standard_description: Mentally add 10 or 100 to a given number 100–900, and mentally subtract 10 or 100 from a given number 100–900.
problem_activity: Narrative
The purpose of this Number Talk is to elicit strategies and understandings students have for mentally subtracting a multiple of 10 from a number. Building on their understanding of place value, students subtract tens from tens. These understandings help students develop fluency and will be helpful in later lessons when students will need to be able to subtract using strategies based on place value.
Launch
Display one expression.
“Give me a signal when you have an answer and can explain how you got it.”
1 minute: quiet think time
Activity
Record answers and strategies.
Keep expressions and work displayed.
Repeat with each expression.
Student Facing
Find the value of each expression mentally.
\(80 - 50\)
\(87 - 50\)
\(76 - 40\)
\(66 - 30\)
Student Response
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Activity Synthesis
“How could the third expression help you find the value of the last expression?” (76 is 10 more than 66 and 30 is 10 less than 40, so the difference between the two numbers is the same.)


aligns: yes