Understanding By Design Unit Template

Title of Unit
Curriculum Area
Developed By

Ratios and Unit Rates

Grade Level
6th Grade
Mathematics
Time Frame
1 class period (60 minutes)
Curriculum plan created by EngageNY; lesson developed by Samantha Solomon

Identify Desired Results (Stage 1)

Content Standards
M06.A-R.1.1.1
Use ratio language and notation (such as 3 to 4, 3:4, 3/4) to describe a ratio relationship between two quantities.
M06.A-R.1.1.3
Construct tables of equivalent ratios relating quantities with whole-number measurements, find missing values in the tables, and/or plot the pairs of values
on the coordinate plane. Use tables to compare ratios.

Understandings
Overarching Understanding
Students will understand
what constitutes a ratio.
when a ratio may be used.
that the order numbers are presented in a ratio determine
how the ratio is applied
how to apply ratios to real-world situations
equivalent ratios
how to represent ratios within a table

Related Misconceptions

Students may be confused by the language and symbols

used with ratios
Students may be confused by the order of ratios
Students may be confused by transferring ratios into and out
of tables

Essential Questions
Overarching

What is a ratio?
How can we determine
the relationship
between numbers?
How can ratios be used
in the real-world?

Topical

What specific language

and symbols are used
to describe ratios?
What happens if we
switch the order of
numbers in a ratio?
How can we find an
equivalent ratio?
How can we represent
ratios in a table?
How can we derive
ratios from a table?

Knowledge

Skills

Students will know

Students will be able to

The definition of a ratio.

That a ratio is often used instead of representing a number
as a multiple of another number.
That the meaning of a ratio is determined by the order of the
numbers.

Write a ratio representative of the relationship of two

objects in a description.
Determine whether a particular ratio is represented within
a certain description
Create a description of two objects representing a given
ratio, orally, in writing, and with images
Interpret a table to determine what ratios are present

Assessment Evidence (Stage 2)

Performance Task Description
Goal
Role
Audience
Situation
Product/Performan
ce
Standards

Create a story that represents a real-world ratio

Story teller and illustrator
Other students within the small group (3 other students)
Small-group share out to orally describe the illustration representing the ratio within the story
Illustration of a ratio with the written ratio, table of equivalent ratios, and story on the back
M06.A-R.1.1.1
Use ratio language and notation (such as 3 to 4, 3:4, 3/4) to describe a ratio relationship between two quantities.
M06.A-R.1.1.3
Construct tables of equivalent ratios relating quantities with whole-number measurements, find missing values in the tables,
and/or plot the pairs of values on the coordinate plane. Use tables to compare ratios.

Other Evidence
Exit Ticket: Students will derive ratios from descriptions and create a table of equivalent ratios.

Learning Plan (Stage 3)

Where are your students headed? Where
have they been? How will you make sure
the students know where they are going?

How will you hook students at the

beginning of the unit?

The students knowledge and skill set regarding ratios will build into their
future understanding of unit rates of measurement
To make sure the students know where they are going, future lessons after
the initial ratio lesson will begin to incorporate questions regarding speed
and other direct examples of unit rates.
You be the teacher
The students will be asked to grab one box of manipulatives for every four
students. When the task is completed, I will ask the students how they
determined how many boxes they need for each table group (of four


What events will help students experience
and explore the big idea and questions in
the unit? How will you equip them with
needed skills and knowledge?

How will you cause students to reflect and

rethink? How will you guide them in
rehearsing, revising, and refining their
work?

How will you help students to exhibit and

self-evaluate their growing skills,
knowledge, and understanding throughout
the unit?

How will you tailor and otherwise

personalize the learning plan to optimize
the engagement and effectiveness of ALL
students, without compromising the goals
of the unit?

How will you organize and sequence the

learning activities to optimize the
engagement and achievement of ALL
students?

students).
Students will be informed that they already know how to apply ratios in the
real-world, and that we now need to learn the proper symbols and language
to describe them.
Examples using classroom scenarios
Using their new found knowledge to derive stories from their own lives that
incorporate ratios
Needed skills and knowledge will be achieved through whole-group, guided
practice with intermixed opportunities for independent practice
During whole-group, guided practice, students will have the opportunity to
practice singular questions independently and perform think-alouds for
their peers.
After creating their storyboards, students will work together to determine
whether the equivalent ratio table is accurate.
In the exit ticket, students will write a short explanation of how to use a ratio
in a real-world setting.
Throughout the guided practice, students will be provided opportunities to
answer questions independently prior to going over the answer whole-group.
The last question on all of my exit tickets is a self-reflection on overall
understanding of the days lesson with the opportunity to ask additional
questions.
The explanation of a ratio will use real-world examples applicable in the
students lives.
Real-world examples from the classroom setting will be used during guided
practice and the initial demonstration.
The students will create their own independent ratio stories that can
represent any part of their life that they wish to use.
Students will first take part in whole-group demonstration of the use of a
ratio (every four students will share 1 bucket of manipulatives)
Students will then take part in whole-group, guided instruction with
incorporated independent practice problems
Students will take part in further independent practice by creating their
storyboards
Students will then present their work to small groups who will work together
to double check their ratio equivalents

From: Wiggins, Grant and J. Mc Tighe. (1998). Understanding by Design, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
ISBN # 0-87120-313-8 (ppk)