Ratio - Using Scale Factors - Worksheet

The concept of scale factors is introduced in Lesson 6 of a mathematics worksheet series, where students are tasked with solving problems involving similar shapes. The lesson's objective is to solve problems where the scale factor is known or can be determined. Students will need differentiated sheets and teaching slides to participate in the activities. The key vocabulary terms for this lesson include 'scale factor', 'shape', '2D', 'enlargement', 'double', 'triple', 'angles', and 'size'. The lesson aims to familiarize children with the process of enlarging shapes by a specific factor, such as doubling or tripling their size, and encourages them to use precise language to describe the transformations, for example, stating that "Shape A is three times as big as shape B".

During the lesson, students are expected to draw 2D scale drawings of squares, rectangles, and other shapes on squared paper, magnifying them by factors of two, three, four, or five times their original size. Key questions guide the learning process, prompting students to consider the meaning of enlargement and scale factor, why all sides of a shape must be multiplied by the same amount, and whether the angles within a shape change size during enlargement. Students are also encouraged to reason and solve problems, such as comparing the perimeter, area, and angles of original and enlarged shapes. For example, when a square with 2 cm sides is enlarged by a scale factor of 2, the perimeter doubles, the area quadruples, but the angles remain unchanged. These exercises not only reinforce the concept of scale factors but also deepen understanding of geometric properties.