Pam  0:00  
Hey, fellow mathers! Welcome to the podcast where Math is Figure-Out-Able. I'm Pam Harris.

Kim  0:07  
And I'm Kim Montague. 

Pam  0:08  
This is a MathStratChat episode where we chat about our math strategies. Every Wednesday evening, I'll throw out a math problem on social media. People from around the world chat about the strategies they use and comment on each other's thinking.

Kim  0:19  
Okay, so this Wednesday, our math problem was 35 minus a -37. 35 minus -37 how would you solve this problem? Pause, solve it and come on back.

Pam  0:32  
Alright, Kim, what you got? 

Kim  0:36  
Um.

Pam  0:36  
Do you want me to go first?

Kim  0:38  
No, I think about it. So, I'm actually going to draw a number. I like to think about this as 35. So, it's subtraction problem. 35 minus -37. So, I'm going to draw 35. And I'm thinking about distance for this one. So, if I think about where 35 is on number line and where -37 is on the number line.

Pam  1:00  
Mmhm.

Kim  1:01  
I'm finding how far apart they are. So, from 35 to 0.

Pam  1:05  
That's what the subtraction says to you, is how far apart they are. Yeah, okay.

Kim  1:09  
So, they're 35 apart to get me to 0, and then 37 apart. So, I have a number line that has 2 jumps. One of them is a jump of 37 and one is a jump of 35. Kind of like in the middle at 0. And so then I'm adding the jumps. And I have 72. So, they're 72 apart. Nice.

Pam  1:33  
I like it. 

Kim  1:34  
Yeah.

Pam  1:35  
I'm going to try to employ a Kourtney strategy. So, Kourtney, tell me if I got this right. So, Kourtney said you could think about 35 plus -37. Oh, am I thinking of that right? Let me. I'm going to run with it. So, 35 plus -37 would be... No, I don't think I'm thinking of that, right? Do you know what I'm trying to do? 

Kim  1:55  
I have no idea what you're talking what you're talking about. Sorry. I wasn't... I don't think I know what Kourtney does.

Pam  2:09  
I think... Okay, I think I actually have it right. I'm going to think about 35 minus 37. So, 35 minus 37 would say go down 37. So, I'm going to go down to 0, and then go 2 more. If that's down 37. But I'm actually supposed to subtract -37, so I have to go the other direction. So. 

Kim  2:35  
Say that one more time. 

Pam  2:37  
So, if I thought about 35 minus 37, I would go through 0 to -2.

Kim  2:45  
Mmhm.

Pam  2:45  
But it's actually subtracting -37 not positive 37, so instead I have to go the other direction. So, 35 plus 37 is the 72. Is the 72 that you got. Yeah. Yeah. Alright, Kourtney, tell me if I said your strategy right.

Kim  3:04  
So, you're so you're basically saying that it's the opposite rather than...

Pam  3:08  
Yes. 

Kim  3:08  
...negative sign. Yeah.

Pam  3:09  
Yeah, yeah. Alright. 

Kim  3:10  
Alright. 

Pam  3:11  
Y'all, we can't wait to see what you do each week. Join us on MathStratChat and let us know how you think about the problems and comment on each other's strategies.

Kim  3:18  
Pam posts the problem on Wednesday nights at 7:00 p.m. Central. And when you answer, tag her and use the hashtag MathStratChat. Then join us here to hear how we're thinking about the problem.

Pam  3:28  
We love having you as part of the Math is Figure-Out-Able movement. Y'all, Math is Figure-Out-Able!