Max Maths, Year 6, Learn together, Finding percentages of quantities and shapes (4)

In an example from a Year 6 mathematics lesson, students explore how to find percentages of quantities, particularly in the context of a car park scenario. Out of 140 cars parked, they learn to calculate the number that are white by finding 15% of the total. Through a step-by-step calculation, students multiply 15 by 140 and then divide by 100, resulting in 21 white cars. This practical application of percentages helps students visualise and understand the concept in real-world terms.

Further applying their knowledge, students calculate 20% of the cars to find out how many are black. By using the same method—multiplying 20 by 140 and then dividing by 100—they determine that there are 28 black cars in the parking lot. Additionally, the lesson includes a problem where a student, Tya, scores 88% on her maths test, which contained 50 questions. To find out how many questions she answered correctly, students calculate 88% of 50, leading to the answer that Tya got 44 questions right. These exercises not only reinforce the method for finding percentages but also demonstrate the usefulness of the skill in various situations.