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Welcome to Subtraction! – Greetings First Graders! – Learning to take away numbers – Imagine you have 5 apples and eat 2, how many do you have now? – Subtraction shows what’s left – If you start with 10 toys and give away 3, subtraction tells us we have 7 toys left. – Practice with fun examples – We’ll use toys, candies, and more to see subtraction in action! | This slide introduces first graders to the concept of subtraction as a means of ‘taking away.’ Start by greeting the students warmly to create an inviting learning environment. Explain subtraction in simple terms, using real-life scenarios that they can relate to, such as having a certain number of items and then having fewer after some are taken away. Emphasize that subtraction helps us figure out the number of items remaining. Incorporate interactive examples with tangible objects like toys or candies to demonstrate subtraction, making the learning process engaging and understandable. Encourage the students to think of their own examples of ‘taking away’ in their daily lives.

Understanding Subtraction – Subtraction means taking away – Finding the difference between numbers – Example with apples – If you start with 5 apples and give away 2, you subtract 2 from 5. – How many do we have left? – We use subtraction to find out the remaining apples. | This slide introduces the concept of subtraction to first graders. Subtraction is explained as the process of taking away one number from another to find what’s left. Use everyday examples, like apples, to make the concept relatable. Explain that when we subtract, we are finding the difference between two numbers, which is the result of taking away. For instance, if we have 5 apples and give 2 away, we subtract 2 from 5 to find out how many apples we have left. The goal is to ensure students can visualize the subtraction process and understand its purpose. Encourage them to use their fingers or objects to practice subtracting and to come up with similar examples of their own.

Related Subtraction Facts – Understanding related facts – Same numbers, different equations – Example: 5 – 2 equals 3 – If 5 – 2 = 3, then what is 5 – 3? – Reverse: 5 – 3 equals 2 – Knowing one fact helps find the other – Facts are like family – Connected numbers in math ‘families’ | This slide introduces students to the concept of related subtraction facts, which are a group of equations that use the same numbers. Explain that just like family members who are related, these numbers share a connection. Use simple examples to show how knowing one subtraction fact can help you figure out another. Encourage students to think of these numbers as part of a math family, where each member plays a different role. During class, practice with more examples and have students create their own ‘families’ of related facts to reinforce the concept.

Let’s Practice Subtraction Together! – Count the total toy cars – Subtract the cars that drive away – If 1 car drives away from 4, what’s 4 minus 1? – How many cars are left? – Count the remaining cars together – After subtracting, we count what’s left. | This slide is an interactive class activity designed to help first graders practice subtraction by using visual aids such as toy cars. Start by showing the students a group of 4 toy cars. Ask them to count the total number of cars. Then, visually remove one car and ask the students to observe how many cars drive away. Prompt them to subtract the number of cars that have left from the total and to figure out how many cars are left. Finally, count the remaining cars together to reinforce the concept of subtraction. This activity can be done with physical toy cars or illustrated on the board. It’s a hands-on way to help students understand subtraction as ‘taking away’ in a fun and engaging manner.

Subtraction Strategies: Using Tools – Use fingers for subtraction – Hold up fingers and put some down to subtract – Subtract with a number line – Draw a line with numbers and hop backwards – Use pictures and objects – Draw or use items like blocks to take some away | This slide introduces various tactile and visual strategies to help first graders understand subtraction. Encourage students to use their fingers to subtract by putting down the number of fingers that corresponds to the number being subtracted. Demonstrate how a number line can be used to subtract by starting at a number and ‘hopping’ backwards. Show how pictures and objects can represent numbers in a subtraction problem, making it easier for students to ‘see’ the subtraction happen. Provide examples for each strategy and allow students to practice with guidance. Reinforce that these tools can make learning subtraction fun and interactive.

Finding Patterns in Subtraction – Patterns make subtraction easy – Example: 6 – 2 equals 4 – If we subtract 2 from 6, we get 4 – Taking 1 more away: 6 – 3 equals 3 – Subtracting one more, the result is 3 – Numbers decrease in a pattern – Notice how each time we subtract, the answer gets smaller by 1 | This slide is aimed at helping first graders recognize patterns in subtraction which can make remembering facts easier. By using simple examples, such as subtracting from the number 6, students can visually and conceptually see how the numbers decrease. Emphasize the pattern that as we take away more, the result gets smaller. Encourage students to use their fingers or counters to subtract and see the pattern themselves. This understanding will help them grasp the concept of subtraction as ‘taking away’ and see the predictable pattern in the results, which reinforces their mental math skills.

Class Activity: Subtraction Bingo – Let’s play Subtraction Bingo! – Solve subtraction problems – Use subtraction facts up to 20 – Cover the answer on your card – Each correct answer gets you closer to Bingo – Shout ‘Bingo!’ for a full row – Be the first to get a full row covered | This interactive game is designed to help first graders practice their subtraction facts in a fun and engaging way. Prepare bingo cards in advance with a range of answers from subtraction problems up to 20. During the game, call out subtraction questions and have students solve them. If they have the answer on their card, they can cover it with a marker. The first student to cover a full row (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal) and shout ‘Bingo!’ wins. Check their card to ensure the answers are correct. This activity reinforces mental math and the concept of related subtraction facts. Possible variations include playing for a full card or creating patterns. Encourage students to help each other and discuss strategies for finding the answers quickly.