Lesson 13

In this lesson, students explicitly connect and contrast double number lines and tables. They also encounter a problem involving relatively small fractions, so the flexibility of a table makes it preferable to a double number line. Students have used tables in earlier grades to identify arithmetic patterns and record measurement equivalents. In grade 6, a new feature of working with tables is considering the relationship between values in different rows. Two features of tables make them more flexible than double number lines:

• On a double number line, differences between numbers are represented by lengths on each number line. While this feature can help support reasoning about relative sizes, it can be a limitation when large or small numbers are involved, which may consequently hinder problem solving. A table removes this limitation because differences between numbers are no longer represented by the geometry of a number line.
• A double number line dictates the ordering of the values on the line, but in a table, pairs of values can be written in any order. 5 pounds of coffee cost \$40. How much does 8.5 pounds cost? You can see in the table below how being able to skip around makes for more nimble problem solving:

At this point in the unit, students should have a strong sense of what it means for two ratios to be equivalent, so they can fill in a table of equivalent ratios with understanding instead of just by following a procedure. Students can also always fall back to other representations if needed.

Make 1 copy of the The International Space Station blackline master for every 4 students, and cut them up ahead of time.