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Unit Prices and Better Buys

6th grade nonfiction passage about shopping math: 217 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

6th grade nonfiction shopping math 217 words

Unit Prices and Better Buys

At the grocery store, two boxes of the same cereal sit side by side on the shelf. One is small and one is large, and each has a different price. Which one is the better buy? Math can answer that question with a tool called the unit price.

A unit price is the cost of a single unit, such as one ounce, one pound, or one item. To find it, you divide the total price by the amount you get. Suppose a 12-ounce box costs 2 dollars and 40 cents. Dividing 240 cents by 12 gives 20 cents per ounce. Now suppose a 20-ounce box costs 3 dollars and 40 cents. Dividing 340 cents by 20 gives 17 cents per ounce. The larger box is the better buy, because each ounce costs less.

Many stores print the unit price on the shelf label, in small type near the product name, so shoppers can compare quickly. It works for different brands too, as long as the units match. You cannot compare a price per ounce with a price per pound until you convert one of them.

The lowest unit price is not always the smartest choice, however. A giant package is no bargain if half the food spoils before your family can eat it. Good shoppers compare unit prices and also think about what they will really use.

Questions

  1. What is a unit price? in the text

  2. How do you find a unit price? in the text

  3. In the example, which box is the better buy, and what is its unit price? in the text

  4. Why can you not compare a price per ounce with a price per pound right away? think about it

  5. Why is the lowest unit price not always the smartest choice? think about it

Words to know

unit
one single part, such as one ounce or one item
divide
to split a number into equal parts by math
convert
to change from one kind of unit to another
bargain
something that costs less than it is worth
brands
the names companies give to their products
compare
to look at two things to see how they differ
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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 · 197 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.6

At the grocery store, two boxes of the same cereal sit on the shelf. One is small. One is large. Each has a different price. Which is the better buy? Math can answer. You use the unit price.

A unit price is the cost of one unit. A unit can be one ounce, one pound, or one item. To find it, divide the total price by the amount you get. Say a 12-ounce box costs 2 dollars and 40 cents. Divide 240 cents by 12. You get 20 cents per ounce. Now say a 20-ounce box costs 3 dollars and 40 cents. Divide 340 cents by 20. You get 17 cents per ounce. The big box is the better buy. Each ounce costs less.

Many stores print the unit price on the shelf label. It is in small type near the name. Shoppers can compare fast. It works for different brands too. The units must match. You cannot compare a price per ounce with a price per pound. First convert one of them.

The lowest unit price is not always the smartest choice. A giant package is no bargain if half the food spoils. Good shoppers compare unit prices. They also think about what they will use.

▲ This passage · 217 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.5

At the grocery store, two boxes of the same cereal sit side by side on the shelf. One is small and one is large, and each has a different price. Which one is the better buy? Math can answer that question with a tool called the unit price.

A unit price is the cost of a single unit, such as one ounce, one pound, or one item. To find it, you divide the total price by the amount you get. Suppose a 12-ounce box costs 2 dollars and 40 cents. Dividing 240 cents by 12 gives 20 cents per ounce. Now suppose a 20-ounce box costs 3 dollars and 40 cents. Dividing 340 cents by 20 gives 17 cents per ounce. The larger box is the better buy, because each ounce costs less.

Many stores print the unit price on the shelf label, in small type near the product name, so shoppers can compare quickly. It works for different brands too, as long as the units match. You cannot compare a price per ounce with a price per pound until you convert one of them.

The lowest unit price is not always the smartest choice, however. A giant package is no bargain if half the food spoils before your family can eat it. Good shoppers compare unit prices and also think about what they will really use.

■ Harder · 230 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.4

At the grocery store, two boxes of the very same cereal sit side by side on the shelf. One is small and the other is large, and each carries a different price. Which one is the better buy? Mathematics can settle the question with a tool known as the unit price.

A unit price is the cost of a single unit, such as one ounce, one pound, or one individual item. To calculate it, you divide the total price by the quantity you receive. Suppose a 12-ounce box costs 2 dollars and 40 cents. Dividing 240 cents by 12 gives 20 cents per ounce. Now suppose a 20-ounce box costs 3 dollars and 40 cents. Dividing 340 cents by 20 gives 17 cents per ounce. The larger box is the better buy, because every ounce costs less.

Many stores print the unit price on the shelf label, in small type near the product name, so that shoppers can compare options quickly. The method works for different brands as well, provided that the units match. You cannot directly compare a price per ounce with a price per pound until you convert one of them into the other.

The lowest unit price is not necessarily the wisest choice, however. A gigantic package is no bargain if half of the food spoils before your family is able to eat it. Thoughtful shoppers compare unit prices and also consider what they will realistically use.

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 unit, divide, convert, bargain, brands and compare 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 4 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 "Unit Prices and Better Buys"?

It was written for 6th grade. It has 217 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 4.5. 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 five. 3 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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