fraction addition and subtraction

There were 12 apples on a tree. A little boy climbed the tree and picked 5 apples. So there were 12 - 5 = 7 apples left on the tree. Then his sister came and brought 3 more apples she had found elsewhere. So in the end, there were 7 + 3 = 10 apples in total.

It makes the concepts more interesting. For kids, plain numbers can be boring, but a story with characters and situations makes it engaging. For example, a story about a magic forest where animals are adding or subtracting fruits is much more appealing.

One way is to create a story about sharing candies. For example, say there are 5 children and 10 candies. If 3 children take 2 candies each, we can use subtraction to find out how many candies are left. First, 3 children taking 2 candies each means 3 * 2 = 6 candies are taken. Then we subtract 6 from 10, 10 - 6 = 4 candies left. This story makes the addition and subtraction operation easy to understand.

Once upon a time, there was a farmer who had 20 sheep. One day, 8 sheep got lost. We can write this as a subtraction story: 20 - 8. To find out how many sheep are left, we start with 20 and take away 8. We can break 20 into 10 and 10, and 8 into 5 and 3. First, take away 5 from one of the 10s, we get 5 left in that part. Then take away 3 from the other 10, we get 7 left in that part. So in total, there are 12 sheep left.

Once, there was a pizza divided into 8 slices. Tom ate 3 slices. So he ate 3/8 of the pizza. His sister was so hungry that she ate the remaining 5 slices, which is 5/8 of the pizza. It was a simple yet funny fraction story about sharing food.

Fraction stories can make the concept more relatable. For example, if you tell a story about sharing a cake among friends. Say there are 4 friends and a cake is divided into 8 slices. Each friend gets 2 slices, which is 2/8 or 1/4 of the cake. Kids can better understand the idea of fractions as parts of a whole through such stories.

It makes subtraction more interesting. Instead of just looking at numbers, students get to engage with a story, which is more fun. For example, a story about sharing toys can show subtraction in a natural way.

I had 50 dollars. I spent 20 dollars on a book. So the subtraction story is 50 - 20 = 30. I have 30 dollars left.

You can start by using real-life examples. Like, if you have five apples and eat two, how many are left? That makes it relatable and easier for kids to understand.

One characteristic could be the blending of real historical events with fictional elements in a partial or 'fraction' way. For example, the story might focus on a specific period or event within a larger historical context and then add fictional characters or sub - plots to it.