Percents

Albert Michael                 Robert Fulton Elementary School
                               5300 S. Hermitage 
                               Chicago IL 60609
                               (312) 535-9000

Objectives (Grades 3-5):

Rename ratios, decimals, and fractions as percents.

Change ratios into percents.

Weigh items on a scale.

Multiply decimals.

Use math skills to solve problems.

Materials Needed:
                                       
cardboard paper, cut-out multi-colored bars, base-ten grids, 

          scale, scissors, glue, pennies, beads (necklaces)

Strategies:

Tell students that percents, fractions, and decimals are also numbers. They are 
different ways of writing how much of something.  They are names for the same 
quantity. 

Have students record all answers on a large chart in fractions and/or decimals.

Define the meaning of the word cent and per cent.  Then introduce words that 
contain the prefix cent in them such as century, centimeter, centipede,
centennial, centigrade.  Ask students to write these words at least three times. 
 
Ask each group to place a number of pennies on a base ten grid (not exceeding 
30) and ask them to read that in the form of a ratio, then write that as a 
percent, a fraction, and a decimal. 

Distribute bead necklaces of different colors and ask students to count the 
beads and write their answers next to the corresponding colors.  Then ask them 
to add all the beads up and write the total (and all answers) on the chart under 
the correct column. 
   
Next ask the students to find the percent of beads in each necklace from the 
total.  Remind them that the percents should total a hundred. 

Now send one student from each group to weigh the necklace on the scale and have 
them record the weight on the chart.  Add total weight of the beads and then 
find the percent of each. 

Tell the students that it costs a manufacturer a certain amount of money to 
produce one bead.  Write these amounts on the chart.  Then ask to find total 
manufacturer's cost. 

Write store prices per necklace on the chart.  Let them find the profit the 
store makes and find the profit as a percent of the cost. 

Have students look at the store price column and calculate the amount of sales 
tax. 

Add the amount of sales tax to the store price.  That would be the cost to the 
consumer. 
                                                               
Have students find examples of percents from newspapers and magazine ads, cut 
them, and paste them on a piece of construction paper.  Have them display their 
work. 
                                                      
Performance Assessment:

Ask students to come up with seven or eight titles of Disney Classics.  Have 
them vote on their favorite movie and then find the percent of student votes 
each title received.  Construct a chart using multi-colored bar graphs to show 
those percents.