Max Maths, Year 6, Learn together, Word problems (1)

In a Max Maths lesson for Year 6 students, the class tackles word problems that involve understanding proportions and ratios using colourful counters as a visual aid. The first problem presents a scenario with 12 counters, of which 8 are yellow and 4 are blue. Students are tasked with determining the proportion of yellow counters. By arranging the counters into a visually comprehensible array, it becomes clear that two-thirds, or 2/3, of the counters are yellow, illustrating the concept of proportion in a tangible way.

The subsequent problem shifts focus to the concept of ratio, asking students to find the ratio of blue counters to yellow counters. By rearranging the counters, students can easily observe that for every 1 blue counter, there are 2 yellow counters. This is expressed as a ratio of 1:2, reinforcing the understanding that ratios compare different quantities in relation to each other. These hands-on activities not only make learning about proportions and ratios interactive but also help students to visualise and comprehend mathematical relationships in real-world contexts.