Worksheet Grade 1 Science

Keep Copper Creek Clean: A Grade 1 Litter Sort Worksheet

A grade 1 worksheet where students sort natural items from litter found near a creek, count each group, and solve addition and subtraction problems.

Grade: Grade 1
Subject: Science
Material: Worksheet
Time: 25 min
Prep: Low prep
Materials: A printed or read-aloud list of the ten creek items in item 1

Standards

K-2-ETS1-1 NGSS

Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.

How this material aligns: Items 7 and 8 have students ask a question and state why creek litter is a problem people want to change, the exact problem-defining step this standard requires before a solution is attempted.

All materials for K-2-ETS1-1 →

1.OA.C.6 Common Core Math

Add and subtract within 20, demonstrating fluency for addition and subtraction within 10. Use strategies such as counting on; making ten; decomposing a number leading to a ten; using the relationship between addition and subtraction; and creating equivalent but easier or known sums.

How this material aligns: Items 5, 6, and 9 require fluent addition and subtraction within 20 using a cleanup group's daily litter counts, matching this standard's fluency expectation for small whole numbers.

All materials for 1.OA.C.6 →

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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 sort ten items found near a creek into a natural-items group and a litter group.
Students will add and subtract litter counts within 20.
Students will ask one question that could help define why creek litter is a problem.

Vocabulary

Key words: litter, sort, natural, creek

Teacher overview

A group of ten things was found near Copper Creek behind the school. Some belong there, and some are litter that a person left behind. This worksheet has students sort the items into two groups, count and add the groups, solve two problems about a week of creek cleanups, and think about why litter is a problem worth asking questions about.

Keep Copper Creek Clean: A Grade 1 Litter Sort Worksheet — Grade 1 Science

Name: ____________________________ Date: ______________

Student Worksheet

Ten things were found near Copper Creek. Read the list with your teacher.
- A fallen leaf.
- A plastic bottle cap.
- A smooth rock.
- A candy wrapper.
- A feather.
- A soda can.
- A stick.
- A piece of foil.
- A pinecone.
- A paper cup.
Sort each thing into two groups: Belongs in Nature or Litter to Pick Up.
How many things are in the Belongs in Nature group?
How many things are in the Litter to Pick Up group?
Add the two groups. How many things were on the list in all?
Helpers picked up litter at Copper Creek. On Monday, they picked up 6 pieces. On Tuesday, they picked up 8 more. How many pieces in all?
By the end of the week, helpers had picked up 17 pieces. They picked up 14 pieces by Tuesday. How many more pieces came later in the week?
Why is litter a problem for a creek? Write one reason.
What is one question that could help us learn more about the litter? Write your question.
One week, helpers picked up 14 pieces. The next week, they picked up 9 pieces. Did the amount go up or down? By how many pieces?
Why should people pick up litter every week, not just one time? Write one reason.

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: Belongs in Nature: fallen leaf, smooth rock, feather, stick, pinecone. Litter to Pick Up: plastic bottle cap, candy wrapper, soda can, piece of foil, paper cup.
Answer: 5 items. The fallen leaf, smooth rock, feather, stick, and pinecone all belong in nature near a creek.
Answer: 5 items. The bottle cap, candy wrapper, soda can, foil, and paper cup are all litter.
Answer: 10 items. 5 + 5 = 10.
Answer: 14 pieces. 6 + 8 = 14.
Answer: 3 pieces. 17 − 14 = 3.
Answer: Answers will vary; accept a reasonable answer, such as litter can hurt animals that live near the creek or make the water dirty.
Answer: Answers will vary; accept a reasonable question, such as "Where does most of the litter come from?" or "How much litter is there each week?"
Answer: Down by 5 pieces. 14 − 9 = 5.
Answer: Answers will vary; accept a reasonable answer, such as new litter can arrive after wind or rain, so cleaning needs to happen again and again.

Differentiation

Support

For item 1, provide small picture cards of the ten items so students can physically place each one into a "Belongs in Nature" pile or a "Litter to Pick Up" pile before writing anything down. For items 5, 6, and 9, allow counters or a number line.

Extension

Ask students to add one new item to each group of their own choosing, then rewrite items 2 through 4 with the new totals.

ELL supports

Pre-teach "litter," "sort," "natural," and "creek" using the ten picture cards from the Support section, pointing to each while saying the word. Allow items 7, 8, and 10 to be answered with a single spoken word or phrase instead of a full written sentence.