B1.3 Compare and order integers, decimal numbers, and fractions, separately and in combination, in various contexts.
Activity 1: Comparing Whole Numbers with a Number Line
Present the following descriptions to the students. Ask them to name the integer being described and to state its opposite:
- 5 units of - 2 on a number line?
- 12 units of 4 on a number line?
- 5 units of - 8 on a number line?
There is a distance of 16 spaces between two opposite integers on a number line. What are these numbers?
Source: translated from Réduction des écarts de rendement, 9e année, p. 12.
Activity 2: Ordering Integers on a Number Line
Ask students to choose eight whole numbers that fit these criteria:
- five are negative integers
- three are whole numbers
- one is the number zero
Ask them to locate these numbers on a number line and to order them from smallest to largest.
Example of a solution
While observing or listening to students, note whether students:
- understand how to place a negative integer on a number line;
- consider all possible distances between negative integers;
- understand how to order whole numbers.
Source: adapted from translated from Réduction des écarts de rendement, 9e année, p 7-8.
Activity 3: Plot Various Numbers on a Number Line
Invite students to place various numbers on a number line.
Source: Adapted and translated from Guide d’enseignement efficace des mathématiques de la 4e à la 6e année, Numération et sens du nombre, Fascicule 2, Fractions, p. 56.
Sample questions to ask the student:
- What strategies did you use to locate the various numbers on the number line?
- How can you justify the location of this number?
- How can you use the number line to place these numbers in ascending or descending order?