In this lesson, students explore absolute value with and without a number line, compare the absolute values of two numbers, and apply their understanding of absolute value to real-world contexts.

Encourage students to explain their processes when converting from a mixed number to an improper fraction, and back again. Use this lesson on its own or as support to the lesson Single Strategy for Adding and Subtracting Mixed Numbers.

This hands-on lesson will get students thinking and talking about how the numbers in fact families are related. Use alone or with the lesson plan Fact Family Trees.