MS After School Intervention
Unit: Ratios, Rate, and Proportion
Theme: Sports Park
Day 1 Lesson
Objective
Students will develop an understanding of ratios.
Common Core Standards:
6.RP.1 Understand the concept of a ratio and use ratio language to describe a ratio
relationship between two quantities. For example, “The ratio of wings to beaks in
the bird house at the zoo was 2:1, because for every 2 wings there was 1 beak.” “For
every vote candidate A received, candidate C received nearly three votes.”
Materials
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Computer with speakers
LCD projector
Cuisenaire® Rods
Chart paper
Tape
Markers
Moving with Math: Percent & Probability (MH3)
“Color Cards” resource sheets (one per group)
“Answer Key for Color Cards” resource sheet
“Cuisenaire® Rod Stair Step Key” resource sheet
“Station Activity Stations” resource sheets
“Station Activity Answer Sheet” resource sheets (one per student)
“Pick a Punch Recipes” resource sheet
“Pick a Punch Student Answer Sheet” resource sheets (one per student)
Ratio video segment
Warm-Up: Cuisenaire® Rods (10 minutes)
Divide the class into groups. Give each group a set of Cuisenaire® Rods and color
card with directions. Give two minutes for each group to work on the card and record
responses. After two minutes, rotate cards. Do one more card rotation.
As a class, discuss patterns formed by equivalent rod length. Expand to the idea that
the larger the rod, the more equivalent combinations exist.
Introductory Activity (20 minutes)
Present the following scenario to the class: “Your baseball team will be playing at the
new sports park. What would you expect to see at a sports park? What types of sports
would take place at one? What other activities or amenities would need to be at the
park?”
Application problem: Your team is going to practice at the new sports park. The
equipment manager takes three bats and nine gloves for the team to use. The team has
20 players. What is the ratio of players to bats? What is the ratio of gloves to players?
Use the video clip with a LCD projector and speakers to show ratio use in baseball
(strikes to balls), available at:
http://www.schooltube.com/video/73bfdf66cbc834430fc7/Baseball-Ratios
Finding Ratios with Cuisenaire® Rods (15 minutes)
Divide students into groups. Give each group a set of Cuisenaire® Rods.
Instruct students to make a stair step with white being the first step representing one
and orange being the largest step.
Instruct students to find the following ratios. Possible answers are in parenthesis.
2
4
1. red to white (2 to 1, , 2:1)
4. purple to light green (4 to 3, , 4:3)
1
3
2. white to red (1 to 2, ½, 1:2)
5. dark green to white (6 to 1, 6/1, 6:1)

8
3. brown to orange (8 to 10,
, 8:10)
10
 7
6. black to purple (7 to 4, , 7:4)
4
4
Note: Show using different rods to simplify (purple to yellow which is 4 to 5, , 4:5).
5


Have students write their answers on a sheet of paper. Check student answers while
they are working.

Expanding Ratio Understanding (15 minutes)
Complete the Introductory Activities (Writing and Using Ratios & Ratios in Simplest
Form) on page 21 of Moving with Math: Percent & Probability (MH3).
Once completed, write the examples on the board and have students solve.
Ex 1) Write the ratio, in simplest form, for each:
10 min to 40 min
6 oz to 72 oz
Answers:
10:40 = 1:4
6:72 = 1:12
Ex 2) Jim’s cookie recipe uses 2 cups of chocolate chips and 5 cups of flour.
2
What is the ratio of cups of choc chips to cups of flour?
Answer:
5
5
What is the ratio of cups of flour to total cups? Answer:
7

Ratio Stations (20 minutes)
 from the previous activity).
Divide students into groups (you may use the same groups
Distribute “Ratio Station Activity Answer Sheet” to each student. Place a Ratio
Stations problem with each group. Give the groups 2 minutes to read and solve each
problem. Rotate until all groups have solved all 6 problems. As a class, discuss
answers.
Answers:
Station 1: a.
4
3
b.
Station 2: a. 10:5 = 2:1
Station 3: a.
3
4
b. 5:10 = 1:2
b.
 4: a. 4:13 
Station
9 1

27 3
 6: a. 7:9 
Station
Station 5: a.
3 1

12 4
4
7
b. 2:2 = 1:1
b.
27 3

36 4
b. 7:16
Pick a Punch (15 minutes)

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Your team is deciding on which punch to take to the sports park. Display the punch
information to the students using the LCD projector. Assign a recipe to each corner of
the room. Have students go the corner they choose as the answer for each question.
Ask a few students why they chose their corner each time.
1. Which drink do you think will taste the “juiciest?”
2. Which drink do you think will taste the “most like soda?”
Come back together as a class. Distribute student answer sheets. Have students write
their corner selections. Ask students for ideas about how they could figure out the
correct answers without actually making the punch.
If necessary, lead students to suggest finding a ratio to answer the questions.
#1 – They will need to find orange juice parts : total parts
#2 – They will need to find ginger ale parts: total parts
Have students work in pairs to find these ratios.
Prompt students to find a common denominator in order to compare the ratios. This
should be prior knowledge, but review if necessary.
Have pairs check their answers with you, when finished. Ask students if they can
explain why Jane should re-name her recipe.
Answers:
Part I:
7 35
Kevin:

12 60
7 42
Max:

10 60
2 24

5 60
8 40
Wanda:

12 60
Jane:

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Max’s Punch is the juiciest!
 Part II:
5 25

12 60
3 18
Max:
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10 60
Kevin:

3 36

5 60
4 20
Wanda:
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12 60
Jane:

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Jane’s Punch is the most soda-like!
 Closure (5 minutes)
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Possible Wrap-Up Questions:
1. How many ways can ratios be written? What are they?
(Answers: 3 fraction, colon, “to”)
2. How is a ratio different from a fraction?
(Answer: a ratio can be part to part while a fraction is always part to whole.)
3. Name some other 1:1 ratios like the 3rd date.
(Answers: hands to feet, socks to shoes, red checkers to black checkers, etc.)
Exit Ticket (5 minutes)
Return to the original scenario from the lesson introduction:
Answer the following by writing the ratios all three ways.
Your team is going to practice at the new sports park. The equipment manager takes
three bats and nine gloves for the team to use. The team has 20 players.
1. What is the ratio of players to bats?
2. What is the ratio of gloves to players?
3. What is a ratio? Briefly explain.
20
9
, 20:3, 20 to 3
2.
, 9:20, 9 to 20
3
20
3. A ratio compares two quantities of different items.
Solutions: 1.

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Color Cards: Purple Card
Take out a purple rod.
1) How many whites equal a purple?
2) How many reds equal a purple?
3) How many combinations can be made using
two different colors to equal a purple? Describe.
4) What other combinations can make a purple?
Color Cards: Light Green
Card
Take out a light green rod.
1) How many whites equal a light green?
2) How many combinations can be made using
two different colors to equal a light green?
Describe.
3) Can other combinations make a light green?
Explain why or why not.
Color Cards: Red Card
Take out a red rod.
1) How many whites equal a red?
2) How many combinations can make a red?
Why?
Color Cards: Yellow Card
Take out a yellow rod.
1) How many whites equal a yellow?
2) How many combinations can be made using
two different colors to equal a yellow? Describe.
3) How many combinations can make a yellow?
Color Cards: Dark Green
Card
Take out a dark green rod.
1) How many whites equal a dark green?
2) How many reds equal a dark green?
3) How many combinations can be made using
two different colors to equal a dark green? Describe.
4) What other combinations can make a dark
green?
Color Cards: Black Card
Take out a black rod.
1) How many whites equal a black?
2) How many combinations can be made using
two different colors to equal a black? Describe.
3) What other combinations can make a black?
Answer Key for Color Cards
Red Card: 1) Two white
2) Only one combination can be formed because red is small.
Light Green Card: 1) Three whites
2) One combination- one red & one white
3) Other combinations cannot be formed because the light green
is small.
Purple Card: 1) Four whites
2) Two reds
3) One combination- one white and one light green
4) Two whites and one red
Yellow Card: 1) Five whites
2) Three- One white & Two reds, two whites & one light green, one
red & one light green
3) Four
Dark Green Card: 1) Six whites
2) Three
3) Five- Two whites & Two reds, four whites & one red, three
whites & one light green, one white & one yellow, one purple & one
red
4) Two light greens, one light green & one red & one white
Black Card: 1) Seven whites
2) Ten- Three whites & Two reds, five whites & one red, one white
& two light green, one white & one dark green, one purple & one
light green, four whites & one light green, two reds & one light
green, one yellow & one red, one purple & three whites, three reds &
one white
3) Two light greens, one light green & one red & one white
Cuisenaire® Rod Stair Step Key
Station Activity Stations
Station 1
The concession stand sells brownies. Ben’s Brownie
Recipe calls for 4 tablespoons of sugar, 3
tablespoons of oil, and 12 tablespoons of flour.
Write the ratio, in simplest form, for tablespoons of:
a)sugar to oil
b) oil to flour
Station 2
The length of a rectangular field section used for
practice is 10 m. The width is 5 m.
a) What is the ratio, in simplest form, of the length
to width?
b) What is the ratio, in simplest form, of the width
to length?
Station 3
Jamal works at the sports park Monday, Thursday,
Friday, and Saturday every week.
a) Write the ratio of days off to days worked.
b) Write the ratio of days worked to days in a week.
Station 4
Your team packs snacks for the team. A bag of
fruit snacks has the following flavors: 4 cherry, 2
orange, 5 grape, and 2 lemon.
Write the ratio, in simplest form, of:
a) cherry to total fruit snacks
b) orange to lemon
Station 5
During lunch, Mike finished nine hot dogs while
Ike ate twenty-seven hot dogs.
Write the ratio, in simplest form, of:
a) Mike to Ike
b) Ike to total hot dogs
Station 6
Cassie is part of a basketball team using the sports
park. Cassie took 4 free-throw shots each quarter,
for a total of 16 shots. She made 7 successful
baskets.
a) What is the ratio of shots made to shots missed?
b) What is the ratio of shots made to total shots?
Student Answer Sheet
Name: ______________________
Red Card:
Light Green Card:
1.
1.
2.
2.
3.
3.
Dark Green Card:
Purple Card:
1.
1.
2.
2.
3.
3.
4.
4.
Yellow Card:
Black Card:
1.
1.
2.
2.
3.
3.
Station Activity Answer Sheet
Station 1:
Station 2:
a.
a.
b.
b.
Station 3:
Station 4:
a.
a.
b.
b.
Station 5:
Station 6:
a.
a.
b.
b.
Pick a Punch Recipes
Kevin’s Kosmic Punch
Jane’s Juicy Punch
7 parts orange juice
5 parts ginger ale
2 parts orange juice
3 parts ginger ale
Max’s Mega Punch
Wanda’s Wild Punch
7 parts orange juice
3 parts ginger ale
8 parts orange juice
4 parts ginger ale
Pick a Punch Student Answer Sheet
Name __________________
1. Which drink did you choose for the “juiciest”?
2. Which drink did you choose for the “most like soda”?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Work for finding the “juiciest” punch
Kevin
Jane
Max
Wanda
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Work for finding the “soda-like” punch
Kevin
Jane
Max
Wanda