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What is a percent?: 6th grade math

Percent as "per hundred"; % symbol; common equivalents (50%, 25%, 10%). A free 6th grade lesson plan, a question set with answers and a printable sheet with its key. Copy it and make it yours.

Lesson plan

Goal

  • Students can do this: percent as "per hundred"; % symbol; common equivalents (50%, 25%, 10%).

Teach (10 min)

  • Percent means out of 100. 35% is 35 out of every 100, or the ratio 35 : 100.
  • To write a ratio as a percent, scale it to 100. 3 out of 4 is 75 out of 100, so 75%.
  • Work one example on the board while students say each step aloud, then do one together.

Practise (15 min)

  • Students work the printable sheet in pairs, then alone.
  • Or practise it as a game with no sign-up: https://peabody.kids/math/ratio6.percentRate?lesson=6-ratio6-percentRate-1&at=6

Exit ticket (5 min)

  • Three questions on a slip:
  • 1. A jar has 4 beads and 2 are red. What percent of the beads are red?
  • 2. A shop says 40% of its customers use a coupon. Which sentence says the same thing?
  • 3. A team won 75% of its games. Which sentence says the same thing?

Question set

10 questions that read in words, easiest first. Questions that need a picture are on the printable sheet below.

  1. A jar has 4 beads and 2 are red. What percent of the beads are red?
  2. A shop says 40% of its customers use a coupon. Which sentence says the same thing?
  3. A team won 75% of its games. Which sentence says the same thing?
  4. A class has 4 students and 2 walk to school. What percent walk?
  5. A class has 5 students and 4 walk to school. What percent walk?
  6. A jar has 50 beads and 44 are red. What percent of the beads are red?
  7. A tank is 25% full. Which sentence says the same thing?
  8. Write 1/20 as a percent. (Think: how many out of 100?)
  9. Write 1/5 as a percent. (Think: how many out of 100?)
  10. Write 2/5 as a percent. (Think: how many out of 100?)
Answers
  1. 50%
  2. 2 out of every 5
  3. 15 out of every 20
  4. 50%
  5. 80%
  6. 88%
  7. 25 out of every 100
  8. 5%
  9. 20%
  10. 40%

Printable sheet

Name: ____________________   Date: ____________

What is a percent? (6th grade)

  1. A grid has 100 squares. 21% of them are shaded. How many squares are shaded?
  2. A grid has 100 squares and 88 are shaded. What percent of the squares are shaded?
  3. A grid has 100 squares and 31 are shaded. What percent of the squares are shaded?
  4. A grid has 100 squares and 16 are shaded. What percent of the squares are shaded?
  5. A team won 8 of its 25 games. What percent of its games did it win?
  6. A class has 2 students and 1 walk to school. What percent walk?
  7. A class has 4 students and 3 walk to school. What percent walk?
  8. Write 34 as a percent. (Think: how many out of 100?)
  9. A tank is 80% full. Which sentence says the same thing?
  10. Write 0.6 as a percent. (Think: how many out of 100?)
  11. Write 610 as a percent. (Think: how many out of 100?)
  12. Write 0.6 as a percent. (Think: how many out of 100?)
Key
  1. 21 squares
  2. 88%
  3. 31%
  4. 16%
  5. 32%
  6. 50%
  7. 75%
  8. 75%
  9. 16 out of every 20
  10. 60%
  11. 60%
  12. 60%

Written by Peabody from its own skill pages. Free, no ads, no sign-in. Children can practise this on Peabody. More from teachers: teacher-shared resources.