Georgia 6.NR.3.5
The Standard
Explain the absolute value of a rational number as its distance from zero on the number line; interpret absolute value as distance for a positive or negative quantity in a relevant situation.
Georgia's K-12 Mathematics Standards · Solve a variety of problems involving whole numbers and their opposites; model rational numbers on a number line to describe problems presented in relevant, mathematical situations.
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students locate positive and negative rational numbers on a number line and measure how far each is from zero. They use absolute-value notation and explain that distance is never negative.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can show that |−4.5| and |4.5| both equal 4.5 using a number line. The student can explain what that distance means in a context such as temperature, elevation, or money.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may think absolute value means changing every number to its opposite. They may also report a negative distance or confuse the greater number with the greater distance from zero.
How to Assess It
- Give students −7.5 and 3. Ask them to find each distance from zero, write absolute-value equations, and identify which is farther from zero.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Build a masking-tape number line; students place rational-number cards, then use string to compare each point's distance from zero.
Discuss: How can −6 and 6 describe different quantities but have the same absolute value? Require a number-line sketch.
Play a matching game with cards showing signed numbers, absolute-value expressions, distances from zero, and matching number-line points.
Use morning temperatures from two cities; students find each distance from 0°F and decide which temperature is farther from zero.
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