Growing Knowledge in Second Grade: Exploring Plant Needs Through Scientific Inquiry

In second grade science at Cap Cana Heritage School, students have been developing their scientific thinking through hands-on inquiry focused on how living things survive. To understand what plants need in order to grow, students designed and conducted their own controlled investigation centered on four different plant habitats. Each group tested one variable by creating the following conditions: No Sun, No Water, No Seed, Sun + Water + Seed (the ideal growth environment). This structure allowed students to directly observe how removing one essential element impacts a plant’s growth and overall health.

Throughout the experiment, students took on the roles of scientists—recording observations, making predictions, documenting daily changes in their science notebooks, and building class data charts to compare growth patterns between habitats. As evidence accumulated, students began forming scientific claims supported by real data, rather than assumptions.
This week, students are analyzing their results and beginning to draw conclusions about which conditions supported healthy growth and why. Their findings illustrate not only that plants require sunlight, water, air, and nutrients, but also how each factor supports plant survival. Along the way, students practiced collaboration, communication, responsibility, and curiosity—essential habits of scientific inquiry.

“Plants that have no sun grow slowly and turn yellow.” — Mateo, Grade 2


“All plants need sun, water, soil, oxygen, and a seed to grow healthy.” — Diego, Grade 2


“I love science—I feel like a real scientist!” — Daniella, Grade 2


This inquiry unit helped students see themselves as scientists who use observation, evidence, and reasoning to understand the world around them. By engaging in authentic scientific practice, our young learners deepened both their knowledge and their confidence—planting the seeds for a lifelong love of exploration and discovery.

Click here to watch a short clip

November 2025
Gabriela Rivera- 2nd grade teacher
Cap Cana Heritage School, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic