LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Sales careers: Working with percents

In this lesson for grade six, students will understand how to perform operations with percents by using commission rates for various sales careers to calculate salary.

A lesson plan for grades 6–7 Mathematics

By Kim Abrams, Mike McDowell, and Barbara Strange

Provided by CareerStart

View this page in context

CareerStart lessons: Grade six
This collection of lessons aligns the sixth grade curriculum in math, science, English language arts, and social studies with potential career opportunities.
Page 2.3

Learn more

Related pages

  • Percent of a number: In this lesson for grade seven, students will act as fair planners ordering food for the Dixie Classic Fair. Students will calculate percentages to determine how much food to order.
  • Free falling: Working with radicals: In this lesson, students solve problems involving radicals and discuss the importance of radicals in various careers.
  • Working with matrices: In this lesson, students use matrices to organize sets of data.

Related topics

Help

Please read our disclaimer for lesson plans.

Legal

The text of this page is copyright ©2006. All Rights Reserved. Images and other media may be licensed separately; see captions for more information and read the fine print.

Learning outcomes

Students will use commission rates for various sales careers to calculate salary.

Teacher planning

Materials needed

Time required for lesson

One class period

Procedure

  1. This lesson requires that students know some basic background information about sales careers. Write the following key terms and definitions on the board, and be sure the students understand them:
    Commission
    A fee or allowance given to a sales person, affiliate, realtor, stockbroker or agent in exchange for services rendered, often some percentage of the sales she/he is responsible for.
    Real estate agent
    A person who is authorized to act as an agent for the sale of land.
    Stockbroker
    A person who acts as an agent in the buying and selling of stocks or other securities.
  2. Break students into small groups and pass out the small group discussion questions.
  3. As a whole class, discuss responses to the questions.
  4. Review with the students how to find the percent of a number.
  5. Independent practice: Have students complete the “I Could Sell Oceanfront Property in Montana” handout.

Websites

Optional resources for more information on the topics covered in this lesson

Basic “Percent of” Word Problems
This online lesson covers word problems about percentages with sales tax, retail markup/markdown, and increase/decrease examples.
Sales Tax
Students can practice percentages with the real-life example of sales tax in this online lesson.
Sales Commission
This website explains sales commissions and provides a game for students to practice calculating sales commissions.
Careers that Require Mathematics
Students can learn about careers involving mathematics by level: advanced levels of theoretical math, applied math, practical shop math, and arithmetic. Careers are linked to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook.

North Carolina curriculum alignment

Mathematics (2004)

Grade 6

  • Goal 1: Number and Operations - The learner will understand and compute with rational numbers.
    • Objective 1.02: Develop meaning for percents.
      • Connect the model, number word, and number using a variety of representations.
      • Make estimates in appropriate situations.

  • Common Core State Standards

    • Mathematics (2010)

      • Grade 6

        • Ratios & Proportional Relationships
          • 6.RPR.3Use ratio and rate reasoning to solve real-world and mathematical problems, e.g., by reasoning about tables of equivalent ratios, tape diagrams, double number line diagrams, or equations. Make tables of equivalent ratios relating quantities with whole-number...

      • Grade 7

        • Ratios & Proportional Relationships
          • 7.RPR.3Use proportional relationships to solve multistep ratio and percent problems. Examples: simple interest, tax, markups and markdowns, gratuities and commissions, fees, percent increase and decrease, percent error.