Compare & Order Rational Numbers

How the lesson starts: Compare & Order Rational Numbers

Penny's weather station
Brrr! Penny the penguin runs the South Pole Weather Station. On Monday it was −3°C. On Tuesday it was −8°C. Her friend Gus says Monday was colder, because 3 is smaller than 8. Is Gus right? Let's learn to compare chilly negative numbers!
Right is greater
Put both on a number line. −8 is farther left than −3. On a number line, the number to the right is always greater. So −3 > −8, and −8°C is the colder day. Sorry, Gus! Tuesday was colder.
Order the readings
Penny logs four readings: 5, −2, 0 and −7. To order them from least to greatest, picture them on the line and read left to right. −7 is farthest left, then −2, then 0, then 5. The coldest reading is always the least!