Students will learn how to subtract integers. Students will solve both word problems and mathematical ones. Students have had lots of practice subtracting whole numbers, but haven't seen what happens when you subtract a smaller whole number from a larger one. Thus, start with such problems. Start with concrete and visual methods. Namely, show integer subtraction on the number line (video), and using two-color counters. After that, students should learn how to solve these problems, where a number line is given, but some unmarked number must be determined by repeatedly adding or subtracting a whole number. Students can practice here. Finally, students should learn about additive inverses and double negatives. Here's a problem to test their understanding of the latter.
Next, give your students these challenges:
- Watching the Wheels Go 'round and 'round by NRICH
- Book Codes by NRICH
- Maze 100 by NRICH
Conclude by leading this investigation:
The Broken Sword (addition, division, mini-mathematical universe)
by MathPickle