Week 08 · Add and subtract fractions
Thursday
The long meadow walk
// Join and take away parts of the same whole
⏱ about 15 min
Thursday: The long meadow walk
Chris the Coyote leans against a fence post and tips his feathered hat.
"Here is the tale of Donnie's long meadow walk," he says.
"The path to the old oak was 3 1/4 miles long."
"Donnie walked 1 3/4 miles, then stopped to watch a family of quail."
"How much farther to the oak?" he wondered.
"Bennie said, take away the wholes first, but 1/4 is less than 3/4."
"So they traded one whole for 4/4. Then 3 1/4 became 2 5/4."
"Now subtracting was easy," Chris says with a smile.
Story: Subtract mixed numbers
3 1/4 - 1 3/4. We cannot take 3/4 from 1/4.
Trade one whole for 4/4: 3 1/4 = 2 5/4.
Now 2 5/4 - 1 3/4: wholes 2 - 1 = 1, fourths 5/4 - 3/4 = 2/4. That is 1 2/4.
Donnie had 1 2/4 miles left to walk.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STORY
- Read the question.
- Tap your answer.
How long was the path to the oak?The path is 3 1/4 miles. Donnie walked 1 3/4 miles. How far is left?
3 1/4 = 2 ?/4
SUBTRACT MIXED NUMBERS
- Read the question.
- Tap your answer.
4 3/5 - 1 1/5 = ?
5 7/8 - 2 3/8 = ?
3 1/4 - 1 3/4 = ?
4 2/6 - 2 5/6 = ?
More trail stories
SOLVE THE STORY
- Read the question.
- Tap your answer.
Hazel hikes 1 2/8 miles, rests, then hikes 2 3/8 miles. How far in all?
A jug holds 2 liters of water. Donnie pours out 3/4 liter. How much is left?
Riley reads 5/12 of a book, then 4/12, then 2/12. How much has he read?
A log is 6 3/10 feet long. A piece 4 1/10 feet long breaks off. How long is the rest?Trade a whole for fourths when you need more parts.
| Sentence | True or false? |
|---|---|
| 3 1/4 - 1 3/4 = 1 2/4 | ? |
| 4 3/5 - 1 1/5 = 3 2/5 | ? |
| 2 - 3/4 = 1 1/4 | ? |
| 3 1/4 - 1 3/4 = 2 2/4 | ? |
WHY THIS EXERCISE3 1/4 - 1 3/4 is 1 2/4, not 2 2/4. One whole was traded.
Try it
Fill a cup with water to the top. Call it one whole.
Pour out about 1/4 of it into another cup.
About how much is left in the first cup? Write the subtraction sentence.
Pour out about 1/4 of it into another cup.
About how much is left in the first cup? Write the subtraction sentence.
Draw the meadow path to the oak. Mark where Donnie stopped.
What a walk! Tomorrow Freddy has a review game.