Lesson Plans, Resources, Tips, and Freebies for Teaching How to Use Place Value to Subtract

This week's post is about teaching How to Use Place Value to Subtract. That Common Core Standard is 3.NBT.A.2 - Fluently add and subtract within 1,000 using strategies and algorithms based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction. Ready? Here we go :)

Teaching How to Use Place Value to Subtract Including Lesson Plans, Centers, Task Cards, Color By Numbers & More Resources. #FernSmithsClassroomIdeas

Teaching Subtraction with the Place Value Model

If you are new to my blog, I love math and have taught it for many years. I am now retired and love creating TpT Resources and Freebies for you to use in your classroom!

I loved small group teaching, but for your small groups to run smoothly, your math centers, your math workstations, have to have activities and worksheets that the students can do without you. To that end, I've created many lessons, center games, task cards, and worksheet bundles to help you in my TeachersPayTeachers store. Follow my blog, click here, or my TpT Store, click here, to see my 3rd grade math blog posts each week!

Use Place Value to Subtract Essential Question

How can you use place value to subtract 3-digit numbers?

Why Should We Teach How to Use Place Value to Subtract?

Students need a successful mastery of the tradition method of addition and subtraction of multi-digit numbers so that they can progress in mathematics, including improved fluency with basic addition and subtraction facts.

Subtraction with the Place Value Model

This lesson is the tradition model taught for subtraction of large numbers, by using place value. For example, 4 hundreds 5 tens and 9 one = 3 hundreds 15 tens and 9 ones. Children need a strong foundation of hundreds, tens and ones to be able to manipulate them for addition and/or subtraction. Click here to read my post on Rounding to Estimate Differences.

Use Place Value to Subtract with a Hands-On Lesson

1. Place large tubs of Base Ten Blocks in the middle of each group. We like to call them the BANK, I find when I relate most math lessons to money, (For example, take 4 hundreds to the BANK and return with only tens.) their ears perk up a little bit more by relating it to money. {I then usually follow up by saying, "When you use this math lesson to get a great job, please come by the old folks home and take me out to get ice cream!" It's my one standard joke every time I introduce a new skill and after a couple of weeks, they like to recite it with me!}

2. Write some 3-digit numbers on the board, one at a time. Allow children time to get the exact amount of Base Ten Blocks from the bank.

3. Next, give them a 3-digit number, 627, allow them to get 6 hundreds, 2 tens, and 7 ones. Then have them exchange 1 hundred at the BANK for 10 tens. Continue with more examples, having children in groups help each other and check each other's answers for more practice.

4. Write a problem on the board, here's one you can use, 721 - 616 = Show them step by step how to start with 7 hundreds, 2 tens, and 1 one. Discuss, "Can you take 6 ones away for 1 one?" Then work with them to go to the "bank" in the center of the table with a ten and return with 10 ones. Step by step, nice and slow. Have your higher students help the others if they have grasped it quickly. Do this step multiple times with more problems.

4. Finally, transition into no Base Ten Blocks. Write a problem on the board, example, 421 - 389 = and work this problem on the board or digital camera together. Let your students follow along with white boards or just paper and pencil. This last step is important for reviewing regrouping and how you don't always "go next door to get ten more" but only when they number you are trying to subtract is greater than the number you are subtracting it from.

I recommend all blue Base Ten Blocks, like these on Amazon. At the beginning, when you used different colors, the students learn that they are trading "colors" instead of focusing on just the place value of the block.

Don't have Base Ten Blocks? Read my post here about using other inexpensive items for hundreds, tens and ones.

$Teaching How to Use Place Value to Subtract Including Lesson Plans, Centers, Task Cards, Color By Numbers & More Resources. #FernSmithsClassroomIdeas$

Another Lesson for Using Place Value to Subtract

Using my task cards as flash cards, give everyone scrap paper, whiteboards or iPads so they can solve the problems. Now that everyone has a way to subtract multi-digit numbers within 1,000, you can play one of my students' favorite game ever, Around the World.

3rd Grade Math Use Place Value to Subtract Task Cards

These 3rd Grade Math Use Place Value to Subtract Task Cards are Now Available as a Digital Version Too, at NO Extra Charge

Directions for Around the World

Have one student stand behind the next student in the row in your room.
Quickly display the task card.
Both students must solve using their paper, whiteboard, etc. to find the answer.
The first student who calls out the correct answer moves to stand behind the next student.
The object of the game is to see how far one student can "travel" AROUND THE WORLD without making any mistakes.

Your students will love this game!

For more involvement, allow all students to work the problem, then challenge them, they must not yell the answer, only the two students during their turn can answer!

Common Core Standard

3.NBT.A.2 - Fluently add and subtract within 1,000 using strategies and algorithms based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction.

More Resources for Your Classroom!

3rd Grade Math Use Place Value to Subtract Color By Number

Your students will adore these Color By Number worksheets while learning and reviewing important skills at the same time! You will love the no prep, print and go ease of these worksheets. As always, answer keys are included and can be used as student self-checking sheets! FIVE printables that are made to be an additional resource for any math series. Use them for your math center, small group, RTI pull out, seat work or homework. Three pages are the shown children and fish pages, which are to be solved, and then colored using the code key.The next two pages are math problems for tens only and hundreds only, but still have a small child that your students can color when they are done. They are perfect for assessments, pre-tests, post-tests, homework, etc. This resource is extremely versatile.

3rd Grade Math Use Place Value to Subtract Color By Number

Lesson Plan Ideas for Using the Color By Number Resource for Use Place Value to Subtract

(This Lesson Plan Suggestion is Included in the PDF of Use Place Value to Subtract Color By Number Resource.)

Monday - Use pages 6 & 7, printed back to back, as a USE PLACE VALUE TO SUBTRACT pre-assessment. Plan your small groups for the week around the data from this and your other observations.

Tuesday - Use page 6, the 18 USE PLACE VALUE TO SUBTRACT 2-digit subtraction math problems as morning work. Depending on the level of your boys and girls, they can complete the page alone, in pairs, or in a group. You can have the answer key on the board so that they are copying the correct answers as a very basic, low math level activity. OR Once the boys and girls are done, you, or a student, can project the answer key, covering up the problems and call them out one at a time, while revealing the answer. During math rotations, use page 3, the cute little fish in his fish tank solve and color page to review USE PLACE VALUE TO SUBTRACT during the student seat work time.

Wednesday - Use page 7, the 18 USE PLACE VALUE TO SUBTRACT 3-digit subtraction math problems as morning work. Depending on the level of your boys and girls, they can complete the page alone, in pairs, or in a group. You can have the answer key on the board so that they are copying the correct answers as a very basic, low math level activity. OR Once the boys and girls are done, you, or a student, can project the answer key, covering up the problems and call them out one at a time, while revealing the answer. During math rotations, use page 4, the cute little boy solve and color page to review USE PLACE VALUE TO SUBTRACT during the student seat work time.

Thursday - During morning work, classwork, small group instruction, or seat work, have the student's complete pages 6 & 7 copied front to back again, the USE PLACE VALUE TO SUBTRACT page as a review. You can have the students self-correct the page or peer sharing to review and come to a final answer together, all sorts of review possibilities.

OR PLAN B - Just give page 6, (the easier page) USE PLACE VALUE TO SUBTRACT 2-digit subtraction math problems page as a final assessment.

Friday - Use pages 6 & 7 copied front to back again, the USE PLACE VALUE TO SUBTRACT page as a final assessment.

OR PLAN B - Today give page 7, (the harder page) USE PLACE VALUE TO SUBTRACT 3-digit subtraction math problems page as a final assessment.

Weekly Homework - You can use any and all of these pages as your weekly homework review, they are completely student self-directed so you will not have any problems or concerns with parents that are unable to help their children with this assignment. Win-Win for everyone!

3rd Grade Math Use Place Value to Subtract Color By Number

ANSWER KEYS INCLUDED!

3rd Grade Math Use Place Value to Subtract Color By Number

** Additional Important Information **

I have no math problems on the cute little children's skin and hair, allowing your students to select any skin tone color and any hair color. The directions read, "Pick your own hair and skin tones." This feature is a real hit with my teacher buyers!

3rd Grade Math Use Place Value to Subtract Task Cards

* One Center Sign and/or Folder Cover

* 36 Task Cards

>> 18 Task Cards for Subtraction of Tens Only

>> 18 Task Cards for Subtraction of Hundreds Only

* Recording Sheet

* Answer Key / Student Self-Checking Page

3rd Grade Math Use Place Value to Subtract Task Cards

3rd Grade Math Use Place Value to Subtract Center Games

By putting this math center in a folder with the folder cover, your students can take it back to their desk if your classroom space is limited, or now with students working independently due to the COVID-19 precautions.

This center game includes:

24 center game cards in color AND
24 center game cards in black and white - PERFECT for a Make and Take Math Center!
Two Math Center signs, one in color and one in black and white.
Student Directions, one in color and one in black and white.
Teacher Directions, one in color and one in black and white.
Common Core Poster page, in both color and black and white.

3rd Grade Math Use Place Value to Subtract Center Games

There are many ways to use this center game, here are a few of my favorite ways:

Use one page as a game board, cut the other page. Place all those cards face down. Have the students turn over one card at a time, solve and place face up on the board. If they are incorrect, the card returns to the bottom of the pile. The winner is the student who places the final card. OR, for a "no winner" version, the goal is for the students to solve the cards independently, but to completely cover the board together. This version can ALSO be played two ways. One way is with the answer page as the game board, another way is with the math problem page as the game board instead.
You can also play this game with cutting all the cards and matching up the problems with the solutions.
For movement, place the problem cards around the room and the student(s) have to solve the math problem and leave the correct answer card at that location. Have a second student check the answers to extend the game.
Mix all the cards together, with two students, deal 5 cards to each student and then place the remaining cards face down. Use as a Go Fish card game!
Lay all the cards upside down on the floor and use as a Concentration (some call it Memory) Game!

ENJOY THE MANY WAYS TO USE THIS CENTER GAME!

3rd Grade Math Use Place Value to Subtract Center Games

These three resources are available in one discounted bundle! 3rd Grade Math Use Place Value to Subtract Bundle.

3rd Grade Math Use Place Value to Subtract Bundle

This bundle contains:

1. 3rd Grade Math Use Place Value to Subtract Center Games

2. 3rd Grade Math Use Place Value to Subtract Task Cards

3. 3rd Grade Math Use Place Value to Subtract Color By Number

More Resources to Help You With Using Place Value to Subtract!

More Images to Pin for Later!

3rd Grade Math Use Place Value to Subtract Color By Number

I also have a simple set of basic task cards for teaching Use Place Value to Subtract. It has 24 task cards with borders of various colors, one student recording sheet, and one answer key. The answer key can also be used as a student self-checking sheet at your center with these task cards.

3rd Grade Math Use Place Value to Subtract Task Cards

ANSWER KEY INCLUDED TOO!

3rd Grade Math Use Place Value to Subtract Task Cards

Since tomorrow you will most likely be teaching Combine Place Value to Subtract, I also have a simple set of basic task cards for teaching how to Combine Place Value to Subtract. It has 24 task cards with borders of various colors, one student recording sheet, and one answer key. The answer key can also be used as a student self-checking sheet at your center with these task cards.