M3.1.1 For the adult
Below zero
The weather report says minus 4. How can a temperature be below zero?
What this chapter teaches
A number below zero is negative. A thermometer is a number line stood on its end, so the lower the liquid, the smaller the number and the colder the day.
Three questions to ask
There is no one right wording. Listen for the idea.
- What does a reading of −4 °C tell you?
- Which is colder, −7 °C or −2 °C, and how do you know?
- Where would you put −3 on a number line?
After the chapter, the learner can
- Read temperatures in °C above and below zero on a thermometer
- Order numbers like −5, 2, −1 and 0 on a number line
What they copy into their notebook
A number below zero is negative. Negative numbers sit to the left of 0 on a number line. The further left a number is, the smaller it is. So −5 < −1 < 0 < 2.