Math Prep — Week 1

Name: Date: Version (circle): A | B

How to use this worksheet. This is your first check-in for the winter course. It is all about positive and negative numbers — money, temperature, and moving along the number line.

Two things to do: write the number on the answer lines, and circle the correct answer where you see choices. Read each one carefully first.
Every part has a Clarify hint. Try the part yourself first; only read the hint if you get stuck. It shows you how to start — it never gives the answer.
There are two versions (A and B). Do the version your mentor points you to. Take your time — neatness helps.

Version A

PART 1

Real Life Numbers

Write the number. Use a plus sign (+) or a minus sign (−).

1.You owe your friend $5.

2.The temperature is 10 degrees below zero.

3.You find $8 on the ground.

4.A football player loses 3 yards.

5.You earn $20 for working.

Clarify — Method: decide the direction before you write anything. Ask, "Does this go up from zero, or down below zero?" Words like owe, below, loses point one way; words like find, earn point the other. Then write the matching sign in front of the number.

PART 2

Big and Small

Circle the correct answer.

6.Circle the number that is smaller: a) 4b) −2

7.Circle the number that is bigger: a) −1b) −10

8.Circle the number that is smaller: a) 0b) 3

9.Put these in order from smallest to biggest: −5, 2, 0

10.Which is colder? a) −2 degreesb) −8 degrees

Clarify — Method: picture the number line. Whatever sits farther to the left is the smaller number; farther to the right is bigger. "Colder" means the lower temperature. Find each number's spot first, then compare.

PART 3

The Number Line

Use the number line below to help you move.

<--- −5 --- −4 --- −3 --- −2 --- −1 --- 0 --- 1 --- 2 --- 3 --- 4 --- 5 --->

11.Start at 0. Move 4 steps to the left. Where are you?

12.Start at 2. Move 3 steps to the right. Where are you?

13.Start at −1. Move 2 steps to the left. Where are you?

14.Start at −3. Move 3 steps to the right. Where are you?

15.How many steps is it from −2 to 2?

Clarify — Method: put your finger on the starting number first. "Left" means count down, "right" means count up. Move one step at a time and read where your finger lands. For the last one, count each hop between the two numbers.

PART 4

Math Language

Circle the correct answer or solve.

16.Is 4 + 2 an Expression or an Equation? ExpressionEquation

17.Is 5 + 5 = 10 an Expression or an Equation? ExpressionEquation

18.Solve: 5 + (−2)

19.Solve: −3 + 1

20.True or False: A negative number is always smaller than a positive number. TrueFalse

Clarify — Method: look for the equals sign. An equation has an = in it; an expression does not. For the "Solve" problems, use your number line — adding a negative means moving left from the first number.

Version B

PART 1

Real Life Numbers

Write the number. Use a plus sign (+) or a minus sign (−).

1.You owe your friend $9.

2.The temperature is 4 degrees below zero.

3.You find $5 on the ground.

4.A football player loses 7 yards.

5.You earn $15 for working.

PART 2

Big and Small

Circle the correct answer.

6.Circle the number that is smaller: a) 6b) −3

7.Circle the number that is bigger: a) −2b) −20

8.Circle the number that is smaller: a) 0b) 5

9.Put these in order from smallest to biggest: −3, 4, 0

10.Which is colder? a) −5 degreesb) −1 degrees

PART 3

The Number Line

Use the number line below to help you move.

<--- −5 --- −4 --- −3 --- −2 --- −1 --- 0 --- 1 --- 2 --- 3 --- 4 --- 5 --->

11.Start at 0. Move 6 steps to the left. Where are you?

12.Start at 3. Move 4 steps to the right. Where are you?

13.Start at −2. Move 3 steps to the left. Where are you?

14.Start at −5. Move 5 steps to the right. Where are you?

15.How many steps is it from −3 to 3?

PART 4

Math Language

Circle the correct answer or solve.

16.Is 8 − 3 an Expression or an Equation? ExpressionEquation

17.Is 2 + 2 = 4 an Expression or an Equation? ExpressionEquation

18.Solve: 6 + (−2)

19.Solve: −4 + 1

20.True or False: A positive number is always bigger than zero. TrueFalse

💡 Tips for You: Staying Confident with Negatives

Zero is the middle. Anything to the left of 0 is negative (below, colder, owing); anything to the right is positive (above, warmer, having).
Draw the line if you need it. There is no prize for doing it in your head. Sketch a quick number line and count your steps.
Read the whole sentence first. The words tell you the direction before the number tells you the size.

FOR MENTOR USE — STUDY THIS TOGETHER

Mentor Guide

How to work through this Week 1 integer check-in with your student

1. What this worksheet builds

This is the foundation for the whole 7-week course: reading a real-life situation and turning it into a signed number, comparing positives and negatives, and moving along the number line. It also introduces two vocabulary words — expression vs. equation. The goal is comfort with negatives and the number line, not speed. Two versions (A and B) let you give a fresh set for retrial or a second sitting.

2. Run it with gradual release: I do → we do → you do

I do: Take Part 1, Question 1 aloud and think out loud — "I owe money, so that is below zero…" — so the student hears how you decide direction.
We do: Work Part 2 together on a drawn number line; you point, they say which is bigger or smaller.
You do: Let them try Parts 3 and 4 on their own, stepping in only when they reach for a Clarify hint.

3. Using the Clarify nudges

Let the student attempt each part first; read the Clarify box only if they stall. The nudges coach method — decide direction first, picture the line, look for the equals sign — never the answer or which option to circle. Over time, ask the student to tell you the strategy back before they read it; that is the skill becoming their own.

4. Supporting the student

Keep a drawn number line on scrap paper within reach — many adults find negatives clearer once they can point.
Anchor to real life: money owed, temperature outside, yards lost. Connect each abstract sign to something they already understand.
Accept an oral answer first, then have them write the number and its sign. Speaking removes the blank-line freeze.

5. Reviewing it together — no answer key

There is no key on purpose. When you find a miss, rework it together — do not just say the answer.
Ask the student to redo the problem out loud using the method: "Which direction? Where do we start? Which way do we move?" The error usually reveals itself.
Check the process, not just the final number. If the method is sound, praise it; if a step slipped, name that one step and try a similar problem from the other version.