Curriculum › Math ›Grade 6

Grade 6 Math · Level 2, Ratios, Rates & Percent

Ratio Language

How the lesson starts: Ratio Language

1. Otto's bouncy-ball pit

   Hi there! Welcome to the fun fair. Otto the clown fills his bouncy-ball pit. In go 6 blue balls. Then in go 4 red balls. Otto wants a quick way to compare them. That's exactly what a ratio does!

2. Say it, keep the order

   Blue to red can be said 6 to 4, written 6:4, or said 6 for every 4. All three mean the same thing. Order matters! Red to blue names red first, so it's 4:6. The words tell you which number goes first.

3. A part and the total

   Now Otto has 5 red balls and 7 blue balls. What is red to total? The total isn't written anywhere, so find it first: 5 + 7 = 12. Red is named first, so the ratio is 5:12. Careful: 5:7 would be red to blue!