Markup, Markdown & Percent Change
👀 Open the preview to see real pages from the student lab.
The lab
Your students think “25% off + an extra 20% off” beats “45% off.” It doesn't. This lab turns markup, markdown, and stacked discounts — the exact math behind every sale sign — into a skill students can use to outsmart the store.
What students do
- Behind the Price Tag — step into a real shopping scenario with a clear “I can” target
- Decode the Price Tag — read an authentic price tag showing cost, markup, and a storewide sale
- Build Markup & Markdown by Hand — find the tag price and the sale price, no calculator
- Your Markup & Markdown Calculator — four “what-if” tasks in a self-calculating spreadsheet
- Two “Sales,” Make the Call — compare a straight 45% off vs. a stacked 25%+20% off and prove which really saves more
- Show What You Know — a scored mastery check on a fresh item
- Reality Check — reflection + a real-world connection
Real math, done right
The percent work (7.RP.A.3) is done BY the student — twice, by hand, and it's assessed. Every markup, markdown, and “true percent off” is exact and verified to the cent, with the stacked-discount misconception (percents don't add) called out explicitly for both students and teachers.
Print or digital
Print-and-go, or assign the editable Word packet in Google Docs and the calculator in Google Sheets. No devices today? A Printed Calculator Readouts page lets a fully print-only class run the whole lab.
What is included
- 10-page student lab (PDF + editable Word)
- Self-calculating spreadsheet (Excel / Google Sheets)
- 2-page teacher guide with full answer key + 10-point rubric
- Printed Calculator Readouts (print fallback) + Terms of Use
More Money Labs
Standard codes refer to the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. Math Class 678 is an independent publisher, not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by NGA Center or CCSSO. Every product is sold on Teachers Pay Teachers.