SUBTRACTING INTEGERS WITH THE ALGORITHM 

The Correct Answer and Explanation is:

Based on the math problems and the letter key provided on the worksheet, the correct answer to the riddle “WHAT DID ONE WALL SAY TO THE OTHER WALL?” is:

I’LL MEET AT THE CORNER.

This worksheet is a fun and engaging activity designed to help students practice subtracting integers. The core concept revolves around a simple but crucial rule: subtracting an integer is equivalent to adding its opposite. To solve each problem, you can follow a method often taught as “Keep, Change, Change.”

First, you keep the first number in the equation the same. Second, you change the subtraction sign to an addition sign. Third, you change the second number to its opposite sign. For instance, if the number is positive, it becomes negative, and if it is negative, it becomes positive.

Let’s apply this to an example from the sheet. One problem is 5 – (-8). Following the rule, you keep the 5, change the subtraction to addition, and change -8 to its opposite, which is +8. The new problem becomes 5 + 8, which equals 13. Looking at the answer key on the worksheet, the number 13 corresponds to the letter T.

Here is another example with different signs: -7 – 3. You keep the -7, change the subtraction to addition, and change the positive 3 to its opposite, -3. The problem is now -7 + (-3). When adding two negative numbers, you add their values and keep the negative sign, resulting in -10. In the key, -10 corresponds to the letter O.

By systematically solving each subtraction problem in this manner, you generate a series of numerical answers. Each of these answers is then matched to its corresponding letter in the provided grid. Finally, you fill in the blanks at the bottom of the page using the letters you have decoded, which spells out the punchline to the riddle.

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