The ideas in this fraction lesson are taken from the Fractions 1 ebook sold on this website. Only a few examples of each problem type are shown; you should make more problems of each kind for the student.

Subtracting mixed numbers, part 2
Free lesson plan from HomeschoolMath.net

Example problem types

2.  Rename one whole into parts before subtracting, and then subtract.  See the examples.

a.   5 3 8 - 1 7 8 = 4 11 8 -1 7 8 =   b.   9 2 15 - 5 8 15 =   c.   7 1 17 - 4 9 17 =

2 8 7 g.        3  1 7 -   1  3 7

h.        8  3 14 -   5  9 14

3.  First find a common denominator, then subtract.  See the examples.

a.    5 3 4 - 1 7 8 = 5 6 8 - 1 7 8 =  4 14 8 - 1 7 8 = 3 7 8   b.   8 9 15 - 5 4 5 =   c.   3 2 9 - 1 1 3 =

5 25 15 g.      6  2 3   6  10 15 -   3  4 5 -   3    15

i.      17  1 16   -   3  3 8

j.      5  1 2   -   2  4 5

k.      15  4 8   -   8  5 6

4.  Subtract in parts.  See the example.  if need be, convert the fractional parts first into like fractions.  Do the problems in your notebook.

5.  Figure out what was crossed out.  You can use the pictures to help you.  You can also draw more pictures to help you in the exercises e-l. 

a.   3 -            = 1 1 4

b.   4 -            = 2 3 5

 
6. a)  Sally needs 3 1/4 feet of material to make a shirt, and 4 1/2 feet to make a skirt.  How much material should she buy (in WHOLE feet)?     

b)  Betty needs 3 1/4 feet of material to make a shirt.  She has one piece of material that is 5 1/2 feet and another piece that is 4 1/2 feet.  She sews two shirts, one from each piece.  If she then sews together the remaining parts, will she have enough for a third shirt?

c)  Hal wants to make a picture frame out of wood.  He has a 24-inch piece of wood.  The picture frame is 2 3/4 inches wide, and 4 1/4 inches high.  How big a piece of wood will Hal have left after he finishes?

d)  Lily makes a cover for her notebook out of material.  She measured her notebook, and it was 3 1/4 inch wide and 6 1/8 inch long.  She will use a rectangular piece of material, and she needs 1/2 inch overlap on each side.  The cover needs to cover both the front and the back of her notebook.  What size rectangle should she cut?  Make a picture of the situation.

Next lesson: part of whole group revisited

The ideas in this fraction lesson are taken from the Fractions 1 ebook sold on this website. Only a few examples of each problem type are shown; you should make more problems of each kind for the student.

Teaching Tips and Math Lessons menu