Lesson 11 What’s the Difference?

- Let’s subtract fractions.

Warm-up Number Talk: Subtracting Fractions

Find the value of each difference mentally.

$\frac{2}{3} - \frac{1}{6}$
$\frac{2}{3} - \frac{1}{2}$
$\frac{2}{3} - \frac{4}{6}$
$\frac{2}{3} - \frac{1}{4}$

Activity 1 Greatest Difference

Use the directions to play Greatest Difference with a partner.

Spin the spinner.
Each player writes the number that was spun in an empty box for Round 1. Be sure your partner cannot see your paper.
Once a number is written down, it cannot be changed.
Continue spinning and writing numbers in the empty boxes until all 4 boxes have been filled.
Find the difference.
The person with the greatest difference wins the round.
After all 4 rounds, the player who won the most rounds, wins the game.
If there is a tie, players add the differences from all 4 rounds and the highest total difference wins the game.

Round 1

$\frac{}{} - \frac{}{} =$

Round 2

$\frac{}{} - \frac{}{} =$

Round 3

$\frac{}{} - \frac{}{} =$

Round 4

$\frac{}{} - \frac{}{} =$

Activity 2 What is the Smallest Difference?

Use the numbers below to fill in the squares. Find each difference. Add the 2 differences together.

1
1
2
2
3
4
5
6

$\frac{}{} - \frac{}{} =$

$\frac{}{} - \frac{}{} =$