Before You Read

Key Words

Read these words first. You will see them in the story.

percent — "out of 100." 25% means 25 out of 100, or 0.25.

percent of a number — multiply: 25% of 40 = 0.25 × 40.

discount — money taken off the price. A sale.

sale price — the price after the discount.

sales tax — extra money added at the register, as a percent.

total — the final amount you pay.

Part 1 — How Much Off?

Sara saw a sign: "Backpacks 25% off!" A backpack cost $40. "How much money is 25% off?" she asked. To find a percent of a number, she multiplied.

25% of $40 = 0.25 × 40 = $10 off.

Check Your Reading — Q1

What does "25% off" tell Sara?

Solve It — #1

A notebook set costs $50. The discount is 10%. How many dollars is 10% of $50?

Discount ($):

Part 2 — The Sale Price

Sara liked shoes priced at $50 with 20% off. First she found the discount, then she subtracted it to get the sale price.

20% of $50 = 0.20 × 50 = $10 off. Sale price = $50 − $10 = $40.

Check Your Reading — Q2

How does Sara find the sale price?

Solve It — #2

A shirt costs $20 with 25% off. What is the sale price (the price Sara pays)?

Sale price ($):

Part 3 — Tax at the Register

At the register, Sara learned about sales tax. Her items came to $30, and the tax was 10%. Tax is added, not subtracted.

10% of $30 = $3 tax. Total = $30 + $3 = $33.

Solve It — #3

Sara's items cost $40. Sales tax is 5%. What is the total she pays?

Total ($):

Part 4 — Leaving a Tip

To celebrate, Sara's family ate lunch. The bill was $18, and they left a 50% tip for great service at a small café. "A tip is a percent of the bill," Dad explained.

50% of $18 = 0.50 × 18 = $9 tip.

Solve It — #4

A bill is $24. The family leaves a 50% tip. How many dollars is the tip?

Tip ($):

After You Read — Write About It

Explain the Math in the Story

Pick your level. Use the sentence starters to write 2–4 sentences.

Level 1 — Beginner (finish each sentence):

To find a percent of a number, I ______.
A discount is ______ the price, but sales tax is ______ the price.
The sale price of the shoes was ______ because ______.

Level 2 — Intermediate (use these to start):

Percents helped Sara because ______.
The difference between a discount and a tax is ______.
I could use percents in real life when I ______.

Write your answer here (included when you print or download):

How You Are Scored

Rubric

Category	4 — Strong	3 — Proficient	2 — Developing
Reading comprehension	Both reading questions correct with details	1 correct with some detail	Attempts an answer
Math (Solve It)	All 4 percent answers correct (percent of a number, sale price, tax total, tip)	3 correct	2 correct
Writing	Explains percents using vocabulary (discount, sale price, sales tax)	Uses some vocabulary; mostly clear	Begins with a starter