Math problem set Grade 1 Science

Quail Ridge's Rainy Week: A Grade 1 Measuring Problem Set

A grade 1 math problem set where students add and compare a week of rain-gauge readings measured in same-size cubes, a non-standard unit.

Grade: Grade 1
Subject: Science
Material: Math problem set
Time: 30 min
Prep: No prep
Materials: None

Standards

1.MD.A.2 Common Core Math

Express the length of an object as a whole number of length units, by laying multiple copies of a shorter object end to end; understand that the length measurement is the number of same-size length units that span it with no gaps or overlaps.

How this material aligns: Every problem uses a daily rain height stated in same-size cubes stacked end to end in the classroom's rain jar, the exact non-standard length-unit measurement this standard describes.

All materials for 1.MD.A.2 →

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: Problems 2 through 5 build a running weekly total by adding one day's cube count at a time, requiring fluent addition and subtraction within 20 throughout the set.

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 compare two daily rain heights measured in same-size cubes.
Students will add daily rain-cube counts to build a weekly running total.
Students will find the difference between the week's total and a stated line on the rain jar.

Vocabulary

Key words: rain gauge, cube, total, compare

Teacher overview

A first-grade class at Quail Ridge Elementary (a fictional school used for this problem set) keeps a clear jar outside as a simple rain gauge. After each rainy day, the class stacks same-size interlocking cubes next to the jar, laying them end to end, to see how many cubes tall the water rose. This problem set follows one rainy week of cube readings. The cube counts are made up for counting practice, since a real rainy week usually raises the water in a jar only a cube or two. A common misconception in this math is thinking that adding a day with 0 cubes changes the total, when adding 0 leaves the total the same.

Quail Ridge's Rainy Week: A Grade 1 Measuring Problem Set — Grade 1 Science

Name: ____________________________ Date: ______________

Problems

Monday's rain was 3 cubes tall. Tuesday's rain was 5 cubes tall. How many more cubes tall was Tuesday's rain?
Add Monday's 3 cubes and Tuesday's 5 cubes. What is the total so far?
Wednesday had no rain. That is 0 cubes. Add 0 to the total from problem 2. What is the new total?
Thursday's rain was 4 cubes tall. Add it to the total from problem 3. What is the new total?
Friday's rain was 6 cubes tall. Add it to the total from problem 4. What is the total for the week?
Which day had the tallest rain? How many cubes tall was it?
How many more cubes tall was Friday's rain than Thursday's rain?
The jar has a line at 15 cubes for "a lot of rain." Was the week's total above or below that line? By how many cubes?

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: 2 more cubes. 5 − 3 = 2.
Answer: 8 cubes. 3 + 5 = 8.
Answer: 8 cubes. 8 + 0 = 8, since Wednesday added no rain to the total.
Answer: 12 cubes. 8 + 4 = 12.
Answer: 18 cubes. 12 + 6 = 18, the total for the whole week.
Answer: Friday, 6 cubes. Friday's reading of 6 cubes was taller than every other day that week.
Answer: 2 more cubes. 6 − 4 = 2.
Answer: Above the line by 3 cubes. 18 − 15 = 3.

Differentiation

Support

Provide a printed strip of five boxes, one per day, with Monday's 3 and Tuesday's 5 already written in, so students can see the running total build box by box, and allow physical cubes for stacking and counting.

Extension

Ask students to invent a Saturday reading that would bring the week's total to exactly 25 cubes, and show the addition that proves their answer works.

ELL supports

Pre-teach "rain gauge," "cube," "total," and "compare" using an actual jar and a handful of cubes, stacking them together while naming each word. Allow students to show the running total with drawings of stacked cubes instead of written number sentences.

Extensions

Set up a real classroom rain gauge using a clear jar and same-size cubes, and keep a new weekly chart after an actual week of local weather. Compare the real cube counts to the numbers used in this problem set, and ask students whether a real week is likely to have more rainy days, fewer rainy days, or about the same number as Quail Ridge's practice week.