Percent Models - A Visual Approach to Percents

As students enter the room, they will immediately pick up and begin working on the opener. My process for openers (Instructional Strategy - Process for openers) is relatively consistent.  The method allows students to construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others, which is Mathematical Practice 3. 

After completion of the opener, I will address the day’s learning targets to the students.  For today’s lesson, the intended target is: I can determine percent of a number using a bar model. Students will jot the learning target down in their agendas. (In my school's version of a student planner, there is a place to write the learning target for every day). 

Thoughts from Me!
As a way to dive into percents and create a conceptual understanding, students will utilize a bar model (Mathematical Practice 5).  They will use the model to represent scenarios conceptually (Mathematical Practice 4) instead of just punching numbers. Students will also engage in Practices 1 and 3, being required to reason together to solve problems without giving up!

To summarize this lesson, I will ask students to have a Table Discussion on the following prompt:

Without drawing a model, discuss with your table how to find 40% of 90. 

The purpose of this discussion is for students to start using mental percent – when we used a bar model, we split the bar into sections of 10 percent.  If a student can identify what 10% is, they can use that to find pretty much every other percent.  I am hoping to hear discussion like – well, 10% would be 9, so 4 times 9 is 36.  I will have each table share out what they discussed at their table.

Here's what happened today: Classroom Video: Checks for Understanding