Unit 7, Lesson 3
Comparing Positive and Negative Numbers
Grade 6
Preparation
Lesson Narrative
In this lesson, students plot rational numbers on a number line and compare them. They write inequality statements that include negative numbers.
Students begin by considering four inequality statements. They are formally introduced to an inequality as a statement that uses symbols, such as > or <, to compare two values or expressions.
Next they plot a set of temperatures on a vertical or horizontal number line. By seeing the data represented in both ways, students are primed to recognize the
Students use the structure of the number line to reason about relationships between numbers (MP7). They compare the size of two numbers as well as the distance from zero, finding that the greatest number is not always the one farthest from zero. Students are introduced to the word sign as a way to talk about whether numbers are positive or negative.
- Compare rational numbers in the context of temperature or elevation, and express (in writing) the comparisons by using the symbols > and <.
- Comprehend the word “sign” (in spoken language) to refer to whether a number is positive or negative.
- Critique (orally and in writing) statements comparing rational numbers, including claims about relative position and claims about distance from zero.
Let’s compare numbers on the number line.
Required Preparation
None
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