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Sea Green Paint and the Ratio That Stays Put

6th grade nonfiction passage about equivalent ratios in paint: 224 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

6th grade nonfiction equivalent ratios in paint 224 words

Sea Green Paint and the Ratio That Stays Put

Ines is painting a mural on the wall of the school gym, and she needs one exact shade of sea green. The recipe from her art teacher says to mix 3 cups of blue paint with 1 cup of yellow, and a ratio is a comparison of two amounts, so the ratio of blue to yellow in this recipe is 3 to 1.

The mural turns out to be bigger than Ines planned, so she needs a much larger batch, and she mixes 6 cups of blue with 2 cups of yellow. The batch is bigger, but the shade matches the first one perfectly. Doubling both amounts kept the ratio the same, because 6 to 2 is just 3 to 1 written with larger numbers, and ratios like these are called equivalent ratios.

Then her friend Tomas suggests a shortcut. "Let's add 2 more cups to each color," he says. Ines tries a small test with 5 cups of blue and 3 cups of yellow. The test looks much more yellow than the first batch. Adding the same amount to both parts changed the ratio to 5 to 3, and the color changed along with it.

The rule is simple. To keep a shade, multiply or divide both parts by the same number. Adding the same number to both parts creates a new ratio and a new shade. Painters, bakers, and cooks all depend on this idea every day.

Questions

  1. What is the ratio of blue to yellow in the teacher's recipe? in the text

  2. What amounts did Ines mix for the larger batch? in the text

  3. Why does 6 to 2 give the same shade as 3 to 1? think about it

  4. What shortcut did Tomas suggest? in the text

  5. Why did the test batch look more yellow? think about it

  6. What rule keeps a shade the same? in the text

Words to know

ratio
a comparison of two amounts
mural
a large painting made on a wall
shade
a particular kind of a color
equivalent
equal in value even if it looks different
batch
an amount made all at one time
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One passage, three levels

The same topic and facts written three ways, so a mixed class can read and talk about one text. Each group’s sheet shows only a shape; the key says which is which.

● Easier · 160 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.6

Ines is painting a big wall. She needs one shade of sea green. Her art teacher gave her a recipe. Mix 3 cups of blue paint with 1 cup of yellow. A ratio compares two amounts. Here the ratio of blue to yellow is 3 to 1.

The wall is bigger than Ines planned. She needs more paint. She mixes 6 cups of blue with 2 cups of yellow. The batch is bigger, but the color is the same. She doubled both amounts. So 6 to 2 is the same as 3 to 1. These are called equivalent ratios.

Her friend Tomas has an idea. "Let's add 2 more cups to each color," he says. Ines tries a small test. She uses 5 cups of blue and 3 cups of yellow. The test looks more yellow. The ratio is now 5 to 3, so the color changed.

Here is the rule. To keep a shade, multiply or divide both parts by the same number. Adding the same number to both parts makes a new shade.

▲ This passage · 224 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.7

Ines is painting a mural on the wall of the school gym, and she needs one exact shade of sea green. The recipe from her art teacher says to mix 3 cups of blue paint with 1 cup of yellow, and a ratio is a comparison of two amounts, so the ratio of blue to yellow in this recipe is 3 to 1.

The mural turns out to be bigger than Ines planned, so she needs a much larger batch, and she mixes 6 cups of blue with 2 cups of yellow. The batch is bigger, but the shade matches the first one perfectly. Doubling both amounts kept the ratio the same, because 6 to 2 is just 3 to 1 written with larger numbers, and ratios like these are called equivalent ratios.

Then her friend Tomas suggests a shortcut. "Let's add 2 more cups to each color," he says. Ines tries a small test with 5 cups of blue and 3 cups of yellow. The test looks much more yellow than the first batch. Adding the same amount to both parts changed the ratio to 5 to 3, and the color changed along with it.

The rule is simple. To keep a shade, multiply or divide both parts by the same number. Adding the same number to both parts creates a new ratio and a new shade. Painters, bakers, and cooks all depend on this idea every day.

■ Harder · 236 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.9

Ines is painting a mural on the side of a building, and she needs to match one particular shade of sea green. The recipe supplied by her art teacher instructs her to blend 3 cups of blue paint with 1 cup of yellow. A ratio is a comparison between two quantities, and in this recipe the ratio of blue to yellow is 3 to 1.

As the work goes on, the mural proves to be much larger than Ines had anticipated, so she must prepare a bigger batch. She combines 6 cups of blue with 2 cups of yellow. Although the batch is larger, the shade matches the first one perfectly. Doubling both quantities preserved the ratio, since 6 to 2 is simply 3 to 1 expressed in larger numbers. Ratios of this kind are known as equivalent ratios.

Her friend Tomas then proposes what he considers a clever shortcut. "Let's add 2 more cups to each color," he suggests. Ines wisely tries a small test first, using 5 cups of blue and 3 cups of yellow. The sample looks noticeably more yellow than the original batch. Adding an equal amount to both parts changed the ratio to 5 to 3, and the color changed right along with it.

The principle is straightforward. To preserve a shade, multiply or divide both parts by the same number. Adding the same number to each part produces a different ratio and therefore a different shade. Painters, bakers, and cooks rely on this idea constantly.

Download as one PDF

How to use it

  1. Press Read it big (or B) to put the text on the projector, or Full screen (F) to fill the whole screen.
  2. Ask the questions one at a time and use Show answer when the class has decided. A shows or hides every answer.
  3. Print student copy for the class, or Print with answers for yourself.

Ideas for class

  • Before reading, put ratio, mural, shade, equivalent and batch on the board with their meanings from the Words to know section and have students predict what the text will be about.
  • Read it aloud once while students follow along, then have them reread it alone or with a partner. At a calm 100 words a minute it takes about 2 minutes to read aloud.
  • Use the Read it big button (or B) to put the text on the projector, and Show answer on one question at a time so the class commits to an answer first.
  • Question 3 asks the reader to infer. Ask students to point to the words in the passage that led them to their answer.
  • Ask students to write one question the passage did not answer, then look for the answer in a book or on a classroom screen.
  • Print the student copy for independent work and keep the answer-key copy for yourself.

Related

Questions

What reading level is "Sea Green Paint and the Ratio That Stays Put"?

It was written for 6th grade. It has 224 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 5.7. That is a formula's estimate from sentence length and syllables, and it is not a Lexile or a guided reading level, so check it against your students.

What do the questions ask?

There are six. 4 ask for something the text says directly and 2 ask the reader to work something out from clues. Each has an answer in the key, and the answers are written as a teacher would accept them, not as the only possible wording.

How long does it take to read?

About 2 minutes read aloud at 100 words a minute. For a one-minute fluency check, paste it into the fluency timer and use the word count.

Can I print it?

Yes. Print student copy gives the passage, the questions with lines to write on, and the word meanings. Print with answers gives the same page with the answers filled in. Both are made in your browser.

Is this passage from a published book?

No. It was written for Peabody Teach, so there is no book to buy and no login to read it.

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