A short Year 5 maths starter on counting through zero. Pupils complete number sequences that cross zero in steps of 1 and 2, then solve temperature word problems, like a 4°C afternoon that drops 6 degrees by midnight. All seven answers are in the key. It covers the England National Curriculum objective on interpreting negative numbers in context.
Number - number and place value
“Interpret negative numbers in context, count forwards and backwards with positive and negative whole numbers, including through zero”
Sequences handle the counting; temperature problems supply the context.
Fill-in-the-blank sequences such as 3, 2, 1, 0, then two blanks, then -3, -4.
Word problems comparing temperatures in places like London and Oslo, with answer boxes.
Solutions for all seven questions.
Lesson starter
Open a negative numbers lesson with the sequences before moving to the temperature problems.
Intervention
Work through the temperature questions with pupils who count through zero incorrectly.
Early finishers
Hand it out as a quick standalone task; it needs no other resources.
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