Lesson Plan | Active Learning | Percentage: Discounts or Percentage Increases

Assumptions: This Active Lesson Plan assumes: a 100-minute class, prior student study with both the Book and the start of Project development, and that only one activity (among the three suggested) will be chosen to be conducted during the class, as each activity is designed to take up a significant portion of the available time.

Objectives

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The Objectives stage aims to establish a clear direction for the class, outlining what students should be able to do by the end of the session. By defining specific objectives, the lesson plan seeks to ensure that students can not only apply percentage formulas but also understand the practical impact of calculations in their daily lives. This clarity of purpose helps guide subsequent activities and discussions effectively, maximizing learning.

Main Objectives:

1. Empower students to solve practical problems involving discounts or percentage increases in everyday situations, such as shopping at supermarkets or stores.

2. Develop skills to create and apply percentage formulas in contexts of discounts or percentage increases, generating understanding and autonomy in the use of these calculations.

Side Objectives:

1. Encourage logical reasoning and the ability to apply mathematical concepts in real and contextualized situations.

Introduction

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

The Introduction phase aims to engage students through problem situations that recap and apply their prior knowledge about discounts and percentage increases. Additionally, it seeks to contextualize the importance of the topic in students' daily lives, promoting a more meaningful connection with the content. The problem situations are designed to activate students' critical thinking and curiosity, preparing them for the practical activities and discussions that will follow.

Problem-Based Situations

1. Imagine you have R$ 100.00 to spend in a year-end sale. All products have a 20% discount. How much would you pay for a product that originally cost R$ 80.00?

2. A supermarket announces that all cleaning products will have a 15% discount next weekend. If the price of a can of disinfectant is R$ 5.00, what will the new price be after the discount?

Contextualization

Percentage is an essential mathematical tool in everyday life, especially when dealing with buying and selling. Knowing how to calculate discounts and percentage increases not only helps save money but is also crucial to avoid mistakes in business transactions. Furthermore, understanding how these calculations are applied in real contexts, such as during Black Friday or end-of-season sales, can be very interesting and practical for students.

Development

Duration: (70 - 75 minutes)

The Development stage is designed to allow students to practically and contextually apply their prior knowledge about percentages, specifically discounts and percentage increases. Through playful and collaborative activities, students will not only reinforce their mathematical skills but also develop teamwork, logical reasoning, and communication competencies. This section is crucial for consolidating learning, ensuring that concepts are understood and internalized in a meaningful and fun way.

Activity Suggestions

It is recommended to carry out only one of the suggested activities

Activity 1 - The Magical Discounts Challenge

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Apply knowledge of percentages to calculate discounts and develop teamwork and presentation skills.

- Description: In this activity, students will be divided into groups of up to 5 people and will receive a 'magic card' that grants various discounts at different fictional stores. Each store will have products with base prices, and students will need to calculate the final price after applying the discount from the magic card.

- Instructions:

• Divide the class into groups of up to 5 students.

• Distribute the 'magic cards' containing discounts of 10%, 20%, and 30% to be used in different stores.

• Present a list of products at each store with base prices.

• Students must calculate the final price of each product after applying the discount from the magic card.

• Each group will present their calculations and justifications for their results to the class.

Activity 2 - The Super Promotion of the Math Supermarket

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Practice discount calculations in a realistic purchasing situation, promoting practical understanding of percentage.

- Description: Students, in groups, will simulate a purchase at a fictional supermarket that is offering a super promotion. They will need to list the items they want to buy, check the discounts, and calculate the final purchase amount.

- Instructions:

• Organize students into groups of up to 5.

• Explain that each group will have a 'budget' to spend in the supermarket.

• Present a list of products with prices and discount percentages.

• Groups must choose the products they wish to buy, calculate the discount, and the final purchase amount.

• Each group will prepare a final list of the chosen products and total amount and present it to the class.

Activity 3 - Building the Dream Store

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Understand the application of discounts from the perspective of both the seller and the buyer, while also practicing percentage calculations in a dynamic and interactive way.

- Description: In this playful activity, students, organized in groups, will be store owners in a math shopping mall. They will need to set prices for products with special discounts and compete to attract customers, who are other groups of students, to buy with the best discount.

- Instructions:

• Divide the class into groups of up to 5 students, each group will be a store in the mall.

• Each store receives a fictitious amount to buy their products at a discount for sale.

• Groups must calculate the selling price to ensure that with the offered discount, they still make a profit.

• Each store presents its products and discounts to the 'customers' (other groups).

• The 'customers' decide where to buy based on the best discounts.

Feedback

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

The purpose of this stage is to consolidate learning, allowing students to articulate the knowledge acquired through practical activities. Discussion helps identify areas of difficulty and reinforces key concepts, while also promoting communication and argumentative skills. This collective feedback also serves to assess students' understanding of the topic and the effectiveness of the activities in achieving the learning objectives.

Group Discussion

Start the group discussion with a brief review of the activities completed, asking how each group approached the proposed challenges and which strategies were most effective. Encourage students to share their experiences and learnings, focusing on how the application of discounts and percentage increases can vary in different contexts. Suggest that each group present a practical example that was particularly challenging and how they managed to overcome that difficulty.

Key Questions

1. What were the biggest challenges in applying discounts and percentage increases in the proposed activities?

2. How can understanding percentages help in everyday life, especially in buying and selling situations?

3. Was there any situation in which one group's strategy for calculating discounts differed significantly from other groups? Why?

Conclusion

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The purpose of the Conclusion stage is to ensure that students have a clear and consolidated view of the topics covered, reviewing and reinforcing their learning. Additionally, it seeks to emphasize the applicability of mathematical concepts in daily life, reinforcing the relevance of studying percentages for students' practical lives. This final reflection helps solidify knowledge and value mathematics as an essential tool.

Summary

In the conclusion, the teacher should summarize the main concepts covered, such as calculating discounts and percentage increases in buying and selling contexts. It is crucial to recap the formulas used and the practical procedures discussed, reinforcing students' learning.

Theory Connection

During the lesson, the theory on percentage was integrated through practical activities that simulated real buying and selling situations, allowing students to directly apply the knowledge acquired in contexts that reflect everyday life. This helps establish a clear connection between mathematical theory and its practical application, facilitating understanding and retention of the content.

Closing

Finally, it is essential to highlight the importance of percentage calculations in everyday life, especially in financial situations. Understanding and knowing how to apply discounts and percentage increases can lead to savings and better decision-making in various areas of life, such as in personal purchases, expense management, and even in professional choices involving commercial discounts.