Solid, Liquid or Gas? Cut and Sort for 2nd Grade

Start with something students can look at or think about: a photo, a short video, a jar on the windowsill, or a question like "what do you already know about states of matter?" Then let them work through it independently after a quick group example, checking in with a partner if they get stuck, keeping a word bank or anchor chart in view so the vocabulary stays available. When you review, ask students how they knew, and let them point to the part of the diagram or reading that told them. These states of matter worksheets work well as a lead in before an investigation, as a way to capture what students noticed afterward, or as review before an assessment.

Glue twelve pictures such as honey, steam and cheese under solid, liquid or gas. Matter is anything that takes up space. It can be a solid, a liquid or a gas. The directions on the page read: Read the box. Then, cut out the pictures at the bottom. Then, glue each one under Solid, Liquid or Gas. The answer key shows every answer.

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 states of matter. In class it runs well as independent work while you pull a small group. Print one copy or thirty, whichever the day needs.

Students learn that all matter exists as a solid, liquid, or gas depending on temperature and pressure, and they identify the key properties of each state, fixed shape, flows, or spreads to fill a container. For 7-8 year olds, everyday examples like ice, water, and steam make the abstract concept of states immediately recognizable.

States of matter are introduced in Grade 2 physical science and appear in most state science standards at this level. The topic builds directly on Kindergarten and Grade 1 observations of materials and their properties, adding the conceptual framework of state changes.

Demonstrate all three states of water in one kitchen session, start with an ice cube (solid), watch it melt to water (liquid), then boil water and observe steam (gas, with appropriate safety precautions). Use the worksheets to record observations at each stage and draw diagrams of what the particles might look like.

7 printable worksheets, all free to preview. Downloads are included with a ClassWeekly free trial, and every page prints on standard 8.5 x 11 paper.

These are written for 2nd Grade students, roughly ages 7-8. Many teachers also use them a grade up for review or a grade down as an extension, so use the preview to judge the fit for a particular child.

Yes. Each one shows the NGSS code it covers on its own page, so you can check the alignment yourself rather than taking our word for it.