Subtraction With Tape Diagrams and Bar Models!

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

Dive into math tools!

First up is the tape diagram.

A tape diagram is like a long rectangle that helps you visualize math problems.

Think of it as a number line made of rectangles! Sometimes, you will use different colors to show different parts of the problem.

• What does a tape diagram look like?

Check out this silent video to see a tape diagram in action!

The tape diagram in the video helps solve the following problem.

Tommy has 15 toys. He gives 3 toys to his friend.

• How many toys does Tommy have now?

The tape diagram shows 15 toys, and he gave away 3, marked in red.

Now, look at the part of the line or rectangle left: 12 of the toys are still with Tommy.

15 toys - 3 toys = 12 toys

• Do you see how a tape diagram works?

Watch one more video on using a tape diagram.

Tape diagrams are very helpful tools!

Now, meet another fantastic tool: the bar model!

A bar model looks like a rectangle, too, but it is divided into parts to show the different numbers in a math problem.

Look at this bar model.

• How does a bar model work?

Watch the video below to see this math tool in action!

Wow! That was neat to see!

Look at one more example below.

A kitten has 10 treats. The kitten eats 6 of them.

• How many treats does the kitten have left?

The bar model below shows 10 treats, and the number 6 is highlighted in orange to show what the kitten ate.

Now, look at the part that is left.

10 treats - 6 treats = ?

• How many treats does the kitten have left?

That's right, 4 treats!

10 treats - 6 treats = 4 treats

What a handy math tool to have in your math toolbox!

You did a fantastic job learning about tape diagrams and bar models to solve subtraction word problems!

Now, it is your turn to try them out in the Got It? section!