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Ratio – Year 8 maths lesson

Lesson 29 of 35 in the Year 8 maths course

UK version. UK school years, UK spelling and pounds (£). · US Math Department

A complete 45-minute lesson for Year 8 (ages 12–13) that runs on this page – at school or at home. Every answer is marked straight away, with a worked explanation.

Time
45 minutes + 20 min homework
Year
Year 8 (ages 12–13)
You need
Paper, a pencil and this page
Marked
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 marked straight away with a worked explanation, so you never have to mark anything.

  1. Read what your child will learn and the big ideas together.
  2. Press Start the lesson below and sit with your child for the teaching and the worked examples (about 19 minutes).
  3. 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.
  4. Finish with the exit ticket and the talk question: “Why is 2 : 3 not the same as 3 : 2?”
  5. 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

We are learning to 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

45 minutes in 5 parts
PartTimeHow it is checked
Starter: quick recall5 minMarked by Classfern
Teaching input10 minNot assessed, self-checked
Worked examples and guided practice9 minNot assessed, marked by Classfern
Independent practice15 minMarked by Classfern
Plenary and exit ticket6 minMarked by Classfern, self-checked

Starter, "your turn", practice and exit ticket are marked 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 marked instantly.

More practice

All Year 8 maths lessons and tests · Maths Department

More Year 8 maths lessons

Curriculum

National Curriculum for England, Year 8: “use ratio notation, including reduction to simplest form”

National Curriculum for England, Year 8: “divide a given quantity into 2 parts in a given part:part or part:whole ratio; express the division of a quantity into 2 parts as a ratio”

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Our lessons and questions are our own. They are not written or endorsed by any government department, testing agency or exam board.