standard_description: Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving the four operations with rational numbers. (Computations with rational numbers extend the rules for manipulating fractions to complex fractions.)
problem_activity: Warm-up
The purpose of this activity is to remind students of a few details to keep in mind when doing arithmetic with signed numbers, particularly that subtracting a number has the same result as adding its opposite, and the sign of the product when multiplying two negative numbers, or a positive by a negative number.
Student Facing
Sort these into two groups, so that the expressions in each group all have the same value.
\(3-5\)
\(5+3\)
\(4 \boldcdot 2\)
\(\text- \frac13 \boldcdot 6\)
\(5 - \text-3\)
\(\text-4 \boldcdot \text-2\)
\(3 + \text-5\)
\(\frac13 \boldcdot \text-6\)
Student Response
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Activity Synthesis
Use students’ explanations for why expressions are equal to draw attention to things to keep in mind when doing arithmetic on signed numbers. For example:
Subtracting a number has the same result as adding its opposite.
\(3-5=3+\text-5\)
Multiplying a negative number by a negative number results in a positive product.
\(\text-4  \boldcdot \text-2\)
and
\(4 \boldcdot 2\)
are both equal to 8.
Multiplying a negative number by a positive number results in a negative product
\(\text- \frac13 \boldcdot 6\)
and
\(\frac13  \boldcdot \text-6\)
are both equal to -2.


aligns: no