Percentages - Percentages (missing values) - Planning

The second week of the Spring term for Year 6 delves into the world of percentages, specifically focusing on how to find missing values. The lesson begins by revisiting previous knowledge and then introduces students to word problems involving percentages. For example, one activity poses a scenario where tourists visit Buckingham Palace, and students must calculate how many tourists visited during the remaining weeks of the month based on given percentages. This requires them to understand how to subtract percentages from the total to find the missing value. Another activity involves a bar model where students must determine the whole number when given a part and its percentage. This lesson encourages students to use efficient methods for problem-solving, such as using 10% as a reference point for scaling up or down, rather than relying on repeated addition.

Throughout the lesson, partner discussions and group work are employed to enhance understanding and allow students to share strategies. The use of bar models is emphasised as a visual aid to help grasp the concept of percentages and their relation to the whole. Key questions prompt students to consider different approaches to solving problems and to identify the most efficient methods. By the end of the lesson, students should be able to find missing percentages or wholes when other values are given, using subtraction, division, and multiplication. The lesson also addresses common misconceptions and ensures that students understand there can be multiple ways to find a solution, with some being more efficient than others. To consolidate learning, independent activities with differentiated fluency and reasoning worksheets are provided, catering to varying levels of proficiency from working towards fluency to achieving greater depth.