Maryland Math 5.NOS.C.8.b
The Standard
- 5.NOS.C.8
- Add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators.
Apply and extend whole number addition and subtraction strategies (e.g. counting on, making a whole, partial sums, compensation, properties of operations, the inverse relationship between addition and subtraction) to add and subtract fractions.
Maryland College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics (2025) · USE EQUIVALENT FRACTIONS AS A STRATEGY TO ADD AND SUBTRACT FRACTIONS.
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students use equivalent fractions to add and subtract fractions. They choose a strategy they know from whole numbers, such as making a whole or counting on, and explain why it works.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can find 3/4 + 5/6 by taking 1/4 from 5/6 to make one whole, then adding the remaining 7/12. They can check the answer by subtracting an addend.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may add the denominators as well as the numerators. When making a whole, they may move part of one fraction without subtracting that part from its original amount.
How to Assess It
- Ask: Find 3/4 + 5/6 by making a whole. Show what you moved, what remains, and how you know your answer is correct.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs fraction strips for 3/4 and 5/6, then have them move 1/4 to make a whole and name the leftover piece.
Ask students to explain in writing why 3/4 + 5/6 equals 1 + (5/6 − 1/4).
Have partners draw two fraction cards, add them using equivalent fractions, then check by subtracting one card's value.
Give students a recipe using 3/4 cup of oats and 5/6 cup of nuts, then ask them to find the total amount.
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Printable 5.NOS.C.8.b Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 5.NOS.C.8.b, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
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Related Standards
- 1.NOS.E.13.b
Use counting strategies, properties of operations, and/or the inverse relationship between addition and subtraction to subtract.
- 4.NOS.E.12.c
Apply and extend whole number addition and subtraction strategies (e.g. counting on, making a whole, partial sums, compensation, properties of operations, the i...
- 5.NOS.D.13.b
Apply and extend whole number multiplication strategies (e.g. area model, partial products).
- 4.NOS.E.12
Apply and extend previous understanding of addition and subtraction of whole numbers to add and subtract fractions with like denominators.
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