M&M Activity and Equivalent Ratios
Objective
Big Idea
Do Now
Students have previously worked on using tape diagrams to find equivalent ratios. This Do Now problem is a review of this concept. Students will have 5 - 10 minutes to work on the problem independently.
Do Now
In a bag of mixed walnuts and cashews, the ratio of number of walnuts to number of cashews is 5:6. Determine the amount of walnuts that are in the bag if there are 54 cashews. Use a tape diagram to support your work.
After 10 minutes I will randomly call students up to explain their work. Each student will explain and complete one step of the solution. For example,
1st step - Draw the tape diagram
2nd step - Label the diagram
3rd step - Determine the value of each box
4th step - Determine the amount of walnuts
If students have difficulty with a step, I will ask a classmate to help them.
M&M Activity
I will start off the activity by assessing students knowledge of M&Ms. This will also create some excitement because students may anticipate what is to come.
In your standard bag of M&Ms, how many colors are there? What are the colors?
Each group will receive a bag of 100 M&Ms of assorted colors. I will lead students through how they will fill out the activity sheet, Writing Ratios M&M Activity.
- Complete the first table
- Begin by tallying each color
- Write each color as a ratio of part to total
- Simplify each ratio
- Eat some of the M&Ms
- Repeat the process until you have complete all three tables
It is important to emphasize that if students begin by eating all of the M&Ms, then they will not be able to complete the activity. They should cooperatively work with their group for this activity. See M&M Activity Group Work.
Note: A common mistake that students make is they do not recalculate the total after each round. It is important to circulate throughout the groups to look for this mistake. If I see a group has made this mistake, I may ask: Did you eat any M&Ms? So, why is the total the same? See M&M Activity Counting.
When groups have completed the activity, I will allow them to eat the remaining M&Ms and then complete the problem at the bottom of the worksheet
Lesson Summary
This portion of the lesson is for students to share out their work and experiences.
What was challenging about the activity?
What was a mistake that your group made during the activity?
Students may focus on the fact that they had different amounts of each color m&m, but it's important to refocus them on the concepts of equivalent ratios and comparing ratios.
