Grade

How Many Are Hidden? Lots of Bugs

The number of bugs in both pictures is the same. How many bugs are hidden behind the bush? How do you know? How can you finish the equation to make it true?

The picture on the left shows 10 blue bugs and 2 red bugs. The picture on the right shows 6 blue bugs and a bush hiding an unknown number of red bugs. The equation is blue 10 + red 2 = blue 6 + red blank.

What do you notice about how the blue number changed? What about the red number?

In the equation blue 10 plus red 2 equals blue 6 plus red blank, the 10 changed to 6. How would the 2 change to make the equation true?

Now there are fewer than 12 bugs in both pictures. You get to decide how many!
How many bugs could be hidden behind each bush? How do you know?
Finish the equation to make it true.
What do you notice about how the numbers changed?

The picture on the left shows a bush hiding an unknown number of blue bugs and 8 red bugs. The picture on the right shows a bush hiding an unknown number of blue bugs and 5 red bugs. The equation is blue blank + red 8 = blue blank + red 5.

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