Illustrative Math Alignment: Grade 6 Unit 3

Turn the Halloween season into an opportunity to do some math activities! In this module, you'll find a clever collection of arithmetic, algebra, and geometry activities.

Temperature is one of the most important measurements that we deal with on a daily basis. Weather, climate, food preparation, health, and other phenomena involve some type of temperature measure. The two most common units of temperature measure are Fahrenheit and Celsius.

There is a linear function that allows you to convert from one unit to another. In this module, you'll learn about this linear function. In fact, students will learn about this function and its inverse.

The module starts with an analysis of Celsius-to-Fahrenheit data. They look at the functional relationship between the variables and develop a linear model using the Desmos graphing calculator. They analyze the properties of this linear function and look at its graph.

Next, students analyze Fahrenheit-to-Celsius data. They also develop a linear function model using the Desmos graphing calculator.

As the size of a circle changes, so does the size of the diameter and that of the circumference. In fact, there is a linear relationship between these two measures. This relationship can be modeled with a linear function. In this module students will study this linear function and examine its properties, including the fact that the slope of this function is π itself.

This is a hands-on module in which students will measure the diameters and circumferences of a number of different containers. This data gathering will lead to graphing the data. From that students develop a linear model using the Desmos graphing tool. Students will see that the relationship between circumference and diameter has to do with π. In fact, the slope of the linear function is π itself.

Rivers twist and turn as they make their way to the sea. Why does this happen and how can this be explained mathematically? In this module we look at the geometry of meandering rivers. In the process we'll discover some fascinating numerical relationships.

Students will learn some basic concepts about the geophysics of how rivers form, but they will focus their analysis on what is called the sinuousity ratio. This is the ratio of the straight-line distance of the river and its meandering distance. This ratio reveals important characteristics of the river. Then, students will develop and examine geometric models involving circular arcs and segments to get a better understanding of the ratio. These models will first involve using a compass and straight edge to model a river. This is followed by an algebraic analysis.

Have you noticed how wrinkled an elephant's skin is? What purpose does it serve and what does math have to do with explaining this phenomenon? Well, the explanation for an elephant's wrinkled skin is almost entirely a math story. 

In this module students explore rational expressions and functions in the context of the ratio of surface area and volume for various three-dimensional figures. Such figures can be used to model the basic shapes of animals.

This ratio reveals a lot about how an animal is able to retain heat or lose it rapidly, depending on the animal's habitat. The geometry of heat transfer also has applications in architecture and design.

What your students will learn:

Overview

Overview

In this real-world application of ratios, students will learn what a ratio is, including ratios with three terms. They will see different ways of writing ratios, including fractions in simplest form. 

a:b     ab     a to b

Two short videos introduce the concept of ratios and each video includes real-world examples of ratios. Then several formative assessments are used to test for understanding.  

Students then look at the application of ratios to the mixing of concrete at a construction site, starting with a video then followed by an assessment.

This lesson can be assigned to individual students or teams of students. The lesson can be completed in about 20 minutes. 

Overview

This collection of definitions on the topic of Ratios, Proportions, and Percents from Media4Math is an invaluable educational resource designed to enhance students' understanding of these fundamental mathematical concepts. This comprehensive collection includes essential terms such as ratio, proportion, percent, rate, unit rate, and scale model.

Overview

Why do rivers meander instead of traveling in a straight line? In going from point A to point B, why should a river take the circuitous route it does instead of a direct path? Furthermore, what information can the ratio of the river’s length to its straight-line distance tell us? In this segment the geological forces that account for a river’s motion are explained. In the process, the so-called Meander Ratio is explored. Students construct a mathematical model of a meandering river using the TI-Nspire. Having built the model, students then use it to generate data to find the average of many Meander Ratios. The results show that on average the Meander Ratio is equal to pi.

Video Tutorial: Applications of Percent -- Grade. In this video we investigate the concept of the grade of a road. This is an application of percents, where the slope of a road or a ski slope is written in percent form. We interpret this percent measurement as a slope measurement.

This video is part of a series of videos that cover the topic of percents. This includes the definition of a percent, percent operations, and applications of percents. Each video includes real-world examples of using percents to solve specific problems. 

Video Tutorial: Percents: Calculating Commissions and Tips. In this video we look at using percent formulas to calculate sales commissions and tips. Various real-world scenarios are investigated for calculating these percent-based amounts.

This video is part of a series of videos that cover the topic of percents. This includes the definition of a percent, percent operations, and applications of percents. Each video includes real-world examples of using percents to solve specific problems. 

Video Tutorial: Percents: Calculating Tax. In this video we look at using tax rates to calculate tax owed. The tax rates are written as percents and converted to decimals to calculate the tax.

This video is part of a series of videos that cover the topic of percents. This includes the definition of a percent, percent operations, and applications of percents. Each video includes real-world examples of using percents to solve specific problems. 

Video Tutorial: Percents: Calculating the Whole Given a Percent. In this video learn how to calculate the whole, given a percent and a part of the whole. Students solve percent equations.

This video is part of a series of videos that cover the topic of percents. This includes the definition of a percent, percent operations, and applications of percents. Each video includes real-world examples of using percents to solve specific problems. 

Video Tutorial: Estimating Percents. In this video learn how to estimate percents by converting them to fractions that simplify multiplication.

This video is part of a series of videos that cover the topic of percents. This includes the definition of a percent, percent operations, and applications of percents. Each video includes real-world examples of using percents to solve specific problems. 

Video Tutorial: Ratios: Fraction-Percent Conversion. In this video learn how to convert percents to fractions to simplify percent operations.

This video is part of a series of videos that cover the topic of percents. This includes the definition of a percent, percent operations, and applications of percents. Each video includes real-world examples of using percents to solve specific problems. 

Video Tutorial: Percents: Multiple Percents. In this video, we investigate calculating the percent of a percent. Multiple calculations of a percent are investigated relative to a combined percent calculation.

This video is part of a series of videos that cover the topic of percents. This includes the definition of a percent, percent operations, and applications of percents. Each video includes real-world examples of using percents to solve specific problems. 

Video Tutorial: Percents: Percent Decrease. In this video, we look at the concept of percent decrease. The formula for calculating percent decrease is shown and used in the context of solving real-world problems.

This video is part of a series of videos that cover the topic of percents. This includes the definition of a percent, percent operations, and applications of percents. Each video includes real-world examples of using percents to solve specific problems. 

Video Tutorial: Percents: Percent Increase. In this video, we look at the concept of percent increase. The formula for calculating percent increase is shown and used in the context of solving real-world problems.

This video is part of a series of videos that cover the topic of percents. This includes the definition of a percent, percent operations, and applications of percents. Each video includes real-world examples of using percents to solve specific problems. 

Video Tutorial: Percents: Percent of a Difference. In this video, students learn how to calculate the whole, given the percent and a part corresponding to another percent. The solution involves a percent difference.

This video is part of a series of videos that cover the topic of percents. This includes the definition of a percent, percent operations, and applications of percents. Each video includes real-world examples of using percents to solve specific problems. 

Video Tutorial: Percents: Percent of a Number. In this video, learn how to find the percent of a number. The examples focus on converting a percent to a decimal.

This video is part of a series of videos that cover the topic of percents. This includes the definition of a percent, percent operations, and applications of percents. Each video includes real-world examples of using percents to solve specific problems. 

Video Tutorial: Percents: Percents and Multiples of Numbers. In this video, we explore the difference between percent growth and the multiple of a number. Several real-world examples are used to explore these differences.

This video is part of a series of videos that cover the topic of percents. This includes the definition of a percent, percent operations, and applications of percents. Each video includes real-world examples of using percents to solve specific problems. 

Video Tutorial: Percents: Probabilities and Percents. In this video, percent calculations are used to explore probabilities of events. From a percent-based probability predictions are made for given outcomes.

This video is part of a series of videos that cover the topic of percents. This includes the definition of a percent, percent operations, and applications of percents. Each video includes real-world examples of using percents to solve specific problems. 

Video Tutorial: Percents: Simple Interest. In this video, we look at simple interest in the context of using percent to make calculations. A formula for calculating simple interest is shown and used to solve several real-world problems.

This video is part of a series of videos that cover the topic of percents. This includes the definition of a percent, percent operations, and applications of percents. Each video includes real-world examples of using percents to solve specific problems. 

Video Tutorial: Percents: The Percent One Number is of Another. In this video, students learn how to calculate what percent one number is of another. This includes percents greater than 100%.

This video is part of a series of videos that cover the topic of percents. This includes the definition of a percent, percent operations, and applications of percents. Each video includes real-world examples of using percents to solve specific problems. 

Video Tutorial: Percents: Visual Models for Percents. In this video, learn how to model percent operations using visual models.

This video is part of a series of videos that cover the topic of percents. This includes the definition of a percent, percent operations, and applications of percents. Each video includes real-world examples of using percents to solve specific problems. 

Video Tutorial: Ratios and Percents: Calculating Percents. In this video, students will see the relationship between ratios, proportions, and percents. A percent formula is derived and used to solve several real-world percent problems.

What Are Ratios?

A ratio is the relationship between two or more quantities among a group of items. Let's look at an example.

What Are Ratios?

A ratio is the relationship between two or more quantities among a group of items. Let's look at an example.

What Are Ratios?

A ratio is the relationship between two or more quantities among a group of items.

Topic

Ratios, Proportions, and Percents

Definition

Calculating tax involves determining the percentage amount to be added to the base price of a product or service.

Description

Calculating tax is a fundamental application of percentages in real-world scenarios. When purchasing goods or services, the total cost is often the sum of the base price and the tax applied. Understanding how to calculate tax is essential for budgeting and financial literacy.

For example, if a product costs $50 and the tax rate is 8%, the tax amount is calculated as 

50 × 0.08 = 4

Therefore, the total cost is 

Topic

Ratios, Proportions, and Percents

Definition

Calculating tips involves determining the amount of money to give as a gratuity based on a percentage of the total bill.

Description

Calculating tips is a common use of percentages in everyday life, particularly in service industries such as dining. Tips are usually calculated as a percentage of the total bill, and understanding how to compute this is important for both customers and service providers. 

For instance, if a meal costs $80 and you want to leave a 15% tip, the tip amount is calculated as 

80 × 0.15 = 12

Topic

Ratios, Proportions, and Percents

Definition

Converting units involves changing a measurement from one unit to another using a conversion factor.

Description

Converting units is essential in various fields such as science, engineering, and everyday life. It involves using ratios and proportions to switch between different measurement systems, such as converting inches to centimeters or gallons to liters.

For example, to convert 5 miles to kilometers, knowing that 1 mile is approximately 1.60934 kilometers, you multiply 

5 × 1.60934 = 8.0467 kilometers

Topic

Ratios, Proportions, and Percents

Definition

Dimensional analysis is a method used to convert one unit of measurement to another using conversion factors.

Description

Dimensional analysis is a powerful tool in mathematics and science for converting units and solving problems involving measurements. It uses the principle of multiplying by conversion factors to ensure that units cancel out appropriately, leading to the desired unit.

For example, to convert 50 meters per second to kilometers per hour, you use the conversion factors  1 meter = 0.001 kilometers and 1 hour = 3600 seconds: 

Topic

Ratios, Proportions, and Percents

Definition

Equivalent ratios are ratios that express the same relationship between quantities.

Description

Equivalent ratios are fundamental in understanding proportions and scaling in mathematics. They represent the same relationship between quantities, even though the numbers themselves may differ. This concept is crucial in various applications, such as cooking, map reading, and creating models.

For instance, the ratios 2:3 and 4:6 are equivalent because they both simplify to the same ratio when reduced.

Topic

Ratios, Proportions, and Percents

Definition

Part-to-part ratios compare different parts of a whole to each other.

Description

Part-to-part ratios are used to compare different parts of a whole, providing a way to understand the relationship between different components. This type of ratio is essential in fields such as statistics, biology, and economics.

For example, if a class has 10 boys and 15 girls, the part-to-part ratio of boys to girls is 10:15, which simplifies to 2:3.

Topic

Ratios, Proportions, and Percents

Definition

Part-to-whole ratios compare one part of a whole to the entire whole. These ratios are more commonly known as fractions.

Description

Part-to-whole ratios are used to compare a part of a whole to the entire whole, providing insights into the composition of a dataset or population. This type of ratio, more commonly referred to as fractions, is widely used in statistics, finance, and everyday decision-making.

Topic

Ratios, Proportions, and Percents

Definition

A percent is a ratio that compares a number to 100.

Description

Percentages are a fundamental concept in mathematics, representing a ratio out of 100. They are used in various applications, including finance, statistics, and everyday calculations such as discounts and interest rates.

For example, if you score 45 out of 50 on a test, your percentage score is 

(45/50) × 100 = 90%

Topic

Ratios, Proportions, and Percents

Definition

Percent decrease measures the reduction in value expressed as a percentage of the original value.

Description

Percent decrease is used to quantify the reduction in value over time, expressed as a percentage of the original value. It is commonly used in finance, economics, and everyday scenarios such as price reductions and weight loss.

For example, if the price of a jacket drops from $80 to $60, the percent decrease is calculated as 

(80 − 60)/80 × 100 = 25%.

Topic

Ratios, Proportions, and Percents

Definition

Percent increase measures the growth in value expressed as a percentage of the original value.

Description

Percent increase is used to quantify the growth in value over time, expressed as a percentage of the original value. It is commonly used in finance, economics, and everyday scenarios such as salary increases and population growth.

For example, if the price of a stock rises from \$50 to \$75, the percent increase is calculated as 

(75 − 50)/50 × 100 = 50%

Topic

Ratios, Proportions, and Percents

Definition

Percent of a number involves calculating the amount represented by a certain percentage of that number.

Description

Understanding percentages is crucial for working with finances, statistics, and data analysis. For instance, to find 20% of 50, multiply 50 by 0.20, resulting in 10. Likewise, it's important for everyday scenarios, such as calculating discounts during shopping.

Topic

Ratios, Proportions, and Percents

Definition

Percent of an unknown refers to solving for an unknown quantity when given a percentage of that quantity.

Description

Knowing how to find a percentage of an unknown variable is essential for solving equations in algebra. This concept appears in various situations, such as when determining discounts or portions of a total amount.

For instance, if 20% of an unknown number equals 15, you can set up the equation: 

0.20x = 15

Topic

Ratios, Proportions, and Percents

Definition

Percents as decimals involve converting a percentage into its decimal representation.

Description

Converting percents to decimals is a key skill in mathematics, allowing students to perform calculations involving percentages more easily. To convert, divide the percent by 100.

For example, 75% as a decimal is 0.75, calculated by dividing 75 by 100. This conversion is useful in many contexts, such as finance, where calculations are conducted using decimal values. Mastering this concept enables students to approach real-world problems with greater confidence and accuracy.

Topic

Ratios, Proportions, and Percents

Definition

A proportion is an equation that states that two ratios are equal.

Description

Understanding proportions is essential in mathematics, as it is used to solve problems involving ratios and fractions. Proportions are commonly seen in real-world applications such as cooking, map measurements, and scale models.

To illustrate, if there are 2 apples for every 3 oranges, the proportion can be expressed as 2:3. Solving proportions involves finding and solving an equivalent ratio.

Topic

Ratios, Proportions, and Percents

Definition

Proportional refers to the relationship between two quantities where their ratio is constant.

Description

Proportional relationships are fundamental in mathematics and science, describing how one quantity changes in relation to another. This concept is used in various fields, including physics, economics, and engineering.

For example, if the speed of a car is proportional to the time it travels, doubling the time will double the distance covered. Understanding proportionality helps students solve complex problems and apply mathematical reasoning in real-world situations.

Topic

Ratios, Proportions, and Percents

Definition

A rate is a ratio that compares two quantities with different units.

Description

Rates are used to compare different quantities, such as speed (miles per hour) or price (cost per item). Understanding rates is essential for interpreting data and making informed decisions in various contexts, such as travel and budgeting.

For instance, if a car travels 60 miles in 2 hours, the rate is 30 miles per hour. Learning about rates helps students analyze real-world situations and apply mathematical reasoning to everyday problems.

Topic

Ratios, Proportions, and Percents

Definition

A ratio is a comparison of two quantities by division.

Description

Ratios are used to express the relationship between two quantities, providing a way to compare different amounts. They are fundamental in various fields, including mathematics, science, and finance.

For example, the ratio of 4 to 5 can be written as 4:5 or 4/5. Understanding ratios helps students analyze data, solve problems, and make informed decisions in real-world situations.

Topic

Ratios, Proportions, and Percents

Definition

Ratios and fractions are both ways of comparing quantities, with fractions representing a part of a whole.

Description

Understanding the connection between ratios and fractions is crucial for solving problems involving proportions and scaling. Ratios can be expressed as fractions, providing a way to understand the relationship between quantities. A fraction is a part-whole ratio.

Topic

Ratios, Proportions, and Percents

Definition

The slope of a line is a ratio that represents the change in y over the change in x.

Description

Understanding the relationship between ratios and slope is essential for interpreting graphs and solving problems in algebra and geometry. The slope is a measure of how steep a line is, calculated as the ratio of the vertical change to the horizontal change between two points.

For example, if a line rises 2 units for every 3 units it runs horizontally, the slope is 2/3. This concept is crucial for understanding linear relationships and analyzing data in various fields.