TCNJ Lesson Plan

Title: Comparing Proportional Relationships

Unit #_1_ Lesson #__2__ Day # __2__

Aim/Focus Question
Aim/Focus Question: Write out the Big Content Objective from the Unit Plan
How can we compare two proportional relationships represented in different ways?

Assessment(s)

Learning Objectives (SWBAT) with Standards Codes

How will you assess the students understanding of the learning objectives? Include on-going formative assessments and any
summative assessment.
Daily Content Objectives:
1.

Compare two different proportional relationships

represented in two different ways.
(CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.8.EE.B.5)

1. Grocery Store Task/Exit Ticket/Homework

Big Skill Objectives:

1.
2.
3.

Recall and activate prior knowledge.

Make sense of problems and persevere in solving
them. (CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP1)
Model with mathematics.
(CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP4)

1.
2.
3.

Grocery Store Task: with the use of ratio tables

Grocery Store Task: when converting the format of each
proportion so that they can be compared
Grocery Store Task: when changing the format of each
proportional relationship so that they can be compared.

Student Understandings/Misunderstandings/Misconceptions
What do you anticipate your students already know going into this lesson, misunderstanding, and having misconceptions of?
Students will have already learned how to graph proportional relationships. This will come in handy when moving between the
different visual representations of proportional relationships. When looking at proportional relationships represented by equations,
students may be somewhat confused as the y=mx+b form of the line isnt taught until day 4 of the unit. Thus, we will do a brief
introduction, but not go fully into the application of the slope-intercept form until day 4 when this form of the line is devoted its
own lesson. Students may also have difficulty converting one visual representation to another form, which will require some
practice.

Beginning (Do Now/Opening/Hook)

Your beginning should engage students in the material for the day and be related to the objectives above. It is good to make your
beginning relevant to the students lives and to make an overt connection between the beginning and the objectives for the day.
Opening:
Find the slope: Students will be given a graph with the ordered pairs clearly listed on it, that they will have to use to find the slope
of the line. The formula for slope will be written on the board.
Notecard activity: The teacher will pass out a notecard to each student, with two plural nouns written on each one.
Instructions:
Using the two plural nouns on your flashcard, write a word problem that can be solved using a ratio table, just like the ones
weve been doing in class. (5 min)
Ex: For every 3 apples in my basket of fruit, there are 2 oranges. How many oranges are in my basket if there are 15
apples. Create a ratio table to help solve this problem.
Ask for two volunteers (or pick 2 students via Popsicle sticks if necessary) to share their problems with the class.
The class will then solve both problems together aloud. (10 min)
Total: (15 min)

Transition
Explicitly connect the discussion
of the Opening to the days
Aim and then to the first
Activity.

Transition: Now that weve done lots of problems regarding ratio tables and proportions
between two things, lets take this one step further and now compare two different proportional
relationships that may be represented in different ways (< 1 min)

Middle Context/Application (Mini Lesson, Activity, Guided Practice)

Be sure that your middle section includes a balance of instructional time and time for application.
Include transitions (in italics) when moving to another topic/activity.
Make sure that all activities have clear instructions for the students (written down and delivered) and that you model activities for
the students, when needed. It is useful to list/outline the instructions.
Instructions:
The teacher will start off by introducing two proportional relationships represented in the same way on the board while students
listen from their seats.

DVDs are manufactured at plant A at a rate of 200 every hour.

DVDs are manufactured at plant B at a rate of 300 every hour.
(Q1)

(3 min)
That wasnt so bad, was it? This problem was on the easier side because, in this case, both proportional relationships were
represented in the same way. All we had to do was look at which plant made more DVDs each hour. Now were going to look at a
problem where the unit rates are not so plainly stated. In other words, we will have to analyze the information given to us to find
the unit rates and compare them. The information could be in the form of a graph, equation, or ratio table.
(< 1 min)
Grocery Store Task:

The teacher will first pass out a Grocery Store Task worksheet to each student and project a version on the board as well
so that the teacher can solve the problem directly on the worksheet.
The teacher will then pick a student via Popsicle sticks to read the problem out loud for the rest of the class, while
everyone else follows along on their worksheet.
The task reads:
o Mrs. Meyer is trying to find out which store, Shop Rite or Stop n Shop, has the better price on ham for her

lunches during the week. At Shop Rite, we already know that you can get 2 pounds of ham for $5. Stop n shop
gives a graph representing the ham to dollars proportion. At which store is Mrs. Meyers likely to get the better
deal?
(5 min)

The students will first help the teacher create a ratio table to model the information the problem has given regarding Shop
Rites prices. (4 min)
o From this table, a student will be called on to help find the unit rate for Shop Rite given the table.
Next, the students will help the teacher find the slope of the graph representing the Stop n Shop price.
(Q2)
(Q3)
Once the unit rates are compared, its clear that Shop Rite has the better price, and Mrs. Meyer now know where to buy her
ham for her lunches for the week. (10 min)
The teacher will then walk the class through the following questions regarding the Grocery Store task: (8 min)
o (Q4)
o (Q5)
o (Q6)

Lets now return to our Do Now activity. I need someone to share the problem that he/she wrote with the class.
(< 1 min)
Make a problem activity:

The teacher will ask the students to pair up and pick one of the two word problems they came up with for the Do Now
activity.
Using the same idea as this problem, the students will create a new problem that compares two different proportional
relationships, but still utilizes the question from the students word problem.
Since in the Do Now activity, the students had to make a question that could be solved using a ratio table, each pair will
create a ratio table to model the problem that one of the two wrote.
Together, they will come up with new data that could represent a similar relationship as the one modeled in the students
word problem and represent it in a way other than a ratio table (graph, equation, etc.)
They will then, as a whole, put both sets of data into the same representation and compare.
The teacher will call on a group to share what they got and the class will go through all of the steps together to make sure
no one is confused.
(Q7)
o thumbs up/thumbs down check

(15 min)
i-Ready: Students will log on to their respective i-Ready modules for the second half of class. Students will be given 3 i-Ready
lessons to complete for the last 35 minutes of class. They will be required to pass 2 of these lessons in order to receive credit.
(Mandatory 35 min Kilmer allotment)
SAMPLE QUESTIONS
Knowledge Questions:
What questions will I ask
during the activity/ lesson?
Include anticipated student
answers in parentheses.
Above, write where in the
instructions the question will
go, using parentheses (ex. Q1).

(Q1) Which plant (A or B) makes DVDs at a faster rate? (Plant B makes 100 more every hour)
(Q4) What does the slope represent in this Stop n Shop graph? (The amount of money per
pound of ham)
Application Questions:
(Q3) So what should be our next step then, now that we have both unit rates? (Since the unit
rates for both are in the same format, they can be compared to answer the original question)
(Q6) How else could we have solved this problem? What other formats could we have put both
proportions into? (We could have graphed them both or created a table from the Stop n Shop
graph)
(Q7) Does everyone think theyd be able to do this with their own problem?

Critical Thinking Questions:

(Q2) What do we already know about slope? What does it represent in a proportional
relationship? (The slope on a graph IS the unit rate of the proportional relationship)
(Q5) Would our answer have changed if the slope looked more like this (draws a new line on
the board with a more level slope)? (Yes! The slope/unit rate for that line is now smaller than
that of Shop Rite. If this were the actual line, it would make more sense to buy the ham at Stop
n Shop)

Differentiation
Struggling

Baseline

Accelerated

These students will be asked to model the

Make a Problem activity using their own
problem, while the teacher goes over one
pairs example in class so that they can see
the relationship, no matter what items are
being compared.

These students perform the task as

directed.

These students will be asked to take the

DVD problem from the beginning of class
and create graphic representations for both
plants so that they can compare the two
graphs and make sure they got the same
answer the class got when just comparing
the numbers.

Transition
Connect the Application with
the Conclusion.

Transition: Now that weve had some practice with comparing proportional relationships
represented in different ways, I want to make sure you can follow the same steps on your own. (< 1
min)

End /Conclusion of the Lesson

End each lesson together as a class to sum up the material for the day and bring the class back to the Learning Objectives and
Aim for the day.
Exit Ticket: Students will be given an exit ticket asking them to compare two proportional relationships where one is in the form of
an equation and the other is in the form of a table.
(5 min)
Problem: Imani is on a train that travels 8 miles in 5 min and is represented by the table below. For the train that Niyah is traveling
on, the miles it travels for a given amount of minutes is represented by the equation below. Who is traveling faster? Show all work.
The teacher will then take time to go over the problem with the class as a whole. He/she will pick Popsicle sticks to determine who
will share their answer if no one volunteers.
(4 min)

Homework
What is the students homework to help them apply the knowledge they have learned from the days lesson?
(HW#2) Students will be given a worksheet with 1 in-depth problem comparing different proportions.

Materials

List any materials you need for the lesson.

Notecards with plural nouns on them

Grocery Store Task
Exit Ticket
HW sheet

***Add handouts/resources below***