties. In class it runs well as independent work while you pull a small group. Print one copy or thirty, whichever the day needs.
What is an observable property?
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A property is something you can observe about a material with your senses, such as its color, how hard or soft it is, whether it bends or whether it soaks up water. To absorb means to soak up, so a sponge absorbs water and a plastic cup does not (2-PS1-1).
What does flexible mean?
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Flexible means a material can bend without breaking. Rubber is flexible and stretchy, so a rubber band can be pulled, twisted and tied in a loose knot and still go back to its shape. A paper strip does not stretch; pulled hard, it tears.
Do these worksheets have answer keys?
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Yes. All 3 sheets have an answer key.
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Worksheet Details
| Grade | 2nd Grade |
| Subject | Science |
| Topic | Material Properties |
| Standard | 2-PS1-1 |
| Pages | 2 pages |
| Difficulty | Medium |
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