Walking the line with negatives

Mathematics · Addition & Subtraction · ages 12-13

Name ______________________ Date ____________

What is -7 + 3?
Answer: ______________
What is -7 + 3?
Answer: ______________
What does adding a negative number do on the number line?
- It moves you right
- It keeps you still
- It moves you left
The temperature is 5 degrees and falls by 8 degrees. What is the temperature now?
- -3 degrees
- 3 degrees
- -13 degrees
What is the distance between -4 and 6 on the number line?
Answer: ______________
Which of these equals -2 + (-5)?
- 7
- -7
- 3
Which of these equals 5 - (-3)?
- 8
- 2
- -8
Which of these equals 5 - (-3)?
- 8
- 2
- -8
- -2
Maya orders -9, 2, -4, 0, 5 from least to greatest and picks the middle one. What does she pick?
Answer: ______________
Maya orders the numbers -9, 2, -4, 0, 5 from least to greatest and picks the middle one. What does she pick?
Answer: ______________

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

-4 · Start at -7 and move 3 steps up toward zero: -7 + 3 = -4.
-4 · Start at -7 and move 3 steps right: -7 + 3 is -4.
It moves you left · Adding a negative steps left, into colder and deeper numbers.
-3 degrees · 5 - 8 is -3, so the temperature sits 3 below zero.
10 · Distance is the gap: 6 - (-4) = 10.
-7 · Two negatives combine into a bigger negative: -2 + (-5) is -7.
8 · Subtracting a negative matches adding the positive: 5 + 3 is 8.
8 · Subtracting a negative is the same as adding the positive: 5 + 3 = 8.
0 · Sorted: -9, -4, 0, 2, 5. The middle of five is the third: 0.
0 · Sorted: -9, -4, 0, 2, 5. The middle of five values is the third: 0.