Negative numbers: Teaching for Mastery in Primary Maths ǀ Tes

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Number: Negative numbers

Throughout these chapters, pupils explore what happens when they count back through 0. They use this knowledge to solve problems set in authentic contexts.

Previous work on number may have prompted pupils to ask questions such as, “Does the number line go below 0?” or, “Why do we always seem to subtract the smaller number from the bigger one?”.

In this topic, pupils will explore the concept of negative numbers. They will be expected to solve simple problems that involve going forwards and backwards through 0 on the number line, although they will work formally with the four rules at key stage 3.

Pupils will solve problems with real-life contexts, such as temperature and banking.

Negative numbers: Teaching for mastery booklet

Brought to you by Tes in partnership with experts at Mathematics Mastery and the White Rose Maths Hub, this PDF provides teachers with the progression of learning for the topic, broken down into digestible chapters.

It is an ideal starting point for primary teachers looking to brush up on their subject knowledge, or adopt the mastery approach to maths in their classroom.

Check out the Teaching for mastery site, which contains schemes of work accompanied by quality-assured classroom resources.

Download resources to match this topic in the planning and lesson resources pages of the new primary maths section.

By TES Resource Team

Teacher's guide: Teaching for mastery booklet

It is an ideal starting point for primary teachers looking to brush up on their subject knowledge, or adopt the mastery approach to maths in their classroom.

Check out the Teaching for mastery site, which contains schemes of work accompanied by quality-assured classroom resources.

Download resources for all primary maths topics in the planning and lesson resources pages of the new primary maths section.

By TES Resource Team

Chapter 1: Numbers below 0

In this chapter, pupils count backwards through 0.

While pupils have used number lines in previous chapters, they may not have seen one with negative numbers. They may also have met problems they were unable to solve because they weren’t sure what happened below 0.

Pupils should be introduced to the concept of negative numbers using the number line. They count backwards through 0 to include negative numbers and solve simple problems in this way.

Throughout this chapter, number lines should be presented in both horizontal and vertical format. This will enable pupils to make connections with four-quadrant coordinate work in later chapters.

Chapter 2: Introduction to negative numbers

In this chapter, pupils interpret negative numbers in context and count both forwards and backwards with positive and negative numbers.

Building on their learning from the previous chapter, pupils count forwards and backwards from positive and negative whole numbers. They solve problems that require them to count through 0, as well as ones that do not.

The majority of problems that pupils meet are given in the form of a real-life context. They are expected to interpret negative numbers within these contexts. Take temperature, for example. They may explore temperatures below 0 by working through questions such as “If the temperature in a city decreases by 8^oC, what is the new temperature?”.

Chapter 3: Negative numbers

In this chapter, pupils solve problems in context, including those requiring them to calculate the interval across 0.

Pupils solve increasingly difficult problems involving the use of negative numbers in context. Unlike before, problems now include those requiring them to calculate intervals across 0. They may, for example, work out the difference between the temperature in two given cities.

In line with their learning about place value, pupils work with numbers up to 1 million.

Approved resources

Negative numbers magic square

key words: directed numbers. These are 4 magic squares that can be used to practise adding positive and negative numbers. The final square includes positive and negative decimals for use with the more able students. This is primarily aimed at KS3 but could be useful for KS2 or even KS4 revision

By cronina

Using a Number Line with negative numbers

Understand adding or subtracting numbers by imagining them on a number line. Level 5 A visual representation of how to do simple addition and subtraction sums involving negative numbers using a number line

By MrBartonMaths

Addition and Subtraction with Negative Numbers

A PowerPoint visual explaining the effects of adding and subtracting positive and negative numbers. The flag points to number you start at then depending which team has more people the flag will move - its all animated. Includes Questions and Answers.
There is also an extension, students must fill in the missing sign to make the sum correct. Answers provided.

By Jammin93

Related resources

Counting back to negative numbers

Fluency, reasoning and problem solving resource including an activity from Nrich

By bch89