Positive & Negative Numbers Worksheets, Grade 6 (6.NS.C.5) – Free PDF + Answer Key

First page of the positive & negative numbers practice worksheet

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Watch: Absolute Value Explained Step by Step

Key idea

The sign shows direction from zero. Zero is whatever the situation agrees to call the starting point: freezing for temperature, sea level for elevation, break-even for money, ground floor for a building.

Sample problems

Write a signed number: a temperature of 8 degrees below zero.
Write a signed number: a gain of 15 yards in a football game.
Write a signed number: 250 feet above sea level.
An elevator starts at the ground floor and goes down 3 levels. Write its position as a signed number and say what 0 represents.

Common mistakes to watch for

Wrote both as positive because ‘$30 is still money.’ The sign records DIRECTION (in vs out), not whether the amount matters.
Wrote 120 — dropped the sign, losing the ‘below’ information entirely.
Answered −7 (thought ‘opposite’ means ‘make it negative’) or 0.

The answer key explains each one, so you can tell what a wrong answer means.

How to use this set

Teach with the slides (about 15 minutes), or watch the video together.
Practice with the worksheet. Questions climb from fluency to application to reasoning.
Check understanding with the exit ticket, and send the homework home.
Mark with the answer key — each answer shows the steps and the most likely mistake.