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Does Subtraction Work Both Ways?
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Date:
Today I am practising: recognizing that reversing a subtraction changes its meaning
1
Draw 12 counters and remove 5. How many remain?
2
Can you remove 12 counters from a starting group of 5 without adding counters? Explain using the drawing.
3
A child has 16 coins and spends 7. Choose 16 − 7 or 7 − 16 and explain.
4
Both 8 + 5 and 5 + 8 give 13. Explain why this does not show that 13 − 5 and 5 − 13 are the same.
5
Use the numbers 18, 11, and 7 to write two subtraction facts with a whole-number result.
6
Write a take-away story with 14 and 6. Underline the starting amount in its equation.
- Keep these tasks within nonnegative whole-number take-away situations.
- Ask the learner to model the starting group before removing anything.
- Use the terms whole and part when relating addition to subtraction.