In previous lessons, students subtracted 2 three-digit numbers and decomposed a ten or a hundred in order to subtract by place. Students analyzed problems to anticipate when one or more units may be decomposed, and used their analysis to choose their method and their steps.

In this lesson, students subtract 2 three-digit numbers that require decomposing a hundred and a ten when subtracting by place. They connect the use of base-ten blocks or diagrams to written methods that use numbers and equations. Throughout the lesson, students interpret and share methods that use words and equations to show subtracting by place (MP2, MP7). However, students should be encouraged to attend to the numbers in expressions, and may use base-ten blocks, base-ten diagrams, and any other representations that make sense to them.