Lesson 4: Compare and Order Integers and Rational Numbers6.NOS.8

I can…

I can compare and order integers using a number line.

Key words

• Compare and Order Integers — Use a number line to decide which integers are greater or less and place them in order.
• Number line — A straight line where numbers are placed in order; numbers get smaller to the left and larger to the right.
• Compare — To see if a number is bigger, smaller, or equal to another.
• Order — To arrange numbers by size, from least to greatest or greatest to least.
• Greater than — The > sign, showing one number is bigger.
• Less than — The < sign, showing one number is smaller.
• Negative integer — A whole number smaller than zero, like -5.
• Integer — Whole numbers and their opposites, like -2, -1, 0, 1, 2.
• Inequality — A statement that uses < or > to compare two numbers.

Steps

1. I will compare -7 and -5. They are both negative, so I look at the number line.
2. -7 is 7 steps left of zero. -5 is only 5 steps left of zero.
3. -7 is farther to the left, so -7 is the smaller number.
4. I write -7 < -5. The open side of the symbol points to the bigger number, -5.

Try it

Put these integers in order from LEAST to GREATEST. Which list is correct?

Check your answer

-6, -1, 0, 4, 9

-6 is the smallest (farthest left on the number line), then -1, then 0, then 4, then 9. The correct order from least to greatest is -6, -1, 0, 4, 9.

Sentence starter

I know ___ because ___.

Goal: I can explain my reasoning using the words compare, order, greater than, and less than.