Construct a number line on a sheet of graph paper. Draw a horizontal line on graph paper. Start drawing the line on a grid square corner near the left edge of the paper. End the line on a grid square near the right edge of the paper. Label the points on the line that intersect with the graph paper's grid lines. Mark the grid marks on the line in one-unit increments. Start on the left end of the line, marking the first grid mark --10, the next grid mark --9, the next --8 and then, -7, -6, -5 .....-2, 1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 ......7, 8. 9, 10. Note that the left side of the number line is negative numbers and the right side positive numbers.
Pick a number line equation to solve and translate it into words. For this example, use the number line equation, x <= 5. Translate the mathematical symbols of this number line equation. The symbol, <, means less than and the symbol, =, means is equal to and the symbol sequence, <=, means less than or equal to. The x is a variable that represents a number or set of numbers. Now make the final word translation. Conclude that the number line equation, x <=5, can be translated into words as "find all values of x, such that the value of x is less than or equal to 5."
Graph the solution set of the number line equation. Draw a black dot on the number line at the grid mark labeled 5. Draw a horizontal line on the top of the number line that is thicker than the number line. Start at the grid mark labeled 5 and continue toward the left end of the line. At the end of the line, draw an arrow that points to the left.
Consider that the thickened line, the dot and the left arrow graphically represent the solution of the number line equation, x <=5. The black dot indicates that the number 5 is part of the solution, the thickened line indicates that all numbers on it are part of the solution, and the arrow indicates that all numbers that would continue to the left of the number line are also solutions to the number line equation.