Percent
Lesson Plan
Background Information
Percent is another way to express part of a whole. A percent is a ratio that always
compares a quantity to 100. The percent sign (%) means “out of 100.”
Objectives
At the end of the percent lesson,
students will be able to:
• Demonstrate the ability to
use percent to solve practical
problems including problems
involving mark up and discount,
tax, interest and tips.
• Solve for any unknown
component.
This lesson should take approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete, if all
components are utilized.
Video
Introduce the video by asking what amount is a good size tip to leave the server in a
restaurant and how is it calculated?
Show the video Percentages
After the video, focus on these points:
• Finance charges, sales tax, earnings on stock, charges for using credit cards, and even discounts are calculated based on a percentage of the purchase price.
• A percent is a ratio that compares a quantity to 100.
The next video shows how to set up a proportional equation and how to multiply and
divide cross products to find a missing value. Use a relevant ratio, i.e., men to women
in the class, and an equal sign, but unless a student tells you, leave the ratio of (something) over 100 incomplete.
Show the video Proportional Equations
After the video, focus on these points:
• If two ratios are equal, they are in proportion to each other.
• When you set up problems with proportional ratios, you are often trying to solve for one of the terms.
• Use cross-products to solve for the missing term.
• Learn the benchmark fraction equivalencies to enhance the ability to switch to the most expedient form to solve the problem.
Provide a copy of the Common Equivalencies chart to students, page 336.
Percent • 1
Funded by Kentucky Adult Education
Worksheets/Practice
This worksheet packet includes some practice problems for each video segment, from
the GED Connection Mathematics workbook practice pages:
Understanding Percent, Skill Practice, p. 119
Solving Percent problems, Skill Practice, p. 121
Finding the rate of increase/decrease, Skill Practice, p.123
GED® Practice, p. 124, problems 2 and 4
GED® Practice, p. 125, problems 7, 8, 9 and 10
Online Activities
Further practice can be found online at LiteracyLink (www.pbs.org/literacy)
A Jeopardy game can be found online at Math-Play
Test Tips:
•
•
Read carefully to determine what question is being asked.
Parts of a whole can be written as fractions, decimals, or percents. Use the form that is
easiest for you to solve the problem.
GED® and GED Testing Service® are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education. Used under license.
2 • Percent
Funded by Kentucky Adult Education