Curriculum  /  Math  /  6th Grade  /  Unit 2: Unit Rates and Percent  /  Lesson 7

Unit Rates and Percent

Lesson 7

Math

Unit 2

6th Grade

Lesson 7 of 14

Objective

Solve measurement unit conversion problems.

Common Core Standards

Core Standards

  • 6.RP.A.3.D — Use ratio reasoning to convert measurement units; manipulate and transform units appropriately when multiplying or dividing quantities.

Foundational Standards

  • 4.MD.A.1
  • 4.MD.A.2
  • 5.MD.A.1

Criteria for Success

  1. Identify information that is needed to solve a unit conversion problem.
  2. Given one unit rate, determine a unit rate in the other direction.
  3. Multiply or divide by the unit rate to solve unit conversion problems.
  4. Compare and order measurements given in different units by converting them to the same unit.
  5. Attend to the meaning of quantities and units to identify the need for unit conversion (MP.2).

Tips for Teachers

  • Students should continue to use ratio and rate reasoning to determine their strategy to solve problems, and become more familiar with efficient methods involving multiplying or dividing by the unit rate. 

Lesson Materials

  • Calculators (1 per student) — See note from lesson 1.
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Anchor Problems

25-30 minutes

Problem 1

Malik is using a cookbook to make a recipe, but he cannot find his measuring cups! He has, however, found a tablespoon. Inside the back cover of the cookbook, it says that 1 cup = 16 tablespoons.

a.   Explain how he could use the tablespoon to measure out the following ingredients:

  1. 2 cups of flour
  2. $$\frac{1}{2}$$ cup sunflower seeds
  3. $$1\frac{1}{4}$$ cup of oatmeal

b.   Malik also adds the following ingredients. How many cups of each did he add?

  1. 28 tablespoons of sugar
  2. 6 tablespoons of cocoa powder

Guiding Questions

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Student Response

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References

Illustrative Mathematics Simple Unit Conversion Using Ratio Reasoning

Simple Unit Conversion Using Ratio Reasoning, accessed on July 25, 2017, 12:08 p.m., is licensed by Illustrative Mathematics under either the CC BY 4.0 or CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. For further information, contact Illustrative Mathematics.

Modified by Fishtank Learning, Inc.

Problem 2

In Europe, the speed limits on the highways are posted in kilometers per hour. In the United States, the speed limits are posted in miles per hour. What is the equivalent rate of 65 miles per hour in kilometers per hour? 

Guiding Questions

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Student Response

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Problem 3

Over the course of one day, you drank 3 quarts of water. Your sister drank 4 liters of water. Who drank more water? Show how you determine your answer.

Guiding Questions

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Student Response

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Problem Set

15-20 minutes

Give your students more opportunities to practice the skills in this lesson with a downloadable problem set aligned to the daily objective.

Target Task

5-10 minutes

Three students created toy cars for a science project. The car that traveled the farthest distance when released down a ramp would win first prize. When the students each reported the distance their cars traveled, they realized that they all measured in different units. Help the students determine whose car won first place. 

Car A Car B Car C
$$3 \frac{1}{2}$$ yards 13 feet 360 centimeters

Student Response

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Additional Practice

The following resources include problems and activities aligned to the objective of the lesson that can be used for additional practice or to create your own problem set.

  • Include problems similar to Anchor Problem #1, where students change recipes into differently measured units.
  • Include comparison and ordering problems where measurements are given in different units, within and between measurement systems.
  • Include problems where students are given a rate and asked for the rate in a different unit. For example, Blackberries cost $6 per pound; how much do they cost per ounce? 

Next

Define percent as a rate per 100. Find percentages of 100 and 1.

Lesson 8
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Lesson Map

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Topic A: Defining Rate & Solving Rate Problems

Topic B: Measurement Unit Conversions

Topic C: Percent

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