Word problems are a great way to help Year 9 students learn about negative numbers. Here’s how this can work:

1. Real-Life Connections: Using real-life examples, like money you owe or temperatures below zero, makes negative numbers easier to understand. For example, if it’s -5 degrees outside, it makes more sense than just showing the number.

2. Thinking Critically: Word problems make students think about what the question is asking. For example, “You owe a friend $20 (that’s -20), and then you find$10 (that’s +10). How much do you still owe?” This helps them practice adding and subtracting negative numbers in a way that matters.

3. Visual Aids: Drawing a number line can help a lot. If they solve something like -5 + 3, they can see it clearly. They start at -5 and move 3 spaces to the right, ending up at -2.

4. Teamwork and Talking: Working together in pairs or small groups allows students to share their ideas and ways of solving problems. This makes learning more fun and helps everyone understand better.

Using word problems not only helps students understand better but also makes math feel more important in their lives!