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Do you sometimes think that we don't really need maths?
Lots of us do, but we are using it all the time often without realising it!
Just think about going to the shops. We need to make sure that we have enough money to buy the things we want and check we are given the correct change!
What about playing a board game - we need to be able to add up the scores!
These are just a couple of examples of how we use maths every day.
In this activity, we are going to practise using addition and subtraction to answer everyday word problems.
It is very important to read the question carefully because we will have to do more than one calculation in some questions!
Example 1
We have to do just one calculation in this first example!
Sarah and Holly love swimming.
Holly swims 25 lengths of the pool and Sarah swims 18 lengths.
How many more lengths does Holly swim than Sarah?
First, we need to identify the key information.
Holly swims 25 lengths.
Sarah swims 18 lengths.
The question asks us how many more lengths Holly swam, so we need to find the difference, which means subtraction.
25 - 18 = 7
Holly swam 7 more lengths.
Now let's look at another example, but this time we need to do more than one calculation!
Chocolate bars cost 70 pence each and packets of crisps cost 40 pence each.
How much change from £5 would we get if we bought 2 chocolate bars and 3 packets of crisps?
First, we need to work out the cost of 2 chocolate bars and 3 packets of crisps.
70 + 70 = 140 = £1.40 (140 pence is the same as £1.40).
40 + 40 + 40 = £1.20 (120 is the same as £1.20).
Now, we add together the two totals.
£1.40 + £1.20 = £2.60 (260 pence).
The total amount spent is £2.60
Now we subtract £2.60 from £5.00 (500 - 260) - use a method that suits you to do this!
500 - 260 = 240 pence
We would have £2.40 change.
Now, why don't you have a go at some questions like these?
Remember to read the question carefully and highlight the important information!
