Mississippi Math 6.NS.9c

Math6th GradeThe Number System (NS) Apply and Extend Previous Understandings of Multiplication and Division to Divide Fractions by Fractions

The Standard

6.NS.9: Apply and extend previous understandings of addition and subtraction to add and subtract integers; represent addition and subtraction on a horizontal or vertical number line diagram.

Understand subtraction of integers as adding the additive inverse, p – q = p + (– q). Show that the distance between two integers on the number line is the absolute value of their difference, and apply this principle in real-world contexts.

2025 Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Mathematics · Apply and Extend Previous Understandings of Numbers to the System of Rational Numbers

Teacher's field guide

What This Standard Means

What Students Need to Do: Students rewrite integer subtraction as addition of the opposite. They find the distance between integers using the absolute value of their difference, including in real situations.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student can show on a number line why 3 - (-4) = 3 + 4 = 7. They can find the distance from -4 to 3 as |3 - (-4)| = 7.
Common Misconceptions: Students may calculate 3 - (-4) as -1 because they ignore the second negative sign. They may give a negative distance when they subtract the larger number from the smaller one.
How to Assess It: Exit ticket: Plot -4 and 3 on a number line. Rewrite 3 - (-4) as addition, then use absolute value to find the distance between the points.

Lesson moves

Ways to Teach It

Tape a number line from -6 to 6 on the floor; have students step from -3 to 4 and record the distance.
Ask partners to explain why 2 - (-3) equals 5, using a sketch of a number line.
Deal pairs of integer cards; students write a subtraction, rewrite it as adding the opposite, and check the distance with absolute value.
Give students thermometer readings of -5°C at dawn and 3°C at noon; have them calculate and explain the temperature change.

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