Making Sense of Proportions

Proportions cause great confusion for many students. This is troubling because proportional relationships run deep into the heart of math, laying the foundation for many other concepts.For example, concepts such as speed (i.e., meters per second), density (grams per cubic centimeter), and concentration (parts per million) all involve proportional relationships. If students do not understand proportions, they will have difficulty understanding algebra.On the other hand, if students can make sense of proportions, it gives them an advantage when learning algebra.This is where Making Sense of Proportions helps. This unit is designed to help students set up and see proportional relationships more clearly and easily (using the Magic Formula), and it teaches in a way that makes logical sense to them.Additionally, this unit shows students exactly how ratios, rates, and proportional relationships run deep into the heart of math. It introduces students to concepts such as constant speed and graphing of linear equations.