Lesson plan

Work with equivalent

fractions, decimals and
percentages

Level 1
1. Lesson objectives
• Convert between a decimal and fraction and percentage where the
denominator is a factor of 10 or 100
• Understand and use equivalences between common fractions, decimals and
percentages (FDP)
• Order FDP amounts by understanding place value

2. Functional Skills Level 1 curriculum

Using numbers and the number system
8 Read, write, order and compare common fractions and mixed numbers
10 Read, write, order and compare decimals up to three decimal places
13 Read, write, order and compare percentages in whole numbers
16 Recognise and calculate equivalences between common fractions, percentages
and decimals

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3. Lesson plan
This is an overview of the lesson. More notes can be found in the notes in the lesson slides.
Activity Purpose of this Time Guidance Materials
activity (min)

Introduction Introduction to fraction, 5 Lead a discussion on how to identify what is wrong with Slide 2
decimal and Yaima’s statement. How do the learners know it is wrong? How Mini
percentage can they prove it? whiteboards
equivalence
Model Introduce the 100-grid 10 Introduce the 100-grid, where 50% is modelled as five-tenths Slides 3–9
representation for i.e. five lines of 10 small squares.
percentages, fractions Mini
and decimals Ask learners to link fractions out of 100 to percentages, and whiteboards
explore other equivalent fractions and decimals, before asking
for other multiples of tenths, e.g. 30%. What would that look
like?

Slide 4 shows tenths and hundredths. Ask learners to think

about the value of 12 hundredths or one tenth and two
hundredths, and its equivalent decimal and percentage, i.e.
0.12 and 12%.

Slide 5 then looks at 5%. How is that written as a decimal? If

50% is 0.5, what is 5%?

Ask learners to complete the ‘true or false’ task on Slides 6 and

8 as a think-pair-share activity, then discuss with the class.

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 Activity Purpose of this Time Guidance Materials
activity (min)

Discuss Introduce 5 Introduce the misconceptions of place value. What difference Slides 10–13
misconceptions of do tenths, hundredths, etc make?
place value and For Slide 11 and 12, ask learners to write the values of the Mini
decimals grids on a mini whiteboard to share. whiteboards
Slide 13 extends the discussion about place value and the link
to fraction. You could give the learners an example, if required.
Activity 1 Understand place 10 Slides 14 and 15 allow learners to understand place value Slides 14–17
value in relation to through procedural variation. Handout 1
decimals, and then Slides 16 and 17 bring together the lesson to this point to see
fractions and place value in the context of fractions, decimals and Handout 2
percentages percentages and to highlight a common misconception.
Explore 1 Collaborative 15 This task checks learners’ understanding of fractions, decimals Slide 18
exploration to and percentages, especially where they are not able to recall Handout 3
develop thinking the exact values. Learners will have the opportunity to use their Tarsia activity
and reasoning skills reasoning and thinking skills. Learners work in pairs and are
for fractions, given 48 Tarsia cards to create 12 squares with 4 equivalent
decimals and values.
percentages
This activity is an important building block for the construction of
knowledge for fractions, percentages, decimals and allows
learners to practise problem solving and calculation skills that
they will need for the non-calculator paper.

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 Activity Purpose of this Time Guidance Materials
activity (min)

Discuss 2 Exploration of problem- 5 Tutor shows the completed Tarsia and asks groups for Slide 19
solving approaches to feedback. How did the learners do them? Which ones were
find/match equivalent challenging?
fractions, decimals and
percentages
Explore 2 Collaborative 15 The tutor introduces exact fractions, decimals and percentages Slides 20–
exploration to develop in the representation of a bar model. Learners are asked to use 21
the use of bar models the values in the bubble and additional values of their choice, to Flip chart
by matching bar draw bar models with values which add to 1. paper
models to the In pairs or groups learners draw bar models to add to 1. The
appropriate question Marker pens
focus of this task is sketching bar models (not accurate) to
represent their calculations.
Discuss The discussion aims 10 Tutor asks for feedback using the diagrams to explore learners’ Slide 22
to deepen learners’ thinking and reasoning. Look for any misconceptions
understanding of particularly 1/5, 1/8 and 1/20 equivalence. Emphasise place
using bar models. value when drawing the bar models.

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 Activity Purpose of this Time Guidance Materials
activity (min)

Practice Learners check and 10 Give learners time to work independently on the questions. Slides 23–25
question consolidate their Depending on the time and the ability of the learners in the Exam
understanding by group, you may choose only one of the three questions for the questions
answering exam class. handout
questions
After learners have had enough time to attempt the questions,
ask them whether they have used a different approach, to that
used prior to the lesson. How has their thinking changed? What
have they learned? When might they use this approach again
in the future?
Review Summarise learning 5 Summarise the learning. Slide 26
• Clarify the concept of equivalence for fractions, decimals
and percentages.
• Capture the ways of thinking for problem-solving. Draw
on the examples from the earlier slides on the main
whiteboard. Would they use bar models in the future?
It is important to make sense and capture learners’ ways of
thinking – not to prescribe a best method. The lesson should
have helped learners understand why bar models can be
helpful in these types of question. The purpose of this lesson
was to give them new ways of thinking so that they can answer
harder problem-solving questions under the pressure of an
exam.

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