Understanding percentages is a very important part of math. Today’s STEM Play of the Day from the Ripken Playbook will help us learn about percentages using household items!
Materials
- Items that come in different colors/shapes/sizes in the same container – think candy, fruit snacks, beads, etc.
- Piece of paper
- Pencil/pen
Let’s Learn about Percentages
For this example, we will use a jar of candies. Percentages represent part of a whole. For instance, in a group of 10 people, if seven of them wore glasses, they make up 70% of the group. To calculate percent, take the number of items in a group and divide it by the total number of items and multiply it by 100.
- Open your candy jar and count the total number of candies in the jar. How many were there.
- Now, sort your candies into groups – for instance, group the the red candies, the blue candies, etc.
- How many groups did you form?
- List each group and the number of candies in each group.
Now, calculate the percent of your candies
- Calculate the percent of each group of candies found in your candy jar.
- What group had the largest percentage of items?
- What other items in your house can you use to calculate percentages?
For more from the Ripken Playbook, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!