7. Understand ordering and absolute value of rational numbers.

We've all been guilty of thinking that absolute value bars just make everything positive. Sure, that's the end result, but in this standard, we expect students to understand why that's the case. (Hint: it's got nothing to do with being positive and everything to do with distance.)

The idea here is that students should understand numbers' positions on the number line and that absolute value doesn't just "make things positive." It identifies the distance of that number from 0 on the number line.

Other than that, "understanding ordering and absolute value" sounds kind of vague. That's where these more specific sub-standards come in.

Standard Components

• CCSS.Math.Content.6.NS.C.7.a
• CCSS.Math.Content.6.NS.C.7.b
• CCSS.Math.Content.6.NS.C.7.c
• CCSS.Math.Content.6.NS.C.7.d