Earth Shapes Reading Packet
Grade 2 Nonfiction • Earth & Space Science
Name: Date:
Part 1 • Reading Passage
Earth’s Amazing Shapes
Discover the giant natural features that cover our planet!
Landforms
Look outside your window. Is the ground around you completely flat like a pancake? In most places, it is not! Our Earth is covered with natural shapes of land called landforms. Landforms come in all sizes, from giant snowy peaks to deep rocky cracks.
1
Mighty Mountains
Mountains are the tallest landforms on Earth. They rise high into the sky with steep, rocky sides. The very top of a mountain is called its peak. Because it is so cold up high, many mountain peaks stay covered in white snow even during sunny summer days!
2
Deep, Carved Canyons
A canyon is a deep valley with very steep rock walls. How did these giant holes get here? Water did it! Over millions of years, rushing rivers slowly scraped away rock and sand. The Grand Canyon is so huge that you can fit whole mountains inside it!
Explorer Fact
Mount Everest is the highest mountain on Earth. It is almost six miles tall!
Turn the page to continue the story! Page 1 of 3
Grade 2 Nonfiction • Earth & Space Science
Story Part 2
Earth’s Amazing Shapes: Part 2
Keep reading, Explorer!
3
Flat Plains and Low Valleys
Not all land is bumpy or high. Plains are wide, flat stretches of land. Farmers love plains because the flat soil is wonderful for growing crops like corn and wheat. Between two mountains or hills, you will often find a valley. Low valleys are cozy places where streams flow and forests grow.
4
Fiery Volcanoes
Some mountains have an exciting secret inside: they are volcanoes! A volcano has an opening that goes deep under Earth's crust. When pressure builds, red-hot melted rock called lava bursts out into the air. When lava cools down, it turns into hard solid rock, building brand new land!
5
Fast and Slow Changes
Earth is always changing. Wind and rain shape land very slowly over thousands of years. But an erupting volcano or an earthquake can reshape the land quickly in just a few minutes. Every rock tells a story about our living Earth!
Word Bank to Remember
Landform: A natural feature on Earth’s surface.
Canyon: A deep valley carved by flowing water.
Plains: Big, wide, flat areas of green land.
Lava: Hot melted rock that cools into hard stone.
Great reading! Ready for the questions on page 3? Page 2 of 3
Reading Comprehension • Show What You Know
Name: Score:
Comprehension Check: Earth’s Amazing Shapes
Read each question carefully and fill in your answers below.
Part A
Multiple Choice • Fill in the circle next to the best answer.
1. What is the tallest landform on Earth?
A) Plains
B) Mountains
C) Valleys
2. How did rivers carve deep canyons over millions of years?
A) Water scraped away rock
B) Earthquakes shook the hills
C) Farmers dug wide holes
3. What happens when hot lava cools down after a volcano erupts?
A) It turns into snow
B) It floats in the air
C) It forms hard new rock
Part B
True or False • Circle T for True or F for False.
4. Plains are wide and flat areas of land.
T F
5. Wind and rain change land in just two seconds.
T F
Part C
Written Response • Write in complete sentences.
6. Which landform from the story would you most like to visit? Write one fact from the text explaining why!
Awesome work exploring Earth science! Page 3 of 3
