Worksheet Grade 2 Social Studies & Civics

Nora's Rain Barrel: A Grade 2 Adding and Subtracting Worksheet

A grade 2 social studies worksheet where students add and subtract gallons in a rain barrel across a dry-town week and explain why saving rain is a smart choice.

Grade: Grade 2
Subject: Social Studies & Civics
Material: Worksheet
Time: 25 min
Prep: No prep
Materials: None

Standards

2.OA.A.1 Common Core Math

Use addition and subtraction within 100 to solve one- and two-step word problems involving situations of adding to, taking from, putting together, taking apart, and comparing, with unknowns in all positions, e.g., by using drawings and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem.

How this material aligns: Students solve one-step add and subtract word problems within 100, tracking a running gallon total in a rain barrel as rain adds water and the garden takes it out.

All materials for 2.OA.A.1 →

D2.Eco.1.K-2 C3 Framework

Explain how scarcity necessitates decision making.

How this material aligns: Item 8 asks students to explain why saving rain in a barrel is a smart decision when water is scarce during a dry summer in the fictional town.

All materials for D2.Eco.1.K-2 →

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This material is in the public domain (CC0) and may be copied, edited, and shared freely, without attribution. Updated 2026-07-17.

Objectives

Students will add and subtract within 100 to track a running total in a rain barrel.
Students will explain why saving rain helps a town when water is scarce.

Vocabulary

Rain barrel: A rain barrel is a container that catches rainwater from a roof downspout so it can be used later to water plants. It saves drinking water and keeps some runoff out of the storm drains.

Also: gallon, scarce, save

Teacher overview

Nora lives in a fictional town with hot, dry summers, so her family keeps a rain barrel. Rain fills the barrel, and the family uses that water on the garden instead of the town tap. This worksheet walks through one week of the barrel filling and emptying, giving students a real reason to add and subtract within 100. The running total keeps the numbers connected, so each answer feeds the next problem, and the last item asks students to explain the saving choice behind the math.

Nora's Rain Barrel: A Grade 2 Adding and Subtracting Worksheet — Grade 2 Social Studies & Civics

Name: ____________________________ Date: ______________

Student Worksheet

The table shows one week for Nora's rain barrel. Rain adds gallons. The garden takes gallons out. The barrel started the week with 25 gallons.

Day	What happened	Gallons
Monday	Rain fell	added 20
Tuesday	Watered the garden	used 15
Wednesday	Rain fell	added 30
Thursday	Watered the garden	used 25
Friday	Rain fell	added 40

The barrel had 25 gallons. Monday's rain added 20. How many gallons were in the barrel then?
On Tuesday the garden used 15 gallons. How many gallons were left after Tuesday?
Wednesday's rain added 30 gallons. How many gallons were in the barrel then?
On Thursday the garden used 25 gallons. How many gallons were left after Thursday?
Friday's rain added 40 gallons. How many gallons were in the barrel at the end of the week?
How many gallons of rain did the barrel catch all week?
How many gallons did the garden use all week?
Nora's town has dry summers. Tell one reason saving rain in a barrel is a smart choice when water is scarce.

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: 45 gallons. Start with 25 and add Monday's 20: 25 + 20 = 45.
Answer: 30 gallons. Take 15 from 45: 45 - 15 = 30.
Answer: 60 gallons. Add Wednesday's 30 to 30: 30 + 30 = 60.
Answer: 35 gallons. Take 25 from 60: 60 - 25 = 35.
Answer: 75 gallons. Add Friday's 40 to 35: 35 + 40 = 75.
Answer: 90 gallons. Add the three rains: 20 + 30 + 40 = 90.
Answer: 40 gallons. Add the two garden days: 15 + 25 = 40.
Answer: Answers will vary. A good reason is that saved rain waters the garden so the family uses less town water when the town's water is low in a dry summer.

Differentiation

Support

Let these students use a number line or base-ten blocks to add and subtract each day, and give them the running total already written for the first two days so they can see how one answer starts the next.

Extension

Ask students to plan a sixth and seventh day for the barrel, choosing rain and garden amounts that keep the total under 100, then find the new end-of-week total.

ELL supports

Pair the words added, used, and left with arrow motions (in, out, and what remains). Read each problem aloud and provide the frame "The barrel had ___ gallons" for written answers.

Extensions

Have students find out whether their own home or school has a rain barrel or downspout, and draw a picture of where rain water goes after a storm, connecting the worksheet to a place they know.