Home›Lesson Plans›Mathematics›Ratios & Proportions · Grade 6

Ratios and Rates

Sixth graders learn to compare quantities using ratios and rates, to boil a rate down to a single unit, and to spot ratios that are equal, then match the vocabulary to its meaning.

Grade 6Ratios and Rates55 minutes1 class periodGradual ReleaseExplicit teaching4 StandardsCommon Core
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Define a ratio.
  • ✓Tell a rate from a unit rate.
  • ✓Find equivalent ratios.
  • ✓Match each term.
Essential Question

From recipes to road trips to the best price at the store, comparing amounts fairly is everywhere. How do ratios, rates, and unit rates let us compare?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Match It · Interactive

Match the Term

Project this and match each ratio term to what it means — tap a term, then tap its meaning.

🔗 Match each term to what it meansTry it
Term
What it means
Tap a term, then tap what it means.
The Lesson · Gradual Release (I Do · We Do · You Do)

55 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Hook — Best Deal

5 min

One store sells 3 apples for $2, another 5 for $3. Which is the better buy?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show two price tags.
  • Ask which is cheaper.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Think.
  • Share.
  • Get ready.
2

Use — Match the Term

12 min

Students match each ratio term to its meaning.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Match the Term.
  • Match each pair.
  • Note the meaning.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Match.
  • Say.
  • Note it.
3

Modify — Find Unit Rates

13 min

Students reduce rates to one unit.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Write each rate.
  • Divide to get per one.
  • Compare the unit rates.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Write.
  • Divide.
  • Compare.
4

Create — Build Equivalents

15 min

Students make equivalent ratios.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Pick a ratio.
  • Multiply both parts.
  • Show three equal ratios.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Pick.
  • Multiply.
  • Show.
5

Reflect — Comparing Fairly

5 min

Students reflect on why unit rates help.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • What is a unit rate?
  • Why does it make comparing easy?
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say it.
  • Say it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (High School Algebra II).

CCSS
6.RP.A.1

Understand the concept of a ratio and use ratio language to describe a relationship between two quantities.

CCSS
6.RP.A.2

Understand the concept of a unit rate associated with a ratio.

CCSS
6.RP.A.3

Use ratio and rate reasoning to solve real-world and mathematical problems.

CCSS
MP.2

Reason abstractly and quantitatively.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Term + meaning cards.
  • Sentence frame: “A unit rate is for ___ unit.”
  • Match one pair at a time.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with ratio and rate.
  • Use real price tags.
  • Match one term fully before the next.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Solve proportions for a missing value.
  • Compare three or more unit rates.
  • Graph equivalent ratios on a grid.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 🏷️Price-tag cards
  • 💻Match the Term
  • 🧮Calculators
  • ✏️Pencils
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

ratioa comparison of two quantitiesratea ratio comparing two different kinds of unitsunit ratea rate for exactly one unit of somethingequivalent ratiosratios that represent the same comparisonproportionan equation showing that two ratios are equalquantityan amount of somethingperfor each one; used in rates like miles per hourscalemultiplying or dividing both parts of a ratio by the same number
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What is the difference between a rate and a unit rate?
A rate compares two different units; a unit rate expresses it for exactly one unit (like $2 per apple).
QUESTION 2
Write a ratio equivalent to 2:3.
Any ratio that scales both parts equally, such as 4:6 or 6:9.
QUESTION 3
Why are unit rates useful for comparing deals?
They put both options on a 'per one' basis, so you can see which costs less per item.

Create: build equivalents.

Have students pick a ratio, multiply both parts by the same numbers, and show three equivalent ratios that all describe the same comparison. A printable ratios-and-rates worksheet is in the Mathematics library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Ratios and RatesFlip
Card 1
Term
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Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Ratios and RatesQuiz
Score: 0
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Question 1
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Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Ratios and RatesPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: equivalent ratios, per, proportion, quantity, rate, ratio, scale, unit rate
  1. ratios that represent the same comparison
  2. an equation showing that two ratios are equal
  3. for each one; used in rates like miles per hour
  4. multiplying or dividing both parts of a ratio by the same number
  5. a rate for exactly one unit of something
  6. an amount of something
  7. a comparison of two quantities
  8. a ratio comparing two different kinds of units

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is the difference between a rate and a unit rate?
  2. Write a ratio equivalent to 2:3.
  3. Why are unit rates useful for comparing deals?
Answer key — Part A: 1) equivalent ratios · 2) proportion · 3) per · 4) scale · 5) unit rate · 6) quantity · 7) ratio · 8) rate
Part B: 1) A rate compares two different units; a unit rate expresses it for exactly one unit (like $2 per apple). 2) Any ratio that scales both parts equally, such as 4:6 or 6:9. 3) They put both options on a 'per one' basis, so you can see which costs less per item.