The purpose of this activity is for students to add and subtract numbers through the thousands place in a way that makes sense to them. The numbers in this activity do not require regrouping when subtracting. Throughout the activity, teachers have the opportunity to learn what students know about addition and subtraction through the hundreds place and how they apply that prior knowledge to work with four-digit numbers. Working with larger numbers sets the stage for students to think about the standard algorithm as an efficient way to add and subtract.
Students may need an orientation to the context. To give students an idea of what the number of steps means, share that it takes about 1,700 steps to walk a mile.
MLR2 Collect and Display. Circulate, listen for, and collect the language students use as they compare the amount of steps. On a visible display, record words and phrases such as: “most,” “least,” “add,” “subtract,” “difference,” “total.” Invite students to borrow language from the display as needed, and update it throughout the lesson.
Advances: Conversing, Reading
Representation: Access for Perception. Provide access to materials that students may find helpful for addition and subtraction with large numbers, such as base-ten blocks. During the Activity Synthesis, ask students to identify correspondences between the more concrete and more abstract representations that they share.
Supports accessibility for: Conceptual Processing, Memory
