6.7 Rational Numbers

In this unit, students interpret signed numbers in contexts (e.g., temperature above or below zero, elevation above or below sea level). They understand and use the terms “positive number,” “negative number,” “rational number,” “opposite,” “sign,” “absolute value,” “a solution to an inequality,” “less than,” “greater than,” and the corresponding symbols. They plot points with signed rational number coordinates on the number line, and recognize and use the connection between relative position of two points on the number line and inequalities involving the coordinates of the points. (These are limited to strict inequalities rather than inequalities such as \(2 \leq x\) which occur in grade 7.) They understand and use absolute value notation, understanding that the absolute value of a number as its distance from zero on the number line. Students graph inequalities in one variable on number line diagrams, using a circle or disk to indicate when a given point is, respectively, excluded or included. They solve simple inequalities, understanding that there may be infinitely many solutions, and show solutions symbolically and on the number line. They interpret solutions of inequalities in contexts, understanding that some solutions do not make sense in some contexts. Students plot pairs of signed number coordinates in the plane, understanding the relationship between the signs of a pair of coordinates and the quadrant of the corresponding point, and use coordinates to calculate horizontal and vertical distances between two points. Students understand and use the terms “common factor,” “greatest common factor,” “common multiple,” and “least common multiple,” and solve problems set in real-world contexts in which common factors or multiples occur.