Home›Lesson Plans›Mathematics›Ratios & Proportional Relationships · Grade 6

Unit Rates: Finding the Better Buy

Students learn to find a unit rate — the price for just one item — by dividing, so they can compare deals and answer the everyday question: which is the better buy?

Grade 6Rates50 minutes1 class periodGradual ReleaseExplicit teaching4 StandardsCommon Core
Start the Lesson
Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Find a unit rate by dividing.
  • ✓Compare two rates.
  • ✓Choose the better buy.
  • ✓Solve rate problems (like miles per hour).
Essential Question

One store sells 3 apples for $6, another sells 4 for $10. Which is the better deal — and how can you compare them fairly?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Model · Interactive Tool

Better Buy

Project this and set the price and amount for two options. The tool finds the unit rate (price each) and shows the better buy!

💰 Compare the unit rates — which is the better buy?Try it

🍎 Option A

🍎 Option B

A: $6
for 3
B: $10
for 4

The Lesson · Gradual Release (I Do · We Do · You Do)

50 minutes, five moves

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

1

Launch — Which Deal?

5 min

3 for $6 or 4 for $10 — which is the better deal?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show two deals.
  • Ask which is better.
  • Set the goal: unit rates.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Compare the deals.
  • Guess the better.
  • Predict how to check.
2

I Do — Price for One

10 min

Teacher models.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Divide price by amount.
  • Find the price for ONE.
  • Compare the two unit rates.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Divide to find each.
  • Get price per one.
  • Compare them.
3

We Do — Compare Together

13 min

Class drives Better Buy.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Set prices and amounts.
  • Read the unit rates.
  • Name the better buy.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Set the deals.
  • Read unit rates.
  • Pick the better.
4

You Do — On Your Own

12 min

Students find unit rates.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Assign better-buy problems.
  • Find miles per hour, cost per item.
  • Explain the choice.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Find unit rates.
  • Solve rate problems.
  • Explain choices.
5

Close — Close

5 min

One unit rate.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Give a deal; find price each.
  • Compare to another.
  • Hand out the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Find the unit rate.
  • Compare.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, including the Standards for Mathematical Practice.

CCSS
6.RP.2

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

CCSS
6.RP.3b

Solve unit rate problems including unit pricing and constant speed.

CCSS
6.RP.3

Use ratio and rate reasoning to solve problems.

SMP
MP.4

Model with mathematics using rates.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Compute price-per-one together.
  • Sentence frame: “___ costs $___ each.”
  • Use real store ads.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with simple divisions.
  • Use a calculator for the division.
  • Compare two clear options.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Find speed (miles per hour).
  • Compare three options.
  • Find the cost of a different amount.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 📓Math notebooks
  • 💻Better Buy
  • 📰Store ads
  • 🧮Calculators
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

ratea ratio comparing different unitsunit ratethe rate for ONE unitperfor each oneunit pricethe price for one itembetter buythe lower unit pricespeeddistance per timedivideto split into equal partscompareto see which is better
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
3 apples cost $6. What is the unit rate (price each)?
$2 each ($6 ÷ 3).
QUESTION 2
Which is the better buy: $6 for 3, or $10 for 4?
$6 for 3 ($2 each) beats $10 for 4 ($2.50 each).
QUESTION 3
A car goes 120 miles in 2 hours. What is its unit rate (speed)?
60 miles per hour.

Going deeper? Real store showdown.

Have students bring two real prices for the same item in different sizes and find which is the better buy by unit price. A printable better-buy sheet is in the Math 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.

🃏 Unit RatesFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

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

📝 Unit RatesQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
0%

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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.

🖨️ Unit RatesPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: better buy, compare, divide, per, rate, speed, unit price, unit rate
  1. the lower unit price
  2. to split into equal parts
  3. the rate for ONE unit
  4. for each one
  5. distance per time
  6. the price for one item
  7. a ratio comparing different units
  8. to see which is better

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. 3 apples cost $6. What is the unit rate (price each)?
  2. Which is the better buy: $6 for 3, or $10 for 4?
  3. A car goes 120 miles in 2 hours. What is its unit rate (speed)?
Answer key — Part A: 1) better buy · 2) divide · 3) unit rate · 4) per · 5) speed · 6) unit price · 7) rate · 8) compare
Part B: 1) $2 each ($6 ÷ 3). 2) $6 for 3 ($2 each) beats $10 for 4 ($2.50 each). 3) 60 miles per hour.