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    • ▾7th grade
      • ▾Integers
        • •Adding integers
        • •Subtracting integers
        • •Negative Fibonacci numbers
        • •Distance between two numbers
        • •Multiplying integers
        • •Dividing integers
        • •Equivalent expressions with negative numbers
      • ▸Fractions, decimals, and percentages
        • •Multi-step problems
        • •Percents
        • •Negative signs in fractions
        • •Simplifying complex fractions without variables
        • •Dividing by zero
        • •Converting fractions to decimals
      • ▸Rates and proportional relationships
        • •Rates with fractions
        • •Interpreting graphs of proportional relationships
        • •Constants of proportionality
        • •Writing proportional equations
        • •Solving proportions using equivalent fractions
        • •Solving proportions using inverse operations and by cross multiplying
      • ▸Expressions, equations, and inequalities
        • •Interpreting linear expressions
        • •Solving two-step equations
        • •Mentally solving certain two-step equations
        • •Solving and graphing two-step inequalities
        • •Distributing, factoring, and combining like terms
      • ▸Geometry (grade 7)
        • •Angles around a point
        • •Complementary and supplementary angles
        • •Vertical angles theorem
        • •Finding the midpoint on the number line
        • •Intro to circles and \(\pi\)
        • •Area of an obtuse triangle
        • •Area of a regular polygon
        • •Area, volume, and surface area
        • •Circumference and area of a circle
        • •Volume of extruded figures
        • •Cross sections
        • •Platonic solids
        • •Precursor to the triangle inequality
        • •Scale drawings
      • ▸Statistics and probability (grade 7)
        • •Intro to probability
        • •Simple events
        • •Compound probability of independent events
        • •Comparing distributions
        • •Probability models
        • •Theoretical and experimental probability
        • •Representative samples
     › 7th grade › Integers

    Subtracting integers

    Students will learn how to subtract integers. Students will solve both word problems and mathematical ones. Students have had lots of practice subtracting whole numbers, but haven't seen what happens when you subtract a smaller whole number from a larger one. Thus, start with such problems. Start with concrete and visual methods. Namely, show integer subtraction on the number line (video), and using two-color counters. After that, students should learn how to solve these problems, where a number line is given, but some unmarked number must be determined by repeatedly adding or subtracting a whole number. Students can practice here. Finally, students should learn about additive inverses and double negatives. Here's a problem to test their understanding of the latter.

    Next, give your students these challenges:

    • Watching the Wheels Go 'round and 'round by NRICH
    • Book Codes by NRICH
    • Maze 100 by NRICH

    Conclude by leading this investigation:

    The Broken Sword (addition, division, mini-mathematical universe)
    by MathPickle

    Lessons and practice problems