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Introduction to Subtraction

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Introduction to Subtraction

Introduction to Subtraction

Children taking away apples from a basket

🍎 Part 1: Understanding Subtraction Stories

1. Read this story and answer the questions:

Lucy had 10 apples in her basket. She gave 3 apples to her friend. How many apples does Lucy have now?

a) How many apples did Lucy start with? ______
b) How many apples did she give away? ______
c) How many apples are left? ______
d) Write the subtraction number sentence: _____ - _____ = _____
2. What does subtraction mean? Choose the best answer:

Adding more things

Taking away or finding how many are left

Counting forwards

Making groups

📏 Part 2: Using the Number Line

3. Use the number line to solve these subtraction problems. Start at the first number and move backwards:

Number line: 0 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20

a) 8 - 3 = ______
b) 12 - 4 = ______
c) 15 - 6 = ______
d) 9 - 2 = ______
4. Draw your working on the number line below for problem 12 - 4:

📊 Part 3: Bar Models

5. Look at this bar model for 10 - 3 = 7:

[Whole: 10] = [Part taken away: 3] + [Part left: 7]

Draw a bar model for this problem: 14 - 5 = 9
6. Complete these bar model problems:
a) [Whole: 16] = [Part taken away: ____] + [Part left: 9]
b) [Whole: ____] = [Part taken away: 4] + [Part left: 8]

🎯 Part 4: Subtraction Vocabulary

7. Match the subtraction words with their meanings:
1. Subtract
2. Difference
3. Minus
4. Take away
A. The answer in subtraction
B. Remove or give away
C. The subtraction symbol (-)
D. To find how many are left
8. Circle all the words that mean subtraction:

Take away

Add

Minus

Plus

How many are left

More

📝 Part 5: Create Your Own Subtraction Story

9. Write your own subtraction story using the numbers 13 - 5 = 8:
10. Draw a picture to show your subtraction story:

🧮 Part 6: Practice Problems

11. Solve these subtraction problems. Show your working:
a) 7 - 4 = ______
b) 11 - 6 = ______
c) 18 - 9 = ______
d) 20 - 7 = ______
12. Fill in the missing numbers:
a) 15 - _____ = 8
b) _____ - 6 = 9
c) 17 - 4 = _____
d) 14 - _____ = 6

🌟 Part 7: Challenge Questions

13. Tom had some marbles. He gave 8 marbles to his sister and had 12 marbles left. How many marbles did Tom start with?
Tom started with ______ marbles.
14. Explain how you can check if your subtraction answer is correct:
15. True or False? Circle your answers:
a) 16 - 7 = 9 True / False
b) 13 - 5 = 7 True / False
c) 20 - 8 = 12 True / False
d) 14 - 6 = 9 True / False

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