Subtracting Integers with Number Lines

Objective: Subtract integers on a number line by changing them to addition problems.

​When the problem is addition, the second number in the expression tells you which direction you are counting.

​4 + ⁺5

​4 + ^-5

​⁺5 so you move (count) five to the right

​^-5 so you move (count) five to the left

​Subtraction is trickier. Subtracting a positive means moving left while subtracting a negative means moving right.

​4 - ⁺5

​4 - ^-5

​Since addition tends to be easier we are going to rewrite subtraction problems as addition problems

-2 - ^-7

Keep - Change - Opposite

8 - 14

-5 - (-3)

Best to change it to an addition problem first
Keep - Change - Opposite​

EXAMPLE

​-4 - 5

​-4 - (-5)

​What is the ADDITION problem modeled?

​What is the SUBTRACTION problem modeled?