1. **State the problem:** We need to find how many more feet of licorice twists Mr. Alcott's class ate compared to Mrs. Austen's class. 2. **Identify the quantities:** Mr. Alcott's class ate 117 feet, Mrs. Austen's class ate 79 feet. 3. **Set up the subtraction:** To find how many more feet Mr. Alcott's class ate, subtract the amount Mrs. Austen's class ate from Mr. Alcott's class. $$\text{Difference} = 117 - 79$$ 4. **Calculate the difference:** $$117 - 79 = 38$$ 5. **Interpret the result:** Mr. Alcott's class ate 38 more feet of licorice twists than Mrs. Austen's class.