Description

What our Using Absolute Value lesson plan includes

Lesson Objectives and Overview: Using Absolute Value teaches students about absolute value, including what it is and how it is used. At the end of the lesson, students will be able to conceptualize absolute value as a distance from zero on a number line and understand absolute value in real-world contexts. This lesson is for students in 6th grade.

Classroom Procedure

Every lesson plan provides you with a classroom procedure page that outlines a step-by-step guide to follow. You do not have to follow the guide exactly. The guide helps you organize the lesson and details when to hand out worksheets. It also lists information in the blue box that you might find useful. You will find the lesson objectives, state standards, and number of class sessions the lesson should take to complete in this area. In addition, it describes the supplies you will need as well as what and how you need to prepare beforehand.

Options for Lesson

Included with this lesson is an “Options for Lesson” section that lists a number of suggestions for activities to add to the lesson or substitutions for the ones already in the lesson. One optional addition to this lesson is to have your students practice solving problems with absolute value with flash cards. If your students feel comfortable with the lesson material, you may also be able to begin to use absolute value in expressions with substitution or in solving equations.

Teacher Notes

The teacher notes page includes a paragraph with additional guidelines and things to think about as you begin to plan your lesson. This page also includes lines that you can use to add your own notes as you’re preparing for this lesson.

USING ABSOLUTE VALUE LESSON PLAN CONTENT PAGES

Using Absolute Value

The Using Absolute Value lesson plan includes two content pages. The symbol for absolute value is two straight, vertical bars on either side of a number or expression (|). Absolute value is the distance from the origin on a number line. The absolute value of a number or expression is always positive since it measures the distance from 0 on a number line.

The lesson includes an example number line. On the number line, |4| = 4 since 4 is 4 units away from 0. |-4| = 4 since -4 is also 4 units away from zero. Every number has an absolute value except for zero, because there is no distance from zero to zero. Finding absolute value means finding the distance from zero on a number line.

The lesson includes a few more example number lines. First, let’s find the absolute value of 2. Because 2 is 2 units away from 0, |2| = 2. Next, let’s find the absolute value of -3. Because -3 is 3 units away from 0, |-3| = 3.

In the real world, absolute value can tell us the distance an object traveled or the amount of debt someone has. For example, if you dig a hole, you’re traveling downward into the earth. If you dig 10 feet, the hole is not -10 feet down because it is impossible to travel a negative distance. The distance traveled into the earth is the absolute value of -10, which is 10.

Finally, absolute value bars are sometimes treated as a grouping symbol. When solving an expression that includes absolute value bars, always do the operation inside the absolute value bars first, then take the absolute value.

Let’s take a look at a few examples. First, |-6 + 2| = |-4| = 4. Next, |-3 – (-6)| = |3| = 3. The lesson includes a few more examples as well. When solving expressions, always remember that absolute value is always positive!

USING ABSOLUTE VALUE LESSON PLAN WORKSHEETS

The Using Absolute Value lesson plan includes three worksheets: an activity worksheet, a practice worksheet, and a homework assignment. You can refer to the guide on the classroom procedure page to determine when to hand out each worksheet.

DOTS AND LINES GAME ACTIVITY WORKSHEET

Students will work in a group to complete the activity worksheet. In each group, students will take turns to join any two dots shown on the worksheet with a vertical or horizontal line. A player that completes a square with a line captures that square and earned the absolute value of the integer. When all the squares are captured, the players will add up their values. The player with the lowest score wins!

SOLVING PROBLEMS PRACTICE WORKSHEET

For the practice worksheet, students will determine the absolute value for each number shown on the worksheet. They will also solve two word problems that include absolute value.

USING ABSOLUTE VALUE HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT

The homework assignment asks students to determine the absolute value for each number shown. They will also solve a word problem that includes absolute value. Finally, they will answer the following question: Could a decimal or a fraction have an absolute value?

Worksheet Answer Keys

This lesson plan includes answer keys for the practice worksheet and the homework assignment. If you choose to administer the lesson pages to your students via PDF, you will need to save a new file that omits these pages. Otherwise, you can simply print out the applicable pages and keep these as reference for yourself when grading assignments.