Ratios – Grade 6 math lesson
Lesson 3 of 26 in the Grade 6 math course
US version. US grades, US spelling and dollars ($). · UK Maths Department
A complete 45-minute lesson for grade 6 (ages 11–12) that runs on this page – at school or at home. Every answer is graded right away, with a worked explanation.
- Time
- 45 minutes + 20 min homework
- Grade
- Grade 6 (ages 11–12)
- You need
- Paper, a pencil and this page
- Graded
- Instantly, with explanations
For parents: how to use this lesson
You don't need to know this topic yourself. The lesson explains each step on screen, one tidy step at a time. Every answer is graded straight away with a worked explanation, so you never have to grade anything.
- Read what your child will learn and the big ideas together.
- Press Start the lesson below and sit with your child for the teaching and the worked examples (about 19 minutes).
- Let them do the practice on their own. They choose Getting started, On track or Challenge – start on On track and move up after a few right in a row.
- Finish with the exit ticket and the talk question: “Why is 2 : 3 not the same as 3 : 2?”
- Later that day or the next day: the homework (20 minutes), then a practice test.
Watch out for
- Dividing the amount by one part instead of the total of the parts. Draw a bar split into all the parts first.
- Swapping the order of the ratio. Write the labels above the numbers.
Tip for home: Look for ratios in recipes and on drink bottles ("1 part squash to 4 parts water").
What your child will learn
Learning goal: write and simplify ratios, share in a ratio and solve ratio problems.
Success looks like
- I can simplify a ratio.
- I can share an amount in a ratio.
- I can solve ratio problems.
Key words
- ratio
- a comparison of the sizes of parts
- simplest form
- no whole number above 1 divides every part
- share
- split an amount into parts
- unit ratio
- a ratio written as 1 : n
What to have ready
- Paper and a pencil
- This page on a computer, tablet or phone
- For the hands-on part: Mix a drink or paint in a ratio such as 1 : 4, then make twice as much.
The big ideas (for the adult)
A ratio compares the sizes of parts: 2 : 3 means 2 parts to every 3 parts.
Simplify by dividing every part by the same number. Make sure both parts are in the same units first.
To share an amount in a ratio, add the parts, find the value of one part, then multiply.
The lesson, step by step
| Part | Time | How it is checked |
|---|---|---|
| Starter: quick recall | 5 min | Graded by Classfern |
| Teaching input | 10 min | Not assessed, self-checked |
| Worked examples and guided practice | 9 min | Not assessed, graded by Classfern |
| Independent practice | 15 min | Graded by Classfern |
| Closure and exit ticket | 6 min | Graded by Classfern, self-checked |
Starter, "your turn", practice and exit ticket are graded by Classfern. Worked examples and teaching are not assessed. The hands-on task and the reflection are self-assessed. Explanations in talk are judged by the parent and not recorded.
The lesson
It runs here on the page. No sign-up and no names – progress is kept only in this browser.
Homework and practice at home
20 minutes: 10 practice questions, 3 multiple-choice questions and 2 to remember from earlier work, then a short reflection. New questions every time, all graded instantly.
More practice
More Grade 6 math lessons
- Solving word problems
- Fractions, decimals and percentages
- One quantity as a fraction or percentage of another
- Percent
- Proportional relationships
- Rates and unit rates
- Unit prices and best buys
- Converting units
- Negative numbers and temperature
- Integers and absolute value
- Operations with multi-digit decimals
- Operations with fractions
- Greatest common factor and least common multiple
- Square and cube numbers
- Writing expressions
- Evaluating expressions
- Simplifying expressions
- Solving equations
- Inequalities
- Writing equations for situations
- 3-D shapes and nets
- Coordinates
- Volume and surface area
- Mean, median and mode
- Box plots and interquartile range
Curriculum
Common Core State Standards 6.RP.A.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."”
Common Core State Standards 6.RP.A.3.a: “Make tables of equivalent ratios relating quantities with whole-number measurements, find missing values in the tables, and plot the pairs of values on the coordinate plane. Use tables to compare ratios.”
Our lessons and questions are our own. They are not written or endorsed by any government department, testing agency or exam board.