[TeachAbroad]

This week, in Math the students will learn to identify and compare negative numbers. I wanted to some ideas related to this concept:

How do you introduce the concept of negative numbers? Are there any good strategies or ideas to make it easier for the students to understand the concept? How do you help students to compare negative numbers?

Thanks.

[jch]

No matter what grades I've taught, I've always started with what the kids already know - thermometers. That seems to be something they can relate to.

I then put a number lines on the floor with masking or painter's tape. They start at zero, but I have them move toward the right for positive numbers, toward the left for negative numbers. We repeat until they get the feel. When you have more than one number line going with kids, it's fun for them to check and make sure they're all on the same ending number.

[Abbra]

I've taped two yardsticks on the board going vertically. The top one has numbers getting bigger in value going up. The bottom one has numbers getting bigger in value going down. I then use the analogy of going under water for the negative numbers.

When comparing negative numbers, I have them think "How far under sea level am I?" The number deeper is farther away from the surface- 0.

[dmamec]

Money....starting at zero, earning money, losing money, etc.

[mjh96]

Negative numbers are a very abstract concept at this grade level, so I always introduce it using concrete examples that the kids can relate to--money (earning, losing/owing), and temperatures (degrees below zero).