Use Negative Numbers in Context and Calculate Intervals Across Zero 9- Reasoning

In a reasoning task focused on understanding negative numbers and place value, students Leanna and Malachi have made errors in their calculations. The task is to identify mistakes when working with negative numbers and calculating intervals across zero. The correct answer is that the difference between -7 and -3 is not 10, but -4, as you are moving four places up the number line from -7 to -3. Additionally, when adding six to -2, the result should be 4, not 8, because you are moving six places up the number line from -2, crossing zero to reach the positive number 4.

Malachi's mistakes are highlighted in his claims. He incorrectly states that the difference between -7 and -3 is 10, when in reality, subtracting a larger negative number from a smaller negative number results in a negative difference. Furthermore, he suggests that counting from -8 forwards in increments of 5 would result in 12, which is incorrect. In fact, counting forwards in 5s from -8 would pass through zero and continue into positive numbers, reaching 2 after three increments. Lastly, Malachi's assertion that six more than -2 is 8 is also incorrect, as it fails to account for crossing zero on the number line. The process of identifying and correcting these misunderstandings is crucial for a solid grasp of number and place value involving negative numbers.