Understanding and Teaching Ratios and Proportional Relationships

Sybilla Beckmann
Department of Mathematics University of Georgia

Kansas MTSS Symposium September 2012

Sybilla Beckmann (University of Georgia)

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Goals for the presentation today on ratio and proportional relationships

An opportunity to think together about: Motivating the concept of ratio and using ratio language; Reasoning about ratio tables, double number lines, and strip diagrams to solve problems and develop understanding of proportional relationships; Distinguishing ratios from fractions but connecting ratios to fractions via unit rates; Using unit rates to solve problems; Examine graphs and equations for proportional relationships.

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IES Practice Guide on Fractions

Developing Effective Fractions Instruction for Kindergarten Through 8th Grade Recommendation 4: Develop students conceptual understanding of strategies for solving ratio, rate, and proportion problems before exposing them to cross-multiplication as a procedure to use to solve such problems.

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IES Practice Guide on Problem Solving

Recommendation 3: Teach students how to use visual representations. Visual representations help students solve problems by linking the relationships between quantities in the problem with the mathematical operations needed to solve the problem.

Recommendation 5: Help students recognize and articulate mathematical concepts and notation. Mathematical concepts and notation provide students with familiar structures for organizing information in a problem

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Common Core State Standards

Ratios and Proportional Relationships, Grades 6, 7 6.RP.3 Use ratio and rate reasoning to solve real-world and mathematical problems, e.g., by reasoning about tables of equivalent ratios, tape diagrams, double number line diagrams, or equations.

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Motivating the concept of ratio

What happens when we mix 2 cups blue paint with 3 cups yellow paint?

That was 1 batch. What if we make more batches? # of batches # cups blue paint # cups yellow paint # cups green paint produced 1 2 3 5 2 4 6 10 3 6 9 15 4 8 12 20 5 10 15 25 6 12 18 30 7 14 21 35

What do these paint mixtures have in common? Same shade of green. For every 2 cups blue, there are 3 cups yellow.
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Motivating the concept of ratio

What happens when we mix 2 cups blue paint with 3 cups yellow paint?

That was 1 batch. What if we make more batches? # of batches # cups blue paint # cups yellow paint # cups green paint produced 1 2 3 5 2 4 6 10 3 6 9 15 4 8 12 20 5 10 15 25 6 12 18 30 7 14 21 35

What do these paint mixtures have in common? Same shade of green. For every 2 cups blue, there are 3 cups yellow.
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CCSS Ratios and Proportional Relationships

6.RP.1 Understand the concept of a ratio and use ratio language to describe a ratio relationship between two quantities. For example, The ratio of wings to beaks in the bird house at the zoo was 2:1, because for every 2 wings there was 1 beak. For every vote candidate A received, candidate C received nearly three votes.

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A ratio table

Blue and yellow paint are mixed in the ratio 2 cups : 3 cups. This means: for every 2 cups blue paint present, there are 3 cups yellow paint present. In each mixture, blue and yellow paint are in a ratio of 2 to 3: # of batches # cups blue paint # cups yellow paint # cups green paint produced 1 2 3 5 2 4 6 10 3 6 9 15 4 8 12 20 5 10 15 25 6 12 18 30 7 14 21 35

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Reasoning about ratio tables to solve problems

Blue and yellow paint are mixed in a ratio of 2 to 3 to make Green Goblin paint. How many cups of blue paint and how many cups of yellow paint will you need to make 30 cups of Green Goblin paint? # of batches # cups blue paint # cups yellow paint # cups green paint produced 1 2 3 5 2 4 6 10 3 6 9 15 4 8 12 20 5 10 15 25 6 12 18 30 7 14 21 35

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How are ratios and fractions different?

Equivalent ratios Equivalent fractions

cups blue total cups

2 3

4 6

6 9

2 3

4 6

6 9

more parts, same size parts more total paint more blue pigment
Sybilla Beckmann (University of Georgia) Ratio/Proportion

more parts, smaller parts same whole amount same portion

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Comparing mixtures

Abbys orange paint is made by mixing red and yellow paint in the ratio 1 cup : 3 cups. Zacks orange paint is made by mixing red and yellow paint in the ratio 3 cups : 5 cups. Are the two shades of orange the same? Why or why not? Whats a common student misconception? Students sometimes think the paints are the same shade because each mixture has 2 more cups yellow than red or because you get Zacks paint by adding 2 cups red, 2 cups yellow to Abbys.

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Comparing mixtures

Abbys orange paint is made by mixing red and yellow paint in the ratio 1 cup : 3 cups. Zacks orange paint is made by mixing red and yellow paint in the ratio 3 cups : 5 cups. Are the two shades of orange the same? Why or why not? Whats a common student misconception? Students sometimes think the paints are the same shade because each mixture has 2 more cups yellow than red or because you get Zacks paint by adding 2 cups red, 2 cups yellow to Abbys.

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Using ratio tables to compare mixtures

Abbys orange paint is made by mixing 1 cup red paint with 3 cups yellow paint. Zacks orange paint is made by mixing 3 cups red paint with 5 cups yellow paint.
1

Make a ratio table for Abbys paint. Why do all the mixtures in the table have the same shade of orange? Make a ratio table for Zacks paint. Why do all the mixtures in the table have the same shade of orange? Look for common entries to compare the two mixtures.

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Using ratio tables to compare mixtures

Abbys cups cups red yellow 1 Same amount of red. Abbys has more yellow, so Abbys is yellower, Zacks is redder. 2 3 4 5 3 6 9 12 15

Zacks cups cups red yellow 3 6 9 12 15 5 10 15 20 25

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Using ratio tables to compare mixtures

Abbys cups cups red yellow 1 2 3 4 5 3 6 9 12 15

Zacks cups cups red yellow 3 6 9 12 15 5 10 15 20 25 Same amount of yellow. Zacks has more red. So Zacks is redder, Abbys is yellower.

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Additive structure
cups grape
+5 +5 +5 +5 6 5 4 3 2 1 +5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 +2 +5 +2 +5 +2

cups peach 2 4 6 8 10
+2 +2 +2 +2

5 10 15 20 25

cups peach

cups grape
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Multiplicative structure
cups grape
3 20 2

cups peach 2 4 6 8 40
2 3 20

5 10 15 20 100

cups peach

6 5 6 4 3 2 1 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 2 3 15 10 11 12 13 14 15 3
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cups grape
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Find unknown entries in a ratio table

5 cups grape juice for every 2 cups peach juice. How can we nd the unknown entries?

cups grape 5 100 150

cups peach 2 16

100

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Multiplicative structure in a ratio table

5 cups grape juice for every 2 cups peach juice.

cups grape
20 50 8

cups peach 2 16 40 60 100

8 20 50

5 40 100 150 250

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Unit rates

5 cups grape juice for every 2 cups peach juice.

cups grape 5 1

cups peach 2 1

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Unit rates
5 cups grape juice for every 2 cups peach juice.

cups grape
2 5

cups peach 2 1 2/5

2 5

5 5/2 1

Unit rates: 5/2 cups grape juice for every 1 cup peach juice; 2/5 cups peach juice for every 1 cup grape juice.

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Reasoning with unit rates

5 cups grape juice for every 2 cups peach juice.
1 2

How much grape juice should you use for 5 cups peach juice? How much peach juice should you use for 3 cups grape juice?

cups grape 5 5/2 1 3

cups peach 2 1 5 2/5

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Reasoning with unit rates

5 cups grape juice for every 2 cups peach juice.
1 2

How much grape juice should you use for 5 cups peach juice? How much peach juice should you use for 3 cups grape juice?

cups grape 5 5/2

5

cups peach 2 1 5 2/5 6/5

3 5

25/2=12 1/2 1
3

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Showing a proportional relationship in a table, graph, equation

For every 5 cups grape juice, mix in 2 cups peach juice x cups grape (0) 5 1
+1 +1 +1

y cups peach (0) 2

2 5 2 2 5 3 2 5 4 2 5 +2 5 +2 5 +2 5

y cups peach

y =
2

2 5

x
+1

(x,y)
+2 5

2 3 4 x

1
+2 5 +1 +2 5 +1

+2 5

+1

+2 5

x 2
5

+1

5 x cups grape

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Common Core State Standards

Standards for Mathematical Practice

MP 7: Look for and make use of structure

MP 8: Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning

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Reasoning with strip diagrams

Blue and yellow paint are mixed in a ratio of 2 to 3 to make green paint. How many pails of blue paint and how many pails of yellow paint will you need to make 30 pails of green paint?

30 pails green

5 equal parts make 30 pails

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Reasoning with strip diagrams

Blue and yellow paint are mixed in a ratio of 2 to 3 to make green paint. How many pails of blue paint and how many pails of yellow paint will you need to make 30 pails of green paint?

30 pails green

5 equal parts make 30 pails

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Reasoning with strip diagrams

Blue and yellow paint are mixed in a ratio of 2 to 3 to make green paint. How many pails of blue paint and how many pails of yellow paint will you need to make 30 pails of green paint?

30 pails green

5 equal parts make 30 pails

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Reasoning with strip diagrams

Blue and yellow paint are mixed in a ratio of 2 to 3 to make green paint. How many pails of blue paint and how many pails of yellow paint will you need to make 30 pails of green paint?

6 6

6 6 6 30 pails green

5 equal parts make 30 pails

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Reasoning with strip diagrams

Blue and yellow paint are mixed in a ratio of 2 to 3 to make green paint. How many pails of blue paint and how many pails of yellow paint will you need to make 30 pails of green paint?

12 18

6 6

6 6 6 30 pails green

5 equal parts make 30 pails

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Multiplicative comparisons with strip diagrams

Ratio: 3 parts glue to 2 parts starch Values of the ratio: 3/2 and 2/3 G cups glue: S cups starch: 3/2

3/2 times as much glue as starch G = (3/2)S

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Multiplicative comparisons with strip diagrams

Ratio: 3 parts glue to 2 parts starch Values of the ratio: 3/2 and 2/3 G cups glue: S cups starch: 2/3

2/3 times as much starch as glue S = (2/3)G

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Reasoning with double number lines

Asha runs 5 meters every 2 seconds.

meters 0

10

15

20

0 seconds

Give some problems you can solve using this double number line. How can you use the double number line to help you solve these problems: How far does Asha run after 3 seconds? After 5 seconds?
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Reasoning with double number lines

Asha runs 5 meters every 2 seconds.

meters 0 2.5
1

7.5

10

12.5

15

17.5

20

0 seconds

Make a new double number line and mark it to help you solve these problems: How long does it take Asha to run 3 meters? 1 meter?

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Reasoning with double number lines

Asha runs 5 meters every 2 seconds.

meters 0
1 2 3 4

10

15

20

0 seconds

0.4 0.8 1.2 1.6

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Reasoning about percent with double number lines

If 75% of the budget is $1200, then what is the full budget?

dollars $0

$1200

0% percent

25%

50%

75%

100%

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Reasoning about percent with double number lines

If 75% of the budget is $1200, then what is the full budget?

dollars $0

$400

$800

$1200

$1600

0% percent

25%

50%

75%

100%

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Thank you!
Questions? Comments? Follow me on Twitter at SybillaBeckmann Join the Mathematics Teaching Community online at https://mathematicsteachingcommunity.math.uga.edu/ Why are the following two problems not solved the same way? Problem 1: After a 20% discount, a bike costs $160. How much did the bike cost before? Problem 2: A bike costs $160 now, but its price will go up by 20%. What will it cost then?

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