MSTAR Practice Worksheet

Lesson 7-1: Explore Integers and Their Opposites

Grade 6 Mathematics · Standard 6.NOS.6

Name: Date:

These are MSTAR-style questions written for this curriculum to rehearse the format. They are not official Maryland assessment items. MSTAR — Maryland's new state test, first given in spring 2027 — uses the same kinds of questions you see here: selected response, select-all, two-part evidence questions, and written responses.

Part A — Skills Check

Warm up with the lesson's core skills — one best answer each.

Question 1Selected response · 1 point

Badwater Basin is 86 meters below sea level, and sea level is 0. Which integer represents that elevation?

A-86
B-68
C0
D86

Question 2Selected response · 1 point

In Reykjavik the temperature was -9°C. What is the opposite of -9?

A-18
B-9
C0
D9

Question 3Selected response · 1 point

What is the opposite of 0?

AA number written -0, which is less than 0
BEvery negative number
CZero has no opposite
D0

Question 4Selected response · 1 point

Which list of integers is ordered from LEAST to GREATEST?

A-8, -3, 0, 5
B-3, -8, 0, 5
C0, -3, -8, 5
D5, 0, -3, -8

Question 5Selected response · 1 point

Badwater Basin is at -86 meters. Which elevation is FARTHER below sea level than Badwater Basin?

A-120 meters
B-40 meters
C0 meters
D86 meters

Question 6Selected response · 1 point

Which statement about 0 is TRUE?

A0 is an integer, and it is its own opposite
B0 is a negative integer because it is not positive
C0 is a positive integer because it has no negative sign
D0 is not an integer at all

Part B — Test-Format Questions

These match the state test's formats: two-part questions, select-all, and written responses.

Question 7Two-part question

Part A

Badwater Basin sits 86 meters below sea level, where sea level is defined as 0. Which integer represents this elevation?

Fill in the bubble next to the one best answer.

A0
B−8.6
C−86
D86

Part B

Answer Part A before Part B — Part B asks about your reasoning.

What is the opposite of −86, and what does it represent here?

A0, sea level itself
B1/86, a fraction of the depth
C86, an elevation 86 meters ABOVE sea level
D−86, the same elevation

Question 8Select all that apply

Select ALL statements that are true about integers and opposites:

Mark the box next to EVERY answer that is true. More than one is correct.

AZero is an integer.
BThe opposite of a positive integer is negative.
COpposites are the same distance from zero on a number line.
DEvery integer has an opposite that is a different distance from zero.
EZero is its own opposite.

Part C — Show Your Thinking

Answer in writing, the way the state test's constructed responses work.

Question 9Written response · 2 points

Describe two different real-world situations that use negative integers. For each one, tell exactly what 0 means in that situation, write one negative integer it could produce, and explain what the opposite of that integer would mean in the same situation.

Write your answer in complete sentences. Show or explain your mathematical thinking.