Math Lesson Plan: Negative Number, Positive Number, Absolute Value

Objective: Students will be able to explain and use the terms negative number, positive number and absolute value.

Lesson Opening

1. We are going to spend two days looking at number lines. We are going to look at number lines because they help us orient ourselves. Sometimes it is difficult to figure out how big or small a number is unless we look at it in comparison to other numbers.

Guided Practice

1. Suppose I have $10. We will put that at 10 on the number line. That's no big deal, it is easy for you to see where it ought to go. Now suppose I buy a $4 sandwich. Now how much money do I have? That is also easy to see.

1. But now suppose I have $6 and I want to buy a $16 shirt. I don't have enough money, but the guy who owns the store is a friend of mine. He tells me that I can have the shirt, and I can owe him the ten dollars. So how much money do I have now?

1. If you said I have 0 dollars, you are only partially right. True, I have 0 dollars in my wallet. However, I have even less than 0 dollars in reality. I have less than 0 dollars because even if someone gave me a dollar, I would have to give it o the man at the store.

1. A negative number is like that. It is even less than zero. We will look at some other real life examples.

Independent Practice

1. Students will work in teams to complete problem. We will go over the answers when they have finished. Number lines will also be passed out to aid them with their work.

Closing

1. Ask the children to put their answers on the board.