Grade 2 · Science · Life science

2nd Grade What Animals Need worksheets

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What Animals Need

Grade 2 Science Worksheet - Challenge Me

NameDate

Read the sentence. Circle what the animal gets: food, water, air or shelter.

Tip Animals need four things to live: food, water, air and shelter.

1.
A penguin comes up from a dive to take a breath.
- water
- air
- shelter
- food
2.
A rabbit digs a burrow under the hedge.
- air
- shelter
- food
- water
3.
A seal pops its head up to take a breath.
- food
- air
- shelter
- water
4.
A giraffe nibbles leaves from a tall tree.
- water
- food
- shelter
- air
5.
A squirrel eats an acorn.
- air
- shelter
- food
- water
6.
A dolphin leaps out of the sea and takes a breath.
- food
- water
- air
- shelter
7.
A whale swims to the top of the ocean to breathe.
- food
- shelter
- water
- air
8.
A hen pecks at seeds on the ground.
- shelter
- water
- air
- food

2nd Grade What Animals Need worksheet 1 – printable PDF — Download PDF: 1 2 3 4 5 6

About this worksheet

All animals have the same basic needs. They need food to give them energy, water to drink, air to breathe and a shelter, which is a safe place to rest and hide. A bear catching a fish, a deer drinking at a stream and a rabbit digging a burrow are each meeting one of those needs. Second graders can see these needs in the animals around them, and noticing them is the first step in understanding why animals live where they do.

This worksheet gives eight sentences about animals, and for each one the child circles the need that the animal is meeting. A tip box at the top lists the four needs. Ask your child to picture the animal and ask: what is it doing, and why does it need that?

What your child will learn

Name the four basic needs of animals
Tell which need an animal is meeting
Explain why animals need food, water, air and shelter

NGSS standard: K-LS1-1

Worked example

A deer drinks from a cool stream. The deer is drinking, so it is getting water.

Common mistake

Choosing food when an animal is drinking, or shelter when an animal is only resting in the open.

Helpful hint

What is the animal doing? Is it eating, drinking, breathing or hiding?

Next skill: Animals and Habitats Earlier: Pollination and Seed Dispersal

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with what animals need?

Choosing food when an animal is drinking, or shelter when an animal is only resting in the open.

How can I help my child with what animals need?

What is the animal doing? Is it eating, drinking, breathing or hiding?

Are these 2nd grade science worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions on this page are free to download and print, with no account needed.

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