Ireland · NCCA Curriculum Specifications
2nd Year Young Explorers: Investigating Our World
A hands-on science curriculum for Year 2 students focusing on the interconnectedness of living things, the properties of materials, and the forces that shape our environment. Students develop scientific inquiry skills through active observation, prediction, and experimental testing.
The Secret Life of Plants and Animals
Students explore the diversity of living things and the essential conditions required for growth and survival.
Distinguishing between living, non-living, and once-living things through observation of life processes.
Investigating the life cycle of flowering plants and the role of light and water in their development.
Exploring how different environments provide for the basic needs of local animals and plants.
Materials and Their Magic
An investigation into the properties of everyday materials and how they can be changed by heat or force.
Classifying materials based on physical properties such as hardness, flexibility, and waterproofness.
Exploring how the shape of solid objects made from some materials can be changed by various forces.
Observing how materials like water, wax, and chocolate change state when heated or cooled.
Pushing and Pulling Forces
Students explore how forces affect the movement of objects and the role of friction in everyday life.
Identifying forces in the environment and how they start or stop motion.
Investigating how different surfaces affect the distance an object travels.
Exploring the invisible force of magnetism and identifying magnetic materials.
Earth, Moon, and Sky
An introduction to the patterns of the sun and moon and the changing characteristics of the seasons.
Understanding the rotation of the Earth and how it creates the cycle of day and night.
Observing and recording the apparent change in the shape of the moon over a month.
Investigating how the weather and daylight hours change across the four seasons in Ireland.
The Human Body and Senses
Exploring how our bodies work and how our senses help us navigate and understand the world.
Investigating how sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch provide information about our surroundings.
Understanding the importance of exercise, nutrition, and hygiene for a healthy body.
Identifying the role of bones and muscles in supporting the body and allowing movement.
Sound and Light Explorers
Investigating how sound is made through vibrations and how light travels and creates shadows.
Exploring how sounds are produced by vibrating objects and how they travel to our ears.
Investigating light sources and how shadows are formed when light is blocked.
Exploring how light reflects off surfaces and how white light can be split into colors.