EDU5170 Educational Technology I Lesson Plan Integrating Technology & Pedagogy

Sean Gray

4/4/12

Standards: Content Area- New York States High School Geometry Standards state that students should be able to define trigonometric ratios and solve problems involving right triangles. This is part of the Similarity, Right Triangles, and Trigonometry section of the Geometry conceptual category found in the New York State P-12 Common Core Learning Standards for Mathematics. It also states that students should understand that side ratios in right triangles are properties of the angles in the triangle. This leads to the defining of trigonometric ratios for acute angles. ISTE NETS- The ISTE National Educational Technology Standards for Students state that students should be able to use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues. Students should also be able to process data and report their results as well as collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions. The ISTE NETS also call for students to be able to understand and use technological systems. Lesson Objectives: Students will be able to understand the relationship between the side ratios and acute angles of a right triangle. They will be able to compute the Sine, Cosine, and Tangent of angles based on given side lengths. They will also be able to compute the ratio of side lengths of a right triangle based on given angles. In doing this, students will begin a basic understanding of Trigonometric Functions as they pertain to similar triangles. Introduce the Learning Activity: 1. The objectives of the lesson will be communicated to the students by first reviewing the definitions of Right Triangles, Hypotenuse, and Similarity. These definitions are necessary to the lesson, and therefore are important for the students to be refreshed on. With the idea of similarity fresh on their minds, we can begin the discussion on side length ratios of right triangles. Then the students will be introduced to the Sine, Cosine, and Tangent functions, and how they each have a relation to the acute angles and the various side length ratios of a right triangle. 2. Students will then be motivated with a discussion on how trigonometry has applications in Astronomy, Geography, Engineering, and Physics. Trigonometric tables were created over two thousand years ago for astronomy computations. Also, Christopher Columbus used trigonometry to help navigate to the New World. These types of discussions will help emphasize the importance of trigonometric ratios, and help to make trigonometric ratios seem more applicable in the real world, rather than just on paper.

Provide Information: This is where the bulk of the lesson lies. The acronym SOH CAH TOA will be provided. This acronym refers to Sin () = Opposite/Hypotenuse - SOH Cos () = Adjacent/Hypotenuse - CAH Tan () = Opposite/Adjacent - TOA Where is one of the acute angles of the right triangle and the words Opposite, Adjacent, and Hypotenuse refer to the length of the sides in correspondence to the angle in question. This will be explained through visual examples on the board. The students will be shown an example of a right triangle with three side lengths- 3, 4, and 5. Then we will discuss the meaning of the Sine, Cosine, and Tangent of one or both of the acute angles of the triangle.

Sin () = 3/5 5 3 4 Make sure to explain to students that the hypotenuse of a right triangle is always the side opposite the right angle and is always the largest side as well. Provide Practice: This is where students will be instructed to go to their computers and go to my website at student.plattsburgh.edu. Here they will go to my Presentations page and click on the link entitled www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/sohcahtoa.html. At the bottom of this page they will begin a practice quiz consisting of ten questions that involve using SOH CAH TOA to properly identify the Sine, Cosine, and Tangent of certain angles in various right triangles. When the students have completed the quiz they will be instructed to go to the online scientific calculator on the Presentations page of my website. Here they will be asked to look up three trigonometric values, and write them down in their notebook. These three values will then be used later for purposes of review. Sin (30) = Cos (60) = Tan (45) = 1 Cos () = 4/5 Tan () = 3/4

Provide Knowledge of Results: 1. Students will be provided with verbal feedback during their online quiz. When students are taking the quiz, the teacher will be making his or her way about the room, helping with any questions. The teacher will walk students through the steps of SOH CAH TOA when necessary in order to help students come to the proper answers. 2. Students will be provided with written feedback following each of the ten problems of the online quiz. Upon answering each question, the quiz provides knowledge on whether or not the answer chosen was correct. Following each question is also a labeled diagram that shows how to come to the proper answer using SOH CAH TOA. At the end of the quiz, students are provided with their score out of ten in order to let them know how well they did. Review the Activity: Students will be instructed to return to their desks to review the activity as a class on the board. We will look at three triangles, each with an acute angle corresponding to the three values the students looked up on the online calculator earlier. Then we will review how an acute angle of 30 degrees in a right triangle shows that the opposite side length and the hypotenuse have a 1-to-2 ratio. Similarly we will show how an acute angle of 60 degrees in a right triangle shows a 1-to-2 ratio between the adjacent side length and the hypotenuse. We will then show that an acute angle of 45 degrees in a right triangle shows a 1-to-1 ratio between the opposite side length and the adjacent side length. Then students will be asked how this pertains to similarity of triangles. Method of Assessment: Students will be assessed with the attached homework assignment. The homework assignment consists of six fairly basic SOH CAH TOA related questions. If students exhibit that they were having difficulties with the questions, than more review will be necessary. If students display an understanding of SOH CAH TOA, the class can move on. The homework assignment and answer key are attached.