Absolute Value Stepping Stones Worksheet
Math Skills • Integers
Absolute Value Stepping Stones
Name:
Date:
!
Big Idea: Distance From Zero
Distance is ALWAYS positive or zero
| | The straight bars mean "absolute value".
|-4| asks: "How many steps is -4 from 0?"
← 4 hops from 0 to -4 3 hops from 0 to +3 →
-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5
|-4| = 4 |3| = 3
1
Level 1 • Hop to Zero
Count the hop spaces from 0 to each number.
Problem A
|-3| = _
-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
Answer:
Problem B
|5| = _
-2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5
Answer:
Problem C
|-2| = _
-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2
Answer:
2
Level 2 • Use The "Always Positive" Rule
Strip off the negative sign! (If it's already positive, leave it alone).
Item 1
|-7|
Steps from 0:
Item 2
|6|
Steps from 0:
Item 3
|-12|
Steps from 0:
Item 4
|0|
Steps from 0:
Can absolute value ever be negative? Never! Distance is never negative. Page 1 of 2
2
Absolute Value in Action
Chunked Practice • Level 2 & Level 3
3
The Absolute Value Machine
Whatever number goes in, its positive distance comes out!
Input Number
→
Inside Machine
→
Output (Answer)
-8 → |-8| →
15 → |15| →
-20 → |-20| →
4
Level 3 • Real-World Distance Scenarios
Read the short story and find the distance.
Sea Level Explorer
A sea turtle is swimming at -6 meters (6 meters below sea level, which is 0).
Expression: |-6|
How many meters deep is the turtle from the surface (0)?
Distance:
meters
Winter Freezer
On a snowy morning in Alaska, the temperature was -9°F (9 degrees below 0°F).
Expression: |-9|
How many degrees is it away from 0°F?
Distance:
degrees
5
Level 3 • Compare Absolute Values
Solve both sides first, then write >, <, or = in the circle.
Problem 1
|-5| (is 5)
|2| (is 2)
Problem 2
|-4| (is 4)
|4| (is 4)
Problem 3
|-1| (is 1)
|-6| (is 6)
How confident do you feel with absolute value?
Circle the face that best describes your work today:
🤔 Need Help
🙂 Getting It
⭐ Got It!
Remember: Absolute value tells us how far, not which direction! Page 2 of 2
