Education Technology

Ratios and Proportions / What is a Ratio?

Grade Level 6
Activity 1 of 15
This lesson helps students to understand that ratios associate two or more quantities that vary together.

Planning and Resources

Objectives
Students should understand and be able to explain that ratios are an association of two or more quantities.

Vocabulary
ratio
equivalent ratio


Standard: Search Standards Alignment

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Lesson Snapshot

The Big Idea

What is a ratio and when are two ratios equivalent?

What are the students doing?

Students discuss the similarities and differences between the groups of shapes that illustrate equivalent ratios.

What is the teacher doing?

Reinforce the definition of equivalence by associating the patterns generated with the original ratio.

Understanding

The questions introduce students to the concept of a ratio as paired quantities that vary together in the same relationship. This leads to the notion of equivalent ratios.

What to look for

Students should explore how changing the ratio of circles to squares affects corresponding equivalent ratios.

Sample Assessment

Which of the following pairs of ratios are equivalent?
a. 6:3 and 5:10 
b. 6:3 and 3:6 
c. 6:3 and 12:6 
d. 3:1½ and 6:3
Answer: c and d