Integers and Rational Numbers

🔢 Integers and Rational Numbers

The use of Integers & Rational Numbers helps students gain knowledge of numbers beyond zero. This matter acts as a foundation that allows students to learn algebra, statistics and math used in the world outside of school with temperature, money and height. Grasping the concept of rational numbers sharpens students' critical thinking and enables them to work with positive and negative numbers logically.

Positive and Negative Numbers

There are positive numbers to the right and negative numbers to the left on a number line. Students look for and assign positive and negative numbers to their relative locations along a horizontal number line. Children understand that zero forms the center and as you go to the right, numbers are positive and as you go to the left, they become negative. Using this approach, students easily learn about opposites and things that have only one extreme. Illustrations using real temperatures, money accounts and sea level help the concept make sense.

Activity Idea

Integer Temperature Tracker - Track indoor/outdoor temperatures on a number line over time.

Entertainment Activities

1. Elevator Game - Use a drawing of a building with floors above/below ground to simulate movement through positive/negative numbers.

2. Card Integer War - Use cards with positive/negative numbers for compare and sum games.

3. Walk the Line - Use floor tape and step forward/back to show +/� numbers.