Rational Numbers Introduction: Ordering and Comparing

Objectives:

• Students will learn the basic characteristics of rational numbers.

• Students will learn how to identify rational numbers.

• Students will learn how to compare rational numbers.

• Students will learn how to put rational numbers in order from least to greatest.

• Students will learn how to find a rational number between two other rational numbers.

Suggested Grades:

Sixth Grade - Seventh Grade - Eighth Grade - Ninth Grade - including special education students

Lesson Procedure:

Print the classroom lesson plan and worksheet questions (see below).

Lesson Excerpt:

I. Introduction

- "Today we are going to begin working with Rational Numbers. Up until this time, we have seen lots of different kinds of numbers. We have been working with whole numbers, real numbers, natural numbers, fractions, decimals etc. Now we are going to learn about Rational Numbers."
- "The first thing that you want to know about rational numbers is that a lot of the numbers that we have already been working with are rational numbers. Rational numbers form a new category or way of grouping numbers. We learn about rational numbers as we begin learning Algebra."
- "Here are some notes about rational numbers. I'll explain them after you copy them down. Please take a few minutes now and do that."
- On Board: Rational Numbers
i. Numbers that can be written in fraction form - where the denominator is never 0.
ii. This can include fractions, decimals, mixed numbers and whole numbers that are put over 1.
iii. Rational numbers can also be either positive or negative.

Continued...