Rational Numbers: Adding

Lesson Procedure:

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

Lesson Excerpt:

II. Adding Rational Numbers

- “Today we are going to learn about adding rational numbers. Since rational numbers can also be negative, let’s take a minute and review a little bit about the rules of adding negative numbers.”
- “Remember, when we are adding and subtracting negative numbers, we are talking about losses and gains. This isn’t going to change with rational numbers. If you have a loss and you add a gain, then you are finding the difference between the two. A loss and a loss equals more loss. And a gain and a gain equals more gains.”
- “Let’s start with an example to talk through this.”
- On Board: -6 + 8 = ____
- “Alright, if I talk through this problem, I can say that I have a loss of 6 and a gain of 8. In this case, I am going to find the difference between the two. A loss of 6 would start me at negative 6, but then I gained a positive 8, so I am going to move toward the positive and end up at positive 2. This is an example of adding rational numbers.”

Continued...