Lesson Plan
When Having Like Denominators Isn’t Enough!
Does chaos ensue when your students subtract like mixed numbers and the larger fraction has a lesser numerator? Using this lesson plan, teach your class how to overcome this tricky obstacle: When having like denominators isn’t enough!
Grade:
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Learning Objectives
Students will subtract mixed numbers where the larger fraction has a lesser numerator and a like denominator.
Introduction
(5 minutes)- Write (or display) the following expressions on the board:
- 5 1/4 - 2 3/4
- 3 2/8 - 1 7/8
- 9 2/4 - 3 3/4
- Have students think, pair, and share their thoughts of a singular challenging trait these expressions have in common.
- As students share out their ideas, write down any related academic language, terms, or ideas.
- Point out how the minuend (the number being subtracted from) has a lesser numerator than the fraction in the subtrahend (the number being subtracted).