Grade 5 · Math · Lesson 39

Introducing negative numbers: below zero on the number line

Numbers do not stop at zero. Below zero you find a whole new set of numbers called negative numbers. They show things that go below a starting point - cold temperatures, depths underwater, money owed, or floors below the ground floor in a lift.

What this lesson teaches

1Read and write negative whole numbers using the minus sign
2Place negative numbers correctly on a horizontal number line
3Compare and order numbers that include both negatives and positives
4Use negative numbers to describe real situations like temperature and depth

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