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ORC Resource Number #7734
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Making Sense of Percent Concentrations: Mix It Up
Best Practice
PROFESSIONAL COMMENTARY

Students use two colors of beads to form mixtures of two different percentages. They then form a final mixture using one scoop of each of the original mixtures. From this tactile start, students combine other mixtures using an online applet to develop a formula for the final percentage mix from two source mixtures. Overheads, activity sheets, problem solutions, lesson extensions, and suggestions for assessment are included. (author/sw)

CAREER APPLICATION

This is an excellent lesson to use when introducing high school students to percent concentrations. Health Science students especially need to understand concentrations and dilutions calculations because these calculations are regularly made by health care personnel. The lesson features resources that will benefit visual learners. Resources include an overhead graphic illustrating the mixing of two substances with different concentrations and an interactive mixture applet designed to help students understand the “how” of percent calculations which is preferable to just providing a formula and instructions for “doing” the calculation. (jrs)

OHIO STANDARDS
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Mathematics Academic Content Standards
Number, Number Sense and Operations Standard
NATIONAL STANDARDS
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Principles and Standards for School Mathematics
Number and Operations Standard
RESOURCE TYPE
Instructional Resource
PRACTICE LEVEL
Best Practice
STANDARDS ALIGNMENT
Grades 8–12
CAREER FIELDS
Health Science
TOPICS
Mathematics --
Numbers and Operations;
Percents;
FOUND IN
KEYWORDS
combining percentages;
applet
Publisher: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Author: Martha Haehl