Year 6 - Maths
Solve problems involving percentages in a range of contexts
Understanding percentages
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit pupils will explain what percent means and how to represent a percentage in different ways. They will learn how to convert percentages to decimals and fractions and solve conversion problems.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to solve problems involving percentages in a range of contexts.
Key Notes
- If I know the value of the whole, I can calculate the value of a part.
- If I know the value of a part, I can calculate the value of the whole.
- Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division can be used to calculate a new percentage from known percentages.
Vocabulary To Learn
- Percentage: A percentage is a proportion of a whole.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- When finding a price has reduced by 25%, pupils may give the answer as 25% of the number, rather than seeing it as 75% of the whole.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Solve this in steps: explain the method from this lesson and why each step matters.
If I know the value of the whole, I can calculate the value of a part. If I know the value of a part, I can calculate the value of the whole.
2. Use this key word in a maths sentence and explain it clearly. 'Percentage'
A percentage is a proportion of a whole. Use this word when showing your method, then check your final answer is reasonable.
3. Spot and fix this common maths mistake.
Mistake: When finding a price has reduced by 25%, pupils may give the answer as 25% of the number, rather than seeing it as 75% of the whole. Correction: Emphasise that '25% off' means that the price has been reduced by 25%. The whole, subtract 25%, is equal to 75% of the whole. Bar models are useful for showing this.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Explain how to convert a percentage to a fraction without a denominator of 100 Study Guide
- Explain how to convert percentages to decimals and fractions with a denominator of 100 Study Guide
- Explain how to solve problems where the percentage part and size is known but the whole is unknown Study Guide
- Explain what percent means and represent a percentage in different ways Study Guide
- Solve problems where the known percentage part and size represents a change to the whole Study Guide
- Use knowledge of calculating 50%, 10% and 1% of a number to solve problems in a range of contexts Study Guide
- Use knowledge of calculating any percentage of a number to solve problems in a range of contexts Study Guide
- Use knowledge of calculating common percentages of a number to solve problems in a range of contexts Study Guide
- Use knowledge of fraction-decimal-percentage conversions to solve problems in a range of contexts Study Guide
Browse all guides in the Year 6 Maths guide library.