How Do You Find a Percent of a Number?

Are your students wondering how to calculate the percent of a quantity? They may be practising computational problems such as:

• What is 25% of 320?
• What is 10% of 80?

When teaching your students how to calculate percentage problems such as these, you can use a few methods. Students can create a fraction by placing the percentage over 100 and multiplying it by the whole number. Additionally, students can convert the percentage into a decimal and multiply it by the whole number. Regardless of the method your students use, extra practice with this skill will help make percentage calculations a breeze! 

Teach Starter has created a match-up activity for your students to practise finding the percent of a quantity. Prior to student use, cut apart the 36 task cards. Students must match each equation to the correct corresponding word story and visual model, making 12 sets of 3 matches.

Through this activity, students will show they can calculate the percent of a number and match it with a corresponding visual model (strip diagram).

Tips for Differentiation + Scaffolding 

A team of dedicated, experienced educators created this resource to support your maths lessons. 

In addition to individual student work time, use this match-up activity to enhance learning through guided maths groups or whole class lessons.

If you have a mixture of above and below-level learners, check out these suggestions for keeping students on track with the concepts: 

🆘 Support Struggling Students

If there are students who need a bit of support, encourage them first to practise problems that involve a percentage that is a multiple of 10 (i.e. 10% of 90, 20% of 50, etc.) Students can then work with more complex problems.

➕ Challenge Fast Finishers

Encourage students who need a bit of a challenge to create a real-life word problem for each matching set.

👯 Find Your Match

Provide each student in your class with a card. Challenge the students to find classmates with the other two cards that match theirs, creating a match of 3. Make the activity a race for an extra challenge, or ask the students to complete the task in silence!

❓ Odd One Out

Place three cards at each station, making sure two of the cards represent the same answer, and the 3rd card is different. Student pairs will rotate through each station and identify the correct pair, writing their answers on a separate sheet of paper.  

Easily Prepare This Resource for Your Students

Use the dropdown icon on the Download button to choose between the colour PDF, black and white PDF, or editable PowerPoint or Google Slides version of this resource. A recording sheet and answer key are also included with this download. 

Print on cardstock for added durability and longevity. Place all pieces in a folder or large envelope for easy access. 

Sustainability Tip: Print a few recording sheets on cardstock and slip them into write-and-wipe sleeves. Students can record their answers with a whiteboard marker and then erase and reuse them.

This resource was created by Cassandra Friesen, a Teach Starter Collaborator.