Day 36: Study Guide for Ratios Quiz

6th Grade Math Standards: 6.RP.3 Use ratio and rate reasoning to solve real-world and mathematical problems, e.g., by reasoning about tables of equivalent ratios, tape diagrams, double number line diagrams, or equations.
a. Make tables of equivalent ratios relating quantities with whole-number measurements, find
missing values in the tables, and plot the pairs of values on the coordinate plane. Use tables
to compare ratios.
b. Solve unit rate problems, including those involving unit pricing and constant speed. For
example, if it took 7 hours to mow 4 lawns, then, at that rate, how many lawns could be
mowed in 35 hours? At what rate were lawns being mowed?
c. Find a percent of a quantity as a rate per 100 (e.g., 30% of a quantity means 30/100 times the
quantity); solve problems involving finding the whole, given a part and the percent.
d. Use ratio reasoning to convert measurement units; manipulate and transform units
appropriately when multiplying or dividing quantities

The Learning Objective: Graph ratio tables, compare rates to see which is the better buy, and several more. This day was really a summation of the last two weeks of a lessons.

Quote of the Day: “One day you go to a class that is really important to you and that you like a lot. The professor returns the midterm papers to the class. You get a C+. You’re very disappointed. That evening on the way back to your home, you find that you’ve gotten a parking ticket. Being really frustrated, you call your best friend to share your experience but are sort of brushed off. What would you think? What would you feel? The fixed mindset says I’d feel like a reject. I’m a total failure. I’m an idiot. My life is pitiful. Nobody loves me, everybody hates me. Excuse me, was there death and destruction or just a grade, a ticket, and a bad phone call? The growth mindset says I need to try harder in class, be more careful parking the car, and wonder if my friend too had a bad day.” - Carol Dweck, Mindset

Agenda:

1. Jumpstart with a couple unit rate problems and a couple ratio tables
2. Review homework
3. Pass out the study guide and do the study guide in terms of page 1, page 2, page 3. This took about 70 minutes to complete.

The Assessment: Circumventing the room during the study guide and letting students do their work in partners.

Homework: Study for the quiz and finish WQ #5.

My Glass Half-Full Take: Somehow I managed to go over all 17 of the problems we had today. Originally in the agenda I had the sugar packets video from Dan Meyer as part of the lesson, but we did not have time given the depth of some of the questions that were on this study guide. I left the day feeling as though the students were at the very least challenged by what we did.

One Thing to Do Differently: I feel as though my time would have been better spent if I could consistently say to students check the answer page. I did not have an answer page readily available or multiple answer pages readily available. With that at my disposal though students would not be wondering how to do certain problems. Of course the answer page also reenforces a negative of giving students an easy out in their thinking. I just wished I could have been checking in on more students and critiquing more of their papers. I went over four problems every four to seven minutes (I used a timer and put it on the board all class), but in going over the problems I never could capture the attention of the class and my words were going in one ear and out the other in many situations. I found myself constantly cold calling students to verify understanding. Perhaps creating an answer page with one to three wrong answers and telling the students this was the case would be an interesting compromise.

Link of the Day: Speaking of answer pages, there is now an App that will solve any textbook problem you wish to take a picture of. And not all mathematicians hate it. I too don't hate it. My take has someone who does give textbook homework occasionally (lately I've given a lot from the text but this will slow down), is that at least the students are going to put the effort forth to take a picture and communicate with someone or something else about the response. The app also comes with its flaws and this creates for interesting side discussions.