Math Lesson Plan · Grades 5–8
Positive and Negative Numbers Intro Lesson
Introduce students to positive and negative integers with this six-page lesson plan and worksheet. Students learn to represent real-world quantities as positive or negative numbers, compare integers using greater than, less than, and equal to, and calculate absolute value. The worksheet includes 30 practice problems with a full answer key.
Subject
Math
Grades
Grades 5–8
Skill Focus
Positive and negative numbers, comparing integers, absolute value
Lesson Length
45 minutes
Lesson Overview
Introduction to Positive and Negative Numbers
This lesson introduces students to the concept of positive and negative numbers. A positive number represents a quantity greater than zero — any of the counting numbers students have used in math. A negative number represents a quantity less than zero, such as a temperature below freezing, a debt, or a loss of yards in football.
The lesson covers three topics. First, students learn to write real-world situations as positive or negative integers (for example, a loss of 27 = −27). Second, students compare pairs of integers using greater than, less than, and equal to — including cases where a negative number closer to zero is actually larger than a more-negative number. Third, students find the absolute value of integers: the absolute value of −7 is 7, because absolute value measures distance from zero regardless of sign.
The worksheet provides 30 problems: writing integers for 10 real-world scenarios, comparing 8 pairs of integers, and finding absolute values for 7 numbers. The final section asks students to compare absolute values to signed numbers. A complete answer key is included on page 6.
How to Use This Lesson
1. Read the lesson introduction on pages 1–3 as a class. Work through the board examples for positive numbers, negative numbers, comparing, and absolute value.
2. Distribute the worksheet (pages 4–5). Complete problems 1–10 (writing integers for real-world situations) and problems 11–18 (comparing pairs using >, <, =).
3. Complete problems 19–30 (absolute value). Review all answers using the answer key on page 6.
Printable Resource
A classroom-ready PDF with everything in one printable resource.
Full Member Resource · Printable PDF · 6 pages
Positive and Negative Numbers Intro Lesson
Six-page printable: three-page teacher lesson (introduction, comparing, absolute value) and three-page student worksheet with 30 problems and answer key. Grades 5–8.