Math Lesson Plan: Comparing Percents

Objective: Students determine what percents are and how to use them to make comparisons.

Lesson Opening

1. What topics have we covered so far in Impact Math? Recently, we have been working on two things: fractions and decimals. We have learned how to add and subtract, round, we know what mixed numbers are and improper fractions. And what we found was that decimals and fractions are basically very similar.

1. Today we are going to begin a third unit on percents. You will find that percents are very similar to decimals and fractions. We will also figure out how to find out how percents compare to decimals and fractions.

Guided Practice

1. Have you ever heard of someone talking about percents in real life? For instance, someone might say that 50% of all the shoes bought in the U.S. are Nike shoes. What does that mean?

1. A percent, just like a decimal or a fraction, is a part of a whole. Read them page 227 in the Impact book. When we talk about fractions, we say that 100% equals one whole. If I say I ate 100% of the cake, then that means I ate the whole thing.

1. Percents range from 0% (nothing) to 100% (all). Half is equal to 50%. If we take this square (think of it as a cake) and divide it into 100 pieces, then each piece is equal to one percent.

1. Shade in different percentages. Then remind them that they know how to find a decimal and a fraction from looking at such a diagram. In this way, show them how to find a percentage from a fraction or a decimal.

1. Explain to the children that they will be filling in percentage on squares that have been divided into one hundred pieces. Remind them that we have done this same exercise with fractions and decimals.

Independent Practice

1. Have the children complete a sheet of squares that have been divided up in to 100 pieces. See page 227 in the Impact Math book.

1. When they are done with that, have them estimate using percents. See page 228 in the Impact Math book.

Closing

1. Ask students to share their answers.