Stage 6 MathsEnglish Member

The Recipe for Forty

Everyday story · Teaches: Ratio and proportion (scaling a recipe) · Featuring Tryphonia

The school fair needed mandazi (a sweet East African fried dough) for forty people. Tryphonia’s recipe made enough for only ten. “We must scale it up (make a bigger batch, keeping the same taste),” she said.

The recipe for ten used 2 cups of flour and 1 cup of sugar. “The ratio (how two amounts compare) of flour to sugar is 2 to 1, we write it 2:1,” Tryphonia explained to Grace.

“Forty people is four times ten,” said Tryphonia. “So I multiply every ingredient by 4. That keeps the proportion (the parts in the same balance) exactly the same.”

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This story teaches

Ratio and proportion (scaling a recipe)

MathsEnglish

Answer guide, for grown-ups

Ask each question, then compare. A child’s own words are perfect as long as the idea is right.

1. What does the ratio 2:1 mean in the recipe?

It means 2 cups of flour for every 1 cup of sugar.

✓ Understood if the child reads 2:1 as 2 parts flour to 1 part sugar.

2. Why must you multiply every ingredient by the same number?

So the proportion stays in the same balance; if you change only one ingredient the recipe is spoilt (for example, too much flour makes it dry).

✓ Understood if the child links scaling everything by the same number to keeping the balance right.

3. Scale the recipe for 20 people, how much flour and sugar?

20 people is twice 10, so multiply by 2: 4 cups of flour and 2 cups of sugar.

✓ Understood if the child doubles the recipe to 4 cups flour and 2 cups sugar.

4. Where do you meet ratios in real life? (Mixing drinks, maps, paint.)

For example, mixing squash with water, reading maps, or mixing paint colours.

✓ Understood if the child gives a sensible real-life ratio example.

Maths Moment: The ratio is 4 parts water to 1 part squash. With 3 cups of squash, you need 4 x 3 = 12 cups of water.

For parents, Cambridge curriculum

Mapped to these Cambridge Primary objectives. Open a framework to verify.

Maths

Stage 6 · Number, Ratio and proportion
Use ratio notation and scale quantities up or down while keeping them in proportion.
Verify in Cambridge Mathematics (0096) ↗

English

Stage 6 · Vocabulary
Understand and use subject-specific vocabulary in context.
Verify in Cambridge English (0058) ↗