Fractions - Subtract from whole amounts (Bar Models) - Presentation

The presentation focuses on teaching Year 6 students how to subtract fractions from whole numbers through a variety of engaging activities. In the initial stage, students are encouraged to discuss the significance of fractions where the numerator and denominator are identical, leading to the understanding that such fractions represent one whole. The lesson employs practical resources such as cubes, paper strips, and bar models to visually demonstrate subtraction of fractions from whole numbers. For example, students explore how subtracting five-eighths from one whole leaves three-eighths remaining, and similarly, subtracting two-eighths results in six-eighths left over. These visual aids are designed to clarify the concept and help students grasp the relationship between parts and wholes.

Building on this, the lesson introduces number lines as another tool to find the difference between fractional amounts. Students practice various subtraction problems, such as taking seven-tenths away from two wholes, and are challenged to calculate the difference between numbers expressed in fractions. This helps solidify their understanding of fractions as parts of a whole and how to work with them in subtraction. To deepen the students' reasoning skills, the lesson includes problem-solving scenarios where students must identify and correct mistakes in subtraction, such as recognizing that seven is equivalent to sixty-three ninths, not forty-nine ninths as incorrectly assumed. The lesson culminates with independent work, where students draw their own models to solve calculations and discuss the properties of fractions and bar models, enhancing their analytical and critical thinking skills.