Mrs. Cavazos surveyed 256 sixth graders at Calville Middle School to see if they preferred a field trip to the aquarium or to the zoo. The data collected showed that 5 out of 8 sixth graders preferred a field trip to the zoo.

What is the number of sixth graders who preferred a field trip to the zoo?

Out of 256 sixth graders, 5 out of 8 preferred a field trip to the zoo.

To calculate the number of sixth graders who preferred the zoo, we will set up a proportion:

5/8 = x/256

Cross multiply:
8x = 5 * 256
8x = 1280

Divide by 8:
x = 160

Therefore, 160 sixth graders preferred a field trip to the zoo.