Ann Shannon & Associates page 1

LESSON 1: RECOGNIZING PROPORTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS

Here is an example of a Proportional Relationship:

A person buys sweet potatoes in a store in California
at $2.34 per pound.


In this example, the two varying quantities are the cost and the weight of the sweet
potatoes.
The cost depends on the weight of the sweet potatoes.
Let w represent weight and let c represent cost.
w c


c
w

Constant of
Proportionality
1 2.34


2.34
1

2.34
2 4.68


4.68
2

2.34
3 7.02


7.02
3

2.34

x 2.34x


2.34x
x

2.34
The relationship between the cost and the weight of the sweet potatoes is an example
of a Proportional Relationship.
The following is true for any proportional relationship:
A relationship between two quantities is proportional if one quantity is a constant
multiple of the other.
Create an example of a proportional relationship from your own life. Present it in a table
as shown above. What is your constant of proportionality? What is the constant ratio?
If you double one of your quantities does the other double?

Ann Shannon & Associates page 2
LESSON 2: RECOGNIZING PROPORTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS

Here is an example of a Proportional Relationship:

A Californian Recycling Center pays $1.59 per pound
for aluminum beverage cans.


In this example, the cash value received depends on the weight of the aluminum cans.
The relationship between the cash value and the weight of the aluminum cans is an
example of a Proportional Relationship.
The following are true for any proportional relationship:
A relationship between two quantities is proportional if one quantity is a constant
multiple of the other.
In this example, the constant multiple is $1.59.
A relationship between two quantities is proportional if the two quantities have a
constant ratio.
In this example, the constant ratio is $1.59.
The constant multiple and the constant ratio are also called the constant of
proportionality.
The Doubling Check for Proportional Relationships:
If one quantity in a proportional relationship is doubled, the other quantity is also
doubled.
In this example, if you recycle 2 pounds of aluminum beverage cans you get
$3.18.
If you recycle 4 pounds of aluminum beverage cans you get $6.36.



Ann Shannon & Associates page 3
Each of the following assignments is based on this
proportional relationship:

A Californian Recycling Center pays $1.59 per pound
for aluminum beverage cans.


1. How much does a person receive when they bring 10 pounds of aluminum
beverage cans to the Recycling Center?
2. A person receives $159.00 in exchange for some aluminum beverage cans.
How many pounds of aluminum beverage cans did the person redeem?
3. Use the variable c to represent the cash value of the aluminum cans.
Use the variable w to represent the weight of aluminum cans.
Write an equation to represent this proportional relationship. In other words,
write an equation that expresses c in terms of w.
4. If you wanted to figure out the cash value of 97.5 pounds of aluminum cans,
what would you multiply 97.5 by?
5. Thinking about the world around you, give an example of another pair of
quantities that are in a proportional relationship with one another.




Ann Shannon & Associates page 4
LESSON 3: REPRESENTING PROPORTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS

The relationship between cash value and weight of PET plastic redeemed is also
proportional. This table of values is published by CalRecycle
(http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/BevContainer/Notices/2012/2013ComRates.htm)
Number of pounds California Refund Value
for PET Plastic
1 $1.07
2 $2.14
3 $3.21
4 $4.28
5 $5.35
6 $6.42
7 $7.49
8 $8.56
9 $9.63
10 $10.70

200 $214.00

1. What is the constant of proportionality in this proportional relationship?
2. Write a formula to represent the relationship between cash value, c, and weight
per pound, w.


Ann Shannon & Associates page 5
When you buy plastic beverage containers in California you pay a recycling fee.
For example, for each beverage container that is 24 fluid ounces or more, the recycling
fee is 10 cents.
3. Suppose I go to the store and buy some water in 24 fl. oz. bottles.
Is the relationship between the number of 24 fluid ounce water bottles
proportional to the recycling fee that I am charged? Explain how you know.
4. Complete the following table to show the amount in recycling fee paid for
different quantities of 24 fluid ounce water bottles.
Number of 24 fluid ounce
water bottles bought
Amount of recycling fee
paid in cents
5
10
15
20

5. On the axes below, use the table to create a graph that represents the
relationship between c and n.


Ann Shannon & Associates page 6
LESSON 4: STACKING IDENTICAL BOOKS

Here you are to explore the relationship between these two
quantities:
the height of a stack of identical books, and
the number of identical books in the stack.
Your teacher will give you and your partner a few identical books. Your job is to figure
out the relationship between the number of books and the height of your stack.
The goal is to see if the same kind of relationship is true for any stack of identical books.

1. Complete this table so that it can help you investigate the relationship between
the height of a stack of your books and the number of books in the stack.
Number of books Height of your stack
0
Measure from your actual stack
to complete the
first few rows of your table.
1
2
3
4

10 Imagine stacking large piles of books
and then complete these rows.
Do this without making large stacks of
books.
50
100
200
n
(any number)
Let n represent any number of books.
Write a general expression for the
height of a stack of n books.
2. On the following page graph the relationship between the height of the stack
and the number of books.

Ann Shannon & Associates page 7

Student names: __________________________________________________________



Ann Shannon & Associates page 8
LESSON 5: GRAPHS OF PROPORTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS
In this lesson you will draw a graph of a proportional relationship: the relationship
between the perimeter and the length of a side of a square.
1. The formula P = 4s expresses the relationship between the length of a side of a
square and the perimeter of the square.
Use this formula to complete this table.
Table 1
Length of side Perimeter
1 4 1 = 4
2 4 2 = 8
3
4
5
100

s
(the letter s stands for any
side length of a square)
4 s = 4s





Ann Shannon & Associates page 9
2. Use data from the table to graph the relationship between P and s:


3. Is your graph a line or a curve?
4. Does the graph go through the point (0,0)? Explain why.
5. Use your graph to find the perimeter of a square with a side length of 6 units.
6. Use your graph to find the length of a side of a square that has a perimeter of 20
units.
7. Identify at least two features that you notice about a graph that represents a
proportional relationship.

Ann Shannon & Associates page 10
LESSON 6: IS THE RELATIONSHIP A PROPORTIONAL ONE?

1. The diagram below shows drawings of one paper cup, and six paper cups that
have been stacked together.
The cups are identical and are drawn full size

1 cup 6 stacked cups

Is the number of cups proportional to the height of the stack of identical cups?

Use a ruler to make measurements of the cups.
Create a table, a graph, and a formula to justify your arguments.

Ann Shannon & Associates page 11
LESSON 7: IS THE COST OF A BURGER PROPORTIONAL TO ITS WEIGHT?

1. This information was posted in a restaurant in Oakland, California:



Is there a proportional relationship between the weight of a burger and its price?
Explain how you know.

2. Suppose that the price of a lb burger was fixed at $3.99. Complete this table
to show what the relationship between weight and price would be if the weight
and price of a burger were in a proportional relationship.

Weight Price
lb
$3.99
lb

lb

1 lb



1
3


1
3


1
2


2
3

Ann Shannon & Associates page 12
LESSON 8: STACKS OF PAPER
1. A package of copy paper contains 500 sheets of paper.
The height of the full package of paper is very close to 5 centimeters.



Your teacher will give you a package of paper that has been opened and has had some
sheets removed.



Figure out the number of sheets of paper left in the open package of paper.
You must not count the number of sheets of paper.
You must use reasoning to solve this problem, and explain your method.




Ann Shannon & Associates page 13
2. Look at graphs A, B, C, and D. For each graph, explain whether or not it could
represent a proportional relationship.
Graph A

Graph B

Graph C

Graph D

Graph A


Graph B


Graph C


Graph D




Ann Shannon & Associates page 14

LESSON 9: WRAPPING UP!

Ask students to consider the world around them
and identify as many proportional relationships
as they can.
In other words, ask students to find examples of
two varying quantities that are in a proportional
relationship.

Give students two minutes to think up examples
on their own.
Allow students to share with a partner for another
two minutes.
Facilitate a whole class discussionrecord students examples on a large sheet of poster
paper.
Encourage students to challenge each other and to critique the reasoning of other
students.

After collecting student ideas administer the Summative Assessment: Ask students to
work individually for 15 minutes. Allow students to discuss their work in pairs before
you facilitate a whole class discussion.