lesson
Count through zero
1 · Learn
Numbers below zero can describe temperatures below 0°C. On a number line, moving left from zero gives -1, -2, -3 and so on.
A number farther left is smaller. Thus -4 is less than -1. Do not compare only the digits and ignore the minus sign.
2 · Worked example
Starting at 2 and counting back four steps gives 1, 0, -1, -2. Zero is one of the steps, not a gap to skip.
3 · Your turn
Start at 1 and count back five steps. Which is warmer: -2°C or -5°C?
Check your answer
The steps are 0, -1, -2, -3, -4. -2°C is warmer than -5°C.
4 · Apply your learning
Draw a number line from -10 to 10 and model temperature rises and falls with small whole-number steps.
Adult guidance and safety
Use practical or drawn representations and explain the method. Check units and labels. A correct answer to one example is not evidence of secure fluency; revisit with varied numbers and feedback.
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