Lesson Plan 1

Topic area: Fractions, Stage of Learner: Syllabus Pages:

Decimals and Percentages Stage 4 -
(Percentages only)
Date: Location Booked: Lesson Number: 6/9

Time: 60 minutes Total Number of students Printing/preparation

Outcomes Assessment Students learn about

Syllabus outcomes Lesson assessment Find percentages of quantities
MA4-1WM and express one quantity as a
MA4-3WM percentage of another, with and
MA4-5NA (percentages only) without the use of digital
ACMNA155 technologies

Life Skills outcomes

MALS-9A

Cross Curriculum themes & General capabilities Explicit subject specific

concepts and skills

calculate percentages of
quantities using mental, written
and calculator methods
express one quantity as a
percentage of another, using
mental, written and calculator
methods ,
Quality Teaching Elements (lesson focus) Highlight the appropriate areas
Intellectual Quality 1.1 Deep knowledge 1.4 Higher-order thinking
This refers to pedagogy focused on producing deep understanding of important, 1.2 Deep understanding 1.5 Metalanguage
substantive concepts, skills and ideas. Such pedagogy treats knowledge as something that 1.3 Problematic 1.6 Substantive communication
requires active construction and requires students to engage in higher-order thinking and knowledge
to communicate substantively about what they are learning.
Quality Learning Environment 2.1 Explicit quality criteria 2.4 Social Support
This refers to pedagogy that creates classrooms where students and teachers work 2.2 Engagement 2.5 Students’ self regulation
productively in an environment clearly focused on learning. Such pedagogy sets high and 2.3 High Expectations 2.6 Student direction
explicit expectations and develops positive relationships between teacher and students
and among students.
Significance 3.1 Background 3.4 Inclusivity
This refers to pedagogy that helps make learning more meaningful and important to knowledge 3.5 Connectedness
students. Such pedagogy draws clear connections with students’ prior knowledge and 3.2 Cultural knowledge 3.6 Narrative
identities, with contexts outside of the classroom, and with multiple ways of knowing all 3.3 Knowledge
cultural perspective. integration

How the quality teaching elements you have identified are achieved within the lesson.

Teaching Indicators of presence in the lesson

 element
1.2 Providing the main ideas of the topic whit the consideration of students’ diverse learning
needs
1.4 In the respect of several methods to solve questions and activity
2.2 Student centred of teaching and learning methods and in class activities

2.4 In regards of mutual respect, supporting students during activity and during the lesson
deliberation
3.3 Delivering the topic with the involvement of daily life examples

3.5 Activities structure allows all students’ success and contribution

 Time Teaching and learning actions Organisation Centred
T/S
5-10 mins Start with the asking that where do they see percentages Teacher: asks question T
Intro in their daily life. Possible answers might be grades, sales,
advertisements includes discounts,.. etc. Student: answers questions
Ask them why percentages are important in our life and
why are we learning them? Resources: activity

Hand them starter activity Percentage Square.

Explain the activity. Go around the class to see how they
go to understand who is on the right track and help them
if they stuck.

Teacher: solves question T

20 mins After the activity ask them how they found the
Body percentages. Since they counted the squares relate to Student: writes down
question which asks 7% of $300. After the answers, solve
this question on the board. Resources:
Tell students7% means 7 for each $100 and remind them
with each question they should write down this line.

300
100 7
100 7
100 7

21
Ask them if anyone has question and everything is clear.
Go to second question.
Find 4% of $150?
4% means 4 for every 100 and $2 for $50 because its half
of $100
150
100 4
50 2

Ask if anyone have question.

Solve another question.

Find 7% of $450

7% means 7 for every 100 $3.50 for every $50

450
100 7
100 7
100 7
100 7
50 3.50
31.50
 Find 3.5 % of $300
3.5% means $3.50 for every $100
300
100 3.50
100 3.50
100 3.50

10.50

20 mins Find 5.35% of $250 Teacher: solves question T

5.35% means $3.35 for every 100
250 Student: notes the answers
100 3.35
100 3.35 Resources:
50 1.87
8.57

Find 6.5% of $390

6.5% means $ 6.5 for every $100
or 6.5 cents for every $10

390
100 6.5
100 6.5
100 6.5
10 .65
10 .65
10 .65
10 .65
10 .65
10 .65
10 .65
10 .65
10 .65

find 15.5% of $ 676

15.5% means 15.5 for every 100
$15.5 for every $100 or 15.5 cents for every 100 cents or
155 cents for $10 or 0.155 to nearest cent 0.2 cent for $1
676
100 15..5
100 15.5
100 15.5
100 15.5
100 15.5
100 15.5
10 .15
10 .15
10 .15
10 .15
10 .15
10 .15
10 .15
1 .02
1 .02
1 .02
1 .02
1 .02
1 .02

Find 17.5% of 945.

 Ask them how many 100 do we have? Ask one of the
students solve the question on the board.

10 mins sum up the class. Hand them the work sheet which you Teacher: does summary and hands T
conclusion prepared for homework. Tell them this needs to be work sheet
completed before next class. Ask everyone one thing that
they have learnt from today’s class. Student: listens and gets worksheets
Resources: worksheet
Reflection
What have I learned about the teaching and learning process when preparing this lesson?

How am I measuring the outcomes of this lesson?

Learning Outcome Method of measurement and recording

Percentage Worksheet and verbal answers during the class

Other considerations

Complete the table blow by inserting the AISTL graduate standards that you are
demonstrating and indicates the evidence from this lesson that should comply with the
standard.

Graduate Evidence within this lesson

Standards
1.5 3.1 Various response same question allows success for all ability levels
2.2,3.2,4.2 Conceptual development of percentages through the first principle
percentages
2.5 Numeracy skills in question solving
5.1 Provided worksheet and activity

WHS
What are the key risk issues that may appear for and need to be reduced/eliminated in this
lesson? Using your syllabus and support documents as well as other WHS policy- Outline
the key WHS considerations that are to be applied in this lesson?

References (In APA)

You must list all references that you have used for the content and resources of this lesson
in this space.

Resources Attached:
You must list all the resources that you have created or found in this space.
Name: Date:

Percentage Squares
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40

41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60

61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70

71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80

81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90

91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100

There are 100 squares in this grid. We will look at percentages (%) which are
always out of 100.
When we say 50% we mean 50 out of 100 or 50/100, just as 23% is 23 out of
100 or 23/100.

Colour the following number of square:

6% red = ___ squares 9% yellow =
10% blue = ___ squares 3% navy =
25% green = ___ squares 17.5% pink =
1% black = ___ squares 2.5% orange =
7% purple = ___ squares 9% dark green =

What percentage of squares remains? ______ squares =________%

 WORKSHEET
Find 6% of $700
Find 10% of $200
10% means ……… for every …..

200
100
100

Find 3% of $5.50 Find 2.5% of $300

Find 2% of $175 Find 6% of 450 mg

Find 8.75% of 200 apples Find 7.5% of 336 ml

Lesson Plan 2
 Topic area: Fractions, Stage of Learner: Syllabus Pages:
Decimals and Percentages Stage 4 -
(Percentages only)

Date: Location Booked: Lesson Number: 7/9

Time: 60 minutes Total Number of students Printing/preparation

Activities

Outcomes Assessment Students learn about

Syllabus outcomes Lesson assessment Connection between fractions, decimals and percentages and
 MA4-2WM carry out simple conversions
Finding percentages of quantities and expressing one quantity as
 MA4-3WM a percentage of another, with and without digital technologies

 MA4-5NA Increase decrease problems and discounts

 ACMNA187

 ACMNA157

Life Skills outcomes

MALS-9NA

Cross Curriculum themes & General capabilities Explicit subject specific concepts and skills
Converting fractions to decimals (terminating
and recurring) and percentages

Use of methods which includes mental, written

and calculator for calculation of percentages and
expression one quantity as a percentage of
another

Equivalence recognition when calculating

decrease and increase of percentage

Quality Teaching Elements (lesson focus) Highlight the appropriate areas

 Intellectual Quality 1.1 Deep knowledge 1.4 Higher-order thinking
This refers to pedagogy focused on producing deep understanding of important, 1.2 Deep understanding 1.5 Metalanguage
substantive concepts, skills and ideas. Such pedagogy treats knowledge as something that 1.3 Problematic 1.6 Substantive communication
requires active construction and requires students to engage in higher-order thinking and knowledge
to communicate substantively about what they are learning.
Quality Learning Environment 2.1 Explicit quality criteria 2.4 Social Support
This refers to pedagogy that creates classrooms where students and teachers work 2.2 Engagement 2.5 Students’ self regulation
productively in an environment clearly focused on learning. Such pedagogy sets high and 2.3 High Expectations 2.6 Student direction
explicit expectations and develops positive relationships between teacher and students
and among students.
Significance 3.1 Background 3.4 Inclusivity
This refers to pedagogy that helps make learning more meaningful and important to knowledge 3.5 Connectedness
students. Such pedagogy draws clear connections with students’ prior knowledge and 3.2 Cultural knowledge 3.6 Narrative
identities, with contexts outside of the classroom, and with multiple ways of knowing all 3.3 Knowledge
cultural perspective. integration

How the quality teaching elements you have identified are achieved within the lesson.

Teaching Indicators of presence in the lesson

element
1.1 Focus on deep concepts of percentages

2.3 Problem solving

2.4 Activities might require social support

3.5 Real life questions and examples

 Time Teaching and learning actions Organisation Centred
T/S
10 mins Start with the homework checking. After the homework check choose random Teacher: Marks attendance, T-S
Intro students to solve selected questions on the board. checks homework and
chooses student for
Hand out the starter activity. question solution on board,
hands out activity, gives
Show students the first 2 mins of the YouTube video: instructions and shows
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeVSmq1Nrpw video

Student: Solve question on

the board if they are picked,
engages with the activity

Resources: Activity, YouTube

video
15 mins Teacher: introduces the T
Body topic. Solves questions
Similar to last part of the video, give them a test score example which is 85 correct
answers out of 100 questions. Ask them what is the percentage of the correct Student: Listens teacher,
answers on the test (85%). Stress that percent means per hundred. Finish the takes note. Answers
example with 85% means 85 out of 100. Link this to relationship between fractions questions when teacher
and percentage and that they are convertible to each other. Because they are asks
different versions of same quantity. Continue to explain that percentage is another
way of writing fraction with the dominator of 100, or of writing the number of Resources:
hundredths in a decimal.

Tell the class that there will be questions that requires comparison of those three. It
is easy to put them all in same form (putting them all in decimal is usually easier)
and then compare them.
proceed to solving the question.
Question 1) Convert the following percentages to fractions and then decimals.
a. 20%
b. 78%

Proceed to the percentages which are not whole numbers. For example, ask them
how to convert 45.9% into fraction and decimal? After the possible answers say
show them on the board same way as previous. Remind them to not get scared
from the look of the question.

Explain to students that they can also calculate percentages from

proportions. Use the example, there are 350 students who won a ball of
1,000, what the percentage of own one? Calculation of this percentage starts
with choosing 100 as a dominator.
350/1,000=x/100= 35 or 35%

Example, convert 20%, 45% and 805 to fractions and

decimals.

15 mins Start with the explanation of increase and decrease percentage in other terms Teacher: explains the topic, T
body percentage change. Percentage change indicates how much new value has increased writes formulas and solves
or decreased from the original value. Provide the formula of percentage change: questions on the board.

Student: listens teacher,

takes notes

Resources:
Explain that amount of change is equal to substruction of two quantities. Carry on
with explanations of percent of increase and percent of decrease which results
when the new quantity is greater than the current quantity and less than the
current quantity respectively. Solve sample question

Find the amount of change and determine whether it is an increase or a decrease.

a. Original amount: 42 b. Original amount: 110
New amount: 60 New amount: 85

Solution: recall the formula above.

a. Amount of change= larger number – smaller number b. amount of change=
110-85
= 60-42 =25
= 18
since new amount larger, this is increase since the new amount is
smaller this is decrease

Proceed to calculation of percent change.

Calculation of percentage change is starts with the calculation of amount change
which has thought previously. The percentage of increase can be calculated with the
finding the fraction out of change amount and multiplication with 100.
Example: Calculate the percentage increase when 62 increases to 82.

Use the formula provided previously.

1 The difference between 62 and 82 is 20.

82 − 62 = 20

2 The percentage increase can be calculated by creating the

fraction 20 out of 52 and then multiplying by 100. 100 comes
from percent of the change.

(20/62)×100=32.26
3 write the answer

The percentage increase is 32.26%.

When we doing decrease we will divide change amount with

grater number.

Example Calculate the percentage decrease when the

population of a town falls from 72  000 people to 48 000
people.

The difference between 62 000 and 48 000 is 14 000.

72 000 − 58 000 = 14 000

The percentage decrease can be calculated by creating the

fraction 14 000 out of 62 000 and then multiplying by 100.
(14000/62000)×100=22.58

Write the answer

The percentage decrease is 22.58%

Solve the next question

 answer: $7.27

15 mins Discount Teacher: introduces new T

Begin with the question, what is discounts. Answer is price reduction by the store topic and methods to solve
managers to finish old stocks and can be displayed in dollars. questions, solve sample
questions on the board.
Demonstrate that percentage expression of discount finding include calculation of
actual price by multiplication of actual price and the percentage for example 10% Student: actively engages,
discount on $150 gives a discount of $15 takes notes answers
question when asked
Calculation of sale price of a discounted item Resources:
Method 1
Subtract the discount amount from 100% and use this percentage to find sale price

Example: Find the sale price on a hat marked $72 if a 10% discount is given.
Solution
Find the percentage of the marked price that is paid, by subtracting the percentage
discount.
100% − 10% = 90%
Find the sale price of the hat.
90% of $72 = 0.9 × $72
= $64.80
Write the answer in a sentence
The sale price of the hat is $64.80

• Method 2
Calculate the amount of discount then subtract the discount amount from actual
price
– Alternative solution: Discount = 10% of $72.00= $7.20Sale price = marked price −
discount= $72.00 − $7.20= $64.80

• To calculate the percentage discount, write the monetary amount as a

percentage of the original price.
Percentage discount=(cash discount/original price)×100%.

Example At Peddles, the price of a bicycle is reduced from $260 to $200. Calculate
the percentage discount.

Calculate the amount of the discount.

Discount = $260 − $200= $60
Write the discount as a percentage of the original price.
Percentage discount= 60/260×100%=23%
Answer the question in a sentence.
The percentage discount is about 23%

5 mins Conclude the lesson with the explanation of next class’s assessment. Tell them to Teacher: summarise the S
conclusion collect percentages data which includes news, media, sports nutrition facts, from class, explains assessment
their daily life. Ask them to calculate those percentages from the value they set up. task for next class.
Inform them this is group activity and they will be allocated previous to activity
starts. During the activity they will discuss their personal exploration results and Student: listens to the
come up with new calculation. The activity will end with the presentation of each teacher, asks questions
group. about assessment if she/he
has any
 Resources:
Reflection
What have I learned about the teaching and learning process when preparing this lesson?

How am I measuring the outcomes of this lesson?

Learning Outcome Method of measurement and recording

MA4-2WM Answers received from students
MA4-3WM Activities
MA4-5NA Activities

Other considerations

Complete the table blow by inserting the AISTL graduate standards that you are
demonstrating and indicates the evidence from this lesson that should comply with the
standard.

Graduate Evidence within this lesson

Standards
1.1, 3.5, 4.1 Listening students responses and discussion contribution
1.2 use of multiple methods for discount questions
1.5,3.1 various types of answers to same question leads success for all
2.1, 3.3 Use multiple ways to solve percentages questions
5.2 Involves in the lesson’s all sections

WHS
What are the key risk issues that may appear for and need to be reduced/eliminated in this
lesson? Using your syllabus and support documents as well as other WHS policy- Outline the
key WHS considerations that are to be applied in this lesson?

References (In APA)

You must list all references that you have used for the content and resources of this lesson
in this space.
MathAntics. (2012, October, 30). What are the Percentages? [Video File]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeVSmq1Nrpw
Smith, C., Elms, L., Roland, L. & Rowland, R. (2015). Maths Quest 8 New South Wales
Australian curriculum edition. Australia: John Wiley & Sons Australia

Resources Attached:
You must list all the resources that you have created or found in this space.
Name……………… Surname……….. Date………….. Mark ………..

Marks

16

1
1
1
Lesson Plan 3

Topic area: Fractions, Stage of Learner: Syllabus Pages:

Decimals and Percentages Stage 4
(Percentages Only)

Date: Location Booked: Lesson Number: 8/9

Time: 60 minutes Total Number of students Printing/preparation

 Outcomes Assessment Students learn about
Syllabus outcomes Lesson assessment Solving a variety of real-life problems involving
MA4-2WM Group activity percentages, including percentage composition problems
MA4-3WM

Cross Curriculum themes & General capabilities Explicit subject specific concepts and skills
interpreting and using statements about the environment
involving percentages, eg energy use for different
purposes, such as lighting (Problem Solving)

interpreting and using nutritional information

panels on product packaging where
percentages are involved

interpreting and using media and sport reports

involving percentages
Quality Teaching Elements (lesson focus) Highlight the appropriate areas
Intellectual Quality 1.1 Deep knowledge 1.4 Higher-order thinking
This refers to pedagogy focused on producing deep understanding of important, 1.2 Deep understanding 1.5 Metalanguage
substantive concepts, skills and ideas. Such pedagogy treats knowledge as something that 1.3 Problematic 1.6 Substantive
requires active construction and requires students to engage in higher-order thinking and knowledge communication
to communicate substantively about what they are learning.
Quality Learning Environment 2.1 Explicit quality criteria 2.4 Social Support
This refers to pedagogy that creates classrooms where students and teachers work 2.2 Engagement 2.5 Students’ self regulation
productively in an environment clearly focused on learning. Such pedagogy sets high and 2.3 High Expectations 2.6 Student direction
explicit expectations and develops positive relationships between teacher and students
and among students.
Significance 3.1 Background 3.4 Inclusivity
This refers to pedagogy that helps make learning more meaningful and important to knowledge 3.5 Connectedness
students. Such pedagogy draws clear connections with students’ prior knowledge and 3.2 Cultural knowledge 3.6 Narrative
identities, with contexts outside of the classroom, and with multiple ways of knowing all 3.3 Knowledge
cultural perspective. integration

How are the quality teaching elements you have identified achieved within the lesson?

Teaching Indicators of presence in the lesson

element
1.4 Assessment task requires to interpret their knowledge to real world

2.2 Group activity and methods which student- catered

2.4
3.3 Integrating their knowledge and understating into real life
 Time Teaching and learning actions Organisation Centred
T/S
Intro Read the lesson structure which you wrote before the class Teacher: Marks the roll T
10 mins started from the board.
Student: Answers question and
Start with asking question about where do they see watches video
percentages in their daily life? Show the video after the
question say that today we are going to discover the use of Resources: YouTube video
the percentages in our life? Why do we learn it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xenbtho1edc

Body Start reminding groups that they were appointed into Teacher: teacher allocates the S
15 mins groups from last week. Say them to come together and start groups. Gives instructions. Goes
working. Remind the instructions of activity. Ask each around the groups, helps them if
groups if they collected their percentages data. After that they need
they need to start sharing their data which are from their
daily life includes sports, media, food packs other than Student: listens teacher, engages
money which was taught in pervious classes. Give them 15 with the group friends.
mins to come up presentation of their data and how related
to our topic and usefulness of it in human everyday life. Go Resources:
around the groups and see how they go and help them if
they need with anything. Finally how would they use that
data in their calculations which they contract their own
ways? Give 5 mins each group to present their group work
after they choose someone to present it.
Each group presents their work. Ask constructive questions Teacher: Watches each group gives T-S
20 mins when it is necessary. verbal feedback, ask conceptual
questions

Student: presents their group work

if not listens other groups. Asks
questions to group which presented

Resources:
Conclusion Do the summary of the class with stating what we had Teacher: summarise the content. T
done during the class. Stress out the aim was showing Underlines importance of the
15 mins applicability of percentages in our life and make knowledge integration which
awareness among students about how their subject is succeed with the activity
related to their daily life. Request reflection about what
have they learnt from the todays class. Student: Listens teacher and
contributes in the reflection part

Resources:
Reflection
What have I learned about the teaching and learning process when preparing this
lesson?

How am I measuring the outcomes of this lesson?

Learning Outcome Method of measurement and recording

MA4-2WM Group assignment
MA4-3WM Group assignment and student participation

Other considerations

Complete the table blow by inserting the AISTL graduate standards that you are
demonstrating and indicates the evidence from this lesson that should comply with
the standard.

Graduate Evidence within this lesson

Standards
1.1 4.1 Encouragement for social integration with group work
1.5,2.1,3.1 Using different methods during teaching session and activities which
provided
3.3 Constructivism theory integration for conceptual approach
5.2 Observation of students during group work and assessing them after with
verbal feedback

WHS
What are the key risk issues that may appear for and need to be reduced/eliminated
in this lesson? Using your syllabus and support documents as well as other WHS
policy- Outline the key WHS considerations that are to be applied in this lesson?
References (In APA)
You must list all references that you have used for the content and resources of this
lesson in this space.
Hancock, S. , Knuckey, J. & Callies, R. (2016). Percentages In Real Life [Video
Picture].Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xenbtho1edc

Resources Attached:
You must list all the resources that you have created or found in this space.
 Justification

The Year 8 Percentages topic has been planned in respect to Quality Teaching model 

with the intention of achieving the NSW Mathematics stage 4 syllabus outcomes. In 

these three lessons students learn about interpretation and calculation of percentages 

with different techniques in addition to real life problems. The three lessons have been

designed to address the diverse learning needs of students with various enhanced 

learning and teaching activities utilised. In three lessons three different teaching 

theories have been used to ensure a high level of student engagement and deep 

understanding of the topic. In this paper, the components of the three lesson plans will

be analysed.

The first lesson is based on the worksheet called ‘First Principles Percentage’  which 

promotes conceptual understanding of percentages. This lesson starts with the 

question of where students use percentages in their daily life. Asking ‘Why’ questions

as a next step helps students build conceptual understanding of the topic of 

percentages. According to Darragh (2015) asking ‘Why’ questions and taking their 

answers into careful consideration is an effective method to construct conceptual 

understanding of the topic and boosts engagement. The starter activity is chosen in 

purpose to prepare them to the next steps of the lesson. This activity is designed for 

them to visualize the concept of percentage and determine the level of their 

comprehension level individually.  Tatar, Akkaya and Kagizmanli (2014) emphasises 

the significance of designing activities that enables students to visualize the concepts 

of maths which develops higher level mathematical knowledge and reasoning. The 

body of the lesson consists of solving percentage questions which are designed to 

proceed from simple questions to more complex ones. This method is preferred 

because it helps students to develop skills which will be relevant at various stages of 

their life and to avoid the memorising method.  It helps students to develop their own 

short­cuts though their individual explorations and helps them comprehend the 
solvability of complex questions by breaking them into steps. The worksheet which is 

prepared as a homework task is designed with quite easy questions in order to 

encourage students, boost their self­confidence and make maths enjoyable for them. 

There are only 3 questions which have minor challenging aspects relating to the 

concept such as the use of quantity in different forms to what they have learnt 

including as litres, mg. There are two outcomes targeted with this activity with the 

first being the determination of whether they have built conceptual understanding. 

Secondly, according to Weber (2005) setting high expectations attracts students’ 

interest to the subject as they recognise and respond to those expectations. The 

activities are also aimed to help students who learn visually as well as the gifted and 

talented students. 

The second lesson plan component is specifically utilised to enhance student learning 

is the skills based lesson structure. The lesson starts with a homework check. This is 

seen as a significant activity for both teachers and students because teachers can see 

who did which question instead of choosing randomly and students develop 

confidence when they realize they can also solve problems on the board.  The starter 

activity is designed as a transaction activity between the first lesson and the second 

lesson. It is again enhanced with visual elements and is designed to engage all 

students. The activity is selected and built to target different levels of thinking and 

comprehension as the second part of the activity is a little more challenging for some 

students. However, the visual component of the questions breaks this complexity a 

little and makes it easier for the students who may struggle without the visual clues. 

Another purpose with this activity is inherent in the second part of the questions 

which reverse the previous questions’ structure. In the earlier questions students are 

tested in relation to whether they built up their conceptual understanding. The video 

helps students to link percentages and previous topics which were fractions and 

decimals. The YouTube video is purposely chosen because of students’ daily 
engagement with technology. This will encourage them to use technology for more 

educational purposes and enhance their engagement as the video presentation is 

placed at the beginning of the lesson. The body of the lesson involves formulas and 

question solving which is organised in a step­by­step approach in correlation to a 

skills based lesson structure. According to Skemp (1989) the instrumental approach is

seen less complex to understand. Later on in the lesson more complex structured 

questions are introduced to students. In this context students will be more confident 

solving the questions as they will also have a better understanding of them since they 

have learnt the concept of percentages in the first lesson. Skemp (1989) underlines the

importance of built self­ confidence for the success of students and this is achieved 

through the instructional approach which has immediate rewards. Simplicity of the 

answers is another benefit of this approach because less knowledge contribution leads 

students to the right answer quicker (Skemp, 1989). In light of this, the graded 

worksheets have been modified to reach each student and achieve their participation. 

The third lesson is based on the constructivist lesson structure. The lesson involves a 

group activity which requires students to do their own observations and develop their 

understanding of percentages in their real life. They have been asked to come up with 

their own possible questions and calculations. Stillman, Brown and Galbraith (2010) 

underline the importance of mathematical modelling and suggest that various 

mathematical modelling techniques provide students with opportunities for deep 

mathematical thinking, reasoning and interpretation of the problem. The group 

activity structure is chosen because it develops peer support, high engagement and 

teaches students cooperation because they need to come up with a problem and its 

solution. During the activity the teacher goes around the groups for assistance and 

guidance which is seen as an effective teaching method by von Glasersfeld (1990). 

After their collaborative work students are requested to present their final decision. 

This presentation element enables other students to see different understandings and 

compare them with their own. According to Skemp (1989 ) relational understanding 
motivates students as it highlights the importance of the content for their lives. The 

lesson assessment is infused into the group activity as the students have to respond to 

questions by their teacher and peers which allows the teacher to determine the extent 

of their knowledge and any misunderstandings or misconceptions.

In a nut shell, the main concern of the various elements that are designed and 

modified as part of this learning sequence is students’ academic achievement with an 

emphasis on different teaching and learning approaches as well as student 

engagement. In those three lesson plans frameworks like mathematical modelling 

were utilised to enable students to achieve the relevant syllabus outcomes and develop

their own techniques and understanding of percentages in and out of the classroom. 

  

References 

  Darragh,   L.   (2014).   Asking   Questions   and   Performing   Mathematics   Identity.

Mathematic       Education Research Article , 175­182.

New South Wales Education Standards Authority. (2017). Mathematics General Stage

 Syllabus Programming Advice. Retrieved from
http://syllabus.nesa.nsw.edu.au/mathematics­standard­stage6/content/1226/

Skemp,   R.   R.   (1976).   Relational   understanding   and   instrumental   understanding,

Mathematics Teaching, 77, 20­26.

Stillman,   G.,   Brown,   J.&   Galbraith,   P.   (2010).   Researching   Applications   of

Mathematical   Modelling   in   Mathematics   Learning   and   Teaching.  Mathematics

Education Research Journal, 22(2), 1­6.

Tatar,   E.,   Akkaya,   A.   &   Kagizmanli,   T.,   B.   (2014).   Using   dynamic   software   in

mathematics: the case of reflection symmetry. International Journal of Mathematical

Education   in   Science   and   Technology,   45(7),   980­995,   DOI:

10.1080/0020739X.2014.902129

Weber,   K.   (2005).   Students'   Understanding   of   Trigonometric   Functions   .

Mathematics Education Research Journal , 17(3), 91­112

  
Von Glasersfeld, E. (1990). Chapter 2: An Exposition of Constructivism: Why Some

Like It Radical. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education. Monograph, 4, 19­

210. doi:10.2307/749910