Math problem set Grade 2 Math

Tinsmith Lane's Pipe Pieces: A Grade 2 Line Plot Problem Set

A grade 2 problem set in which students plot twelve leftover pipe lengths on a line plot and add and subtract inch measurements within 100.

Grade: Grade 2
Subject: Math
Material: Math problem set
Time: 30 min
Prep: No prep
Materials: Grid paper or a blank number line marked 4 through 8

Standards

2.MD.D.9 Common Core Math

Generate measurement data by measuring lengths of several objects to the nearest whole unit, or by making repeated measurements of the same object. Show the measurements by making a line plot, where the horizontal scale is marked off in whole-number units.

How this material aligns: Problems 1 through 6 build and read a line plot of twelve pipe lengths with the horizontal scale marked in whole inches; the scenario supplies the measurements rather than students taking them, so pair this set with the measuring task in the extension.

All materials for 2.MD.D.9 →

2.MD.B.5 Common Core Math

Use addition and subtraction within 100 to solve word problems involving lengths that are given in the same units, e.g., by using drawings (such as drawings of rulers) and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem.

How this material aligns: Problems 7, 8, and 9 add and subtract pipe lengths given in inches within 100, including one two-step problem about reaching a target length.

All materials for 2.MD.B.5 →

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This material is in the public domain (CC0) and may be copied, edited, and shared freely, without attribution. Updated 2026-07-23.

Objectives

Students will build a line plot of twelve pipe lengths measured to the nearest inch.
Students will read a line plot to find how many pieces share a length and which length is most common.
Students will add and subtract pipe lengths in inches to reach a target length.

Vocabulary

Key words: line plot, length, inch, measure, leftover

Teacher overview

A crew replacing the water line under Tinsmith Lane left a bucket of short offcuts at the school fence, and the second graders measured every piece to the nearest inch before deciding which ones were worth keeping for model building. The twelve measurements in this set are that record, and the problems move from building the line plot to using it and then to joining pieces to hit a target length. The mix-up to head off is between how many and how long, since a student asked how many pieces are 6 inches long may answer 6 rather than count the marks above the 6. Requiring the unit word in every answer makes the confusion visible on the page.

Tinsmith Lane's Pipe Pieces: A Grade 2 Line Plot Problem Set — Grade 2 Math

Name: ____________________________ Date: ______________

Problems

A crew fixed the water line under Tinsmith Lane. They left twelve short pipe pieces at the fence. The class measured each piece to the nearest inch. Here are the twelve lengths in inches: 4, 6, 5, 6, 7, 5, 6, 4, 8, 6, 5, 7.

Make a line plot of the twelve lengths. Mark the numbers 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 along the bottom. Put one X above a number for each piece. How many X marks go above the 6?
Which length has the most X marks?
How many pieces are 5 inches long?
How many pieces did the class measure in all?
How many pieces are longer than 6 inches?
How many pieces are shorter than 6 inches?
The longest piece is 8 inches. The shortest piece is 4 inches. How many inches longer is the longest piece?
The crew taped a 6-inch piece to a 7-inch piece. How long is the new piece?
The crew needs a piece 20 inches long. They taped the 8-inch piece to a 7-inch piece. How many more inches do they still need?

From Water for Schools (waterforschools.org). This material is in the public domain (CC0) and may be copied, edited, and shared freely.

Answer Key

Answer: 4 marks. Counting the 6s in the list gives four pieces, so four X marks sit above the 6 on the plot. The finished plot shows 2 marks above 4, 3 above 5, 4 above 6, 2 above 7, and 1 above 8.
Answer: 6 inches. The column above 6 holds 4 marks, which is more than any other column.
Answer: 3 pieces. Three marks sit above the 5 on the plot.
Answer: 12 pieces. Add the marks in every column: 2 + 3 = 5, 5 + 4 = 9, 9 + 2 = 11, 11 + 1 = 12.
Answer: 3 pieces. Longer than 6 inches means the 7-inch and 8-inch columns: 2 + 1 = 3.
Answer: 5 pieces. Shorter than 6 inches means the 4-inch and 5-inch columns: 2 + 3 = 5. A student who answers 9 has included the four 6-inch pieces, which are not shorter than 6.
Answer: 4 inches. Subtract the shortest from the longest: 8 - 4 = 4.
Answer: 13 inches. Add the two pieces: 6 + 7 = 13.
Answer: 5 inches. First add the two taped pieces: 8 + 7 = 15 inches. Then subtract from the target: 20 - 15 = 5 inches. A student who answers 12 subtracted only the 8-inch piece.

Differentiation

Support

Give these students the twelve lengths written on separate cards so each one can be physically placed above its number before any marks are drawn, and provide a plot line with the numbers 4 through 8 already labeled. Read problems 5, 6, and 9 aloud, pausing after each sentence.

Extension

Ask these students to find two pieces from the list that join to make exactly 11 inches and to show another pair that also works, then explain why more than one answer is possible. Have them write one new question about the line plot, with its answer, for a classmate to solve.

ELL supports

Pre-teach line plot, length, longer, and shorter using two real pieces of string held side by side. Provide the frames "There are ___ pieces" and "The piece is ___ inches long," and let students point to a column on the plot before answering problems 2 through 6.

Extensions

Have the class measure ten straws or craft sticks from the supply cupboard to the nearest inch and build a second line plot beside the Tinsmith Lane one. Students can then say in one sentence which set of pieces varies more in length and which set would be easier to build a model pipeline from.