Max Maths, Year 6, Learn together, Finding percentages of quantities and shapes (3)

In a Year 6 mathematics lesson focused on finding percentages of quantities and shapes, students are reminded of the important relationship between percentages and their equivalent fractions. For example, they learn that 20% is the same as one-fifth, 40% is equivalent to two-fifths, 60% corresponds to three-fifths, and 80% is four-fifths. Additionally, they discover that 25% can be expressed as one-quarter, 75% as three-quarters, and 50% as one-half. This foundational knowledge is crucial as it allows students to calculate percentages of various quantities by using these fractional equivalents.

The lesson includes practical examples to apply this knowledge. To find 75% of 40 kg, students recall that 75% is the same as three-quarters. By multiplying three-quarters by 40 kg, they find that 75% of 40 kg equals 30 kg. In a similar manner, to find 40% of $360, they use the fraction two-fifths and multiply it by $360 to get $144. Lastly, for calculating 80% of $400, the equivalent fraction of four-fifths is multiplied by $400, resulting in $320. The lesson also provides a tip for an alternative method: finding 10% of the quantity first and then multiplying by the required number of tens to reach the desired percentage, as demonstrated with the calculation of 80% of $400. These exercises help students build confidence in converting and calculating percentages in various contexts.