Curriculum › Math ›Grade 4

Grade 4 Math · Level 5, Patterns, Data Literacy, Counting & Probability

Negative Integers

How the lesson starts: Negative Integers

1. Penny's thermometer

   Brrr! Meet Penny the penguin, weather reporter of Snowball Bay. This morning it's −5 degrees. That's 5 below zero! Numbers below zero are called negative numbers. Let's explore them with Penny!

2. Below zero

   Here's Penny's number line. Zero is in the middle. Positive numbers go right. Negative numbers go left. −7 is 7 steps left of zero. 7 is 7 steps right. They're mirror twins!

3. Which is warmer?

   Monday was −8 degrees. Tuesday was −3 degrees. Which is warmer? −8 is 8 steps left of zero. −3 is only 3 steps left. Further right means greater. So −3 > −8. Tuesday was warmer, even though 8 is bigger than 3!