Students will use percentage in their daily lives.Many students already have an idea of what percentage means and you can relate it to their knowledge.Students already know what to look for.To demonstrate what percentage is, use a hundred chart.Showing students some short cuts will make calculating percentages easier.
Step 1: Take percentage to everyday concepts.
Some students will already have a sense of what the concept means when they start learning percentage at around age 10.Ask students where they have seen percentages.They could have gotten 100% on a test or seen a 50% off sale.Begin class by asking, "Where have you seen the word percent before?"What does it mean?You can come up with a list.What students already know about percentage can be assessed by this.
Step 2: Explain that it's 100ths.
A percentage is a fraction with a denominator.Explain that a percentage can be found from the first 2 digits after the decimal point.If you have already covered fractions and decimals, this will link percentage back to a familiar concept.
Step 3: The concept of a century is used to explain percentage.
There are 100 years within a single unit of time.Students could use this as a way to understand what the term means.The strategy can be useful for students who are more linguistically inclined.
Step 4: A 10x10 grid is divided into a square.
To make a square with 100 spaces, create a grid with 10 rows and 10 columns.If you want students to practice on their own, you can use a digital version to demonstrate the concept.There are hundred chart templates online.For introducing young students to the concept of percentage, this visual is useful.Circle charts can be used to show percentages.
Step 5: Students can use the grid to make percentage artwork.
Students color a 10x10 grid to create their own artwork.They should calculate the percentage of each color on their grid.If a student colored 20 squares red, the grid would be 20% red.The squares should be one color.This activity helps reinforce the concept of what percentage is for young students.
Step 6: To convert between fractions, decimals, and percentage use a hundred chart.
Ask students how many squares they would have to color to fill in the rest of the chart.How do they know?Ask them to convert 10% of the chart to decimal notation.The links between fractions, decimals, and percentage are reinforced with some exercises.If you want the students to convert the numbers to percentages, you can ask them to color.47 of the chart.
Step 7: To understand percentages over 100, double the grid.
Students may not be able to understand percentages over 100.2 charts are used to explain the concept.2 charts are 200% if one chart is 100%.They can see that 200% is something doubling.So 200%/2/1 is reinforcement.
Step 8: Students can practice representing percents on a strip diagram.
To make a percentage bar, draw a long rectangle.Students are asked to estimate the percentages on the bar.Students can draw a line in the middle to represent 50%.This format is familiar to students who see it in battery power.An iPad with 50% battery will have a half filled in rectangular shape.You can use this method to show how percent, decimals, and fractions are related.
Step 9: Students should be able to quickly convert decimals to percentages.
If students move the decimal point 2 spaces to the right, they can convert it to percentages.To demonstrate this, use an arrow to show the decimal point moving over.Show the students that.32 is the same thing as 32%.Students can convert a few decimals to percentages on their own.
Step 10: Students can easily remember percentage-to-fraction conversions.
Students will be able to reference the poster quickly if it shows a few easy conversions.Tell them to use it.If students need to find 25% of a number, they can look at the chart to see if it's the same as finding 25%.Students will start to associate fractions and percentages with this method.This is a good reference for older students.You can include 25%, 50%, 75%, and 20%.
Step 11: When they see percentage problems, tell students to think out of 100.
When students see percentage in a word problem, they should write the number as a fraction of 100.Students usually work with 3 numbers to find a fourth.They will have another number to work with if they write a percentage as a fraction.Students will immediately write 60/100 if a word problem asks them to find out the percentage of 20.The strategy is helpful for middle school students.