Worksheet Grade 3 Math

Chestnut Grove's Pond Sample Beakers: A Liter Volume Worksheet

A grade 3 worksheet where an after-school science club measures pond water samples in liter beakers and adds, subtracts, multiplies, and divides the volumes.

Grade: Grade 3
Subject: Math
Material: Worksheet
Time: 30 min
Prep: No prep
Materials: None

Standards

3.MD.A.2 Common Core Math

Measure and estimate liquid volumes and masses of objects using standard units of grams (g), kilograms (kg), and liters (l). Add, subtract, multiply, or divide to solve one-step word problems involving masses or volumes that are given in the same units, e.g., by using drawings (such as a beaker with a measurement scale) to represent the problem.

How this material aligns: Every item adds, subtracts, multiplies, or divides liter volumes drawn from the science club's beaker readings, the liquid-volume word problems this standard covers, with each measurement given in the same unit.

All materials for 3.MD.A.2 →

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This material is in the public domain (CC0) and may be copied, edited, and shared freely, without attribution. Updated 2026-07-16.

Objectives

Students will add, subtract, multiply, or divide liquid volumes measured in liters.
Students will explain why measuring in a consistent unit makes volumes easier to compare.

Vocabulary

Key words: liter, beaker, sample, volume

Teacher overview

The after-school science club at the fictional Chestnut Grove Elementary tests water samples from the pond behind the school, measuring each sample in a beaker marked in liters. This worksheet uses the club's own beaker readings to practice adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing liquid volumes. A common misconception is that two volumes cannot be combined or compared unless they were collected in beakers of the same size or shape; as long as both readings are recorded in liters, the beaker's shape does not matter, only the number of liters does.

Chestnut Grove's Pond Sample Beakers: A Liter Volume Worksheet — Grade 3 Math

Name: ____________________________ Date: ______________

Student Worksheet

The science club tests pond water. Each sample is measured in liters.

Sample A is 3 liters. Sample B is 2 liters. How many liters is that in all?
Sample C is 7 liters. The teacher pours out 4 liters to test it. How many liters are left in the beaker?
Three students each collect 2 liters from the pond. How many liters do they collect in all?
The teacher has a 10-liter jug of rinse water. She uses 6 liters to rinse the beakers. How many liters of rinse water are left?
Would you measure a pond sample in liters or in kilograms? Write one sentence to explain your answer.
Samples D, E, and F each read 5 liters. They are poured into one big container. How many liters are in the container?
A student guesses that Sample G looks like about 4 liters. The beaker really reads 6 liters. How far off was the guess?
Day 1 collects 8 liters of samples. Day 2 collects 6 liters of samples. How many more liters were collected on Day 1?
The Day 1 and Day 2 samples are poured together. That total is split evenly between 2 storage jugs. How many liters go in each jug?
Why does measuring every sample in liters make it easier to add or compare them? Write one sentence.

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: 5 liters.
3 liters (Sample A) + 2 liters (Sample B) = 5 liters.
Answer: 3 liters.
7 liters (Sample C) − 4 liters poured out = 3 liters remaining.
Answer: 6 liters.
Three students × 2 liters each = 6 liters, since this is three equal groups of 2 liters.
Answer: 4 liters.
10 liters − 6 liters used for rinsing = 4 liters left.
Answer: Liters.
A pond water sample is a liquid, and liters measure liquid volume, while kilograms measure mass, so liters is the correct unit for this sample.
Answer: 15 liters.
Three samples of 5 liters each: 5 + 5 + 5 = 15 liters, or 3 × 5 = 15 liters.
Answer: 2 liters.
The actual reading (6 liters) minus the estimate (4 liters): 6 − 4 = 2 liters off.
Answer: 2 liters.
Day 1 collected 8 liters and Day 2 collected 6 liters: 8 − 6 = 2 liters more on Day 1.
Answer: 7 liters.
Combined total: 8 + 6 = 14 liters. Split evenly between 2 jugs: 14 ÷ 2 = 7 liters in each jug.
Answer: Using the same unit avoids extra conversion steps.
When every sample is already recorded in liters, students can add, subtract, or compare the numbers directly, without first changing any measurement into a different unit.

Differentiation

Support (below grade level)

Provide a printed number line marked from 0 to 15 liters that students can use to count up or back for the addition and subtraction items. Allow students to draw simple beaker pictures with liter marks for items 1 through 4 before writing the number sentence.

Extension (above grade level)

Ask students to find the combined total of all seven samples described across the worksheet (Samples A through G, plus the Day 1 and Day 2 totals used once each) and show every step of their addition, keeping a running total as they go.

ELL supports

Pre-teach "beaker," "sample," and "combined" using a labeled picture of a beaker with liter markings alongside the words. Allow students to answer item 5 and item 10 with a single circled word or a short phrase instead of a full sentence where the standard permits.