Our Place in the Universe

Our new unit explores the central idea that Earth is surrounded by space and is part of a complex universe. 

What does that mean for us?

During this unit, Grade 2 students will learn about different celestial bodies such as the Sun, Moon, planets, stars, and asteroids. We will explore how these objects move and interact with each other in the solar system. 

We will also focus on why Earth is a unique planet. 

Students will think about what makes our planet different from other planets and why it is important to take care of it.

Through discussions, research, models, and creative projects, students will develop curiosity about space and our place in the universe. This unit encourages learners to ask questions, explore ideas, and understand that we are part of something vast and interconnected beyond our world.

To begin our unit, we started by exploring what we wonder, what we already know, and what we think about some elements of the solar system. Students reflected on their prior knowledge and shared their ideas through writing and discussion. This helped us see the different thoughts and understandings everyone brought to the classroom.

 

As we shared our ideas, we discovered that our curiosity about space is deep and exciting. Many of the things we talked about are objects we have never seen or experienced ourselves, yet we still have ideas and questions about them. 

Students eagerly asked questions and wrote down what they believe they know about the universe.

Through this process, we also realized something important: even when we think we know a lot, there is still so much more to learn and discover. Our conversations showed that the universe is full of mysteries that make us want to keep exploring. 

This beginning stage of our inquiry helped us understand that curiosity is an important part of learning and that our questions will guide us as we continue to learn about the solar system and our place within it.

Next week, students will focus on asking meaningful questions about space and the universe. We will begin with several provocation activities designed to spark curiosity and thinking. 

Students may observe images and videos of planets, stars, and galaxies, explore simple models of the solar system, and discuss surprising space facts. These experiences will encourage them to wonder, predict, and share their ideas with others. 

Learners will write and discuss questions to help develop inquiry skills and prepare them to investigate and discover new knowledge throughout our unit.

 

Egg Drop Challenge – Engineering for a Safe Baby Landing

In this exciting investigation, students take on the role of young engineers. The goal of the Egg Drop Challenge is to design a machine that will bring the “baby” (an egg) safely back to Earth without cracking when it is dropped from a height. 

Through this activity, students explore how thoughtful design, creativity, and testing can help solve real-world problems.

Using the IB Experiment Design Cycle, students follow a series of steps that guide their learning and help them improve their ideas.

Plan

Students begin by thinking about the problem: How can we protect the egg during the drop? They brainstorm ideas, discuss possible materials, and draw a design of their machine. At this stage, students think carefully about how their design might slow down the fall or cushion the landing.

Create

Next, students build their egg protection machine using selected materials. This is an opportunity for them to work collaboratively, apply their plans, and turn their ideas into a real structure that will hold and protect the egg.

Test

Once the designs are ready, students test their machines by dropping them from a set height. During the test, they observe what happens and check whether the egg lands safely or if improvements are needed.

Improve

After testing, students reflect on the results. They discuss what worked well and what could be improved. Students then redesign or adjust their machines to make them stronger, safer, and more effective for the next test.

Through this challenge, students develop important skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. They also learn that mistakes and improvements are a valuable part of the learning process—just like real engineers and scientists who continue refining their designs to achieve success.

Throughout the activity, students discovered that a successful design does not always happen on the first try. Testing their machines allowed them to see what worked well and what needed to change. Some designs protected the egg by slowing down the fall, while others used soft materials or creative structures to absorb the impact. Each test gave students new information that helped them improve their designs.

In the end, the Egg Drop Challenge showed students how curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving can help us design solutions that keep our “baby” egg safe on its journey back to Earth. It also helped students build confidence in thinking new ideas and discoveries to respond to our needs.

 

Important Discoveries in Time

Over time, important discoveries have helped humans understand the world and improve lives. 

Discoveries in education, science, engineering, technology, and architecture have evolved and developed throughout the years. But what drives us, as people, to keep searching, questioning, and discovering new ideas year after year?

That is where our inquiry has led us in this unit. We chose one discovery that made a significant impact on the world. Through this discovery, we worked together to gather information, learn about its history, explore the timeline of events, and understand what motivated scientists to work on these discoveries.

As we continue to feed our curiosity, we have slowly begun to understand needs from scientists’ perspectives.

Curiosity feeds ideas.
Ideas feed needs.
Needs feed discoveries.
Discoveries feed progress.

Interestingly, all these also depends on where we are in place and time.