Lesson Plan : Trigonometric Functions

Teacher Name:
 Deborah Kerkenbush
Grade:
 Grade 9-10
Subject:
 Math

Topic:
 Trigonometric Functions of Right Triangles
Content:
 Sine - Opposite/Hypotenuse Cosine - Adjacent/Hypotenuse Tangent - Opposite/Adjacent Right Triangle Opposite Side Adjacent Side Hypotenuse
Goals:
 My students will know how to find the sine, cosine, and tangent of right triangles using the sides of the triangle. They will also know how to use their calculators.
Objectives:
 My students will be able to find the sin, cos, and tan of the acute angles of a right triangle with 85% accuracy. They will know which side is opposite and which side is adjacent. They will know how to find sine, cosine, and tangent using their calculators with an 85% accuracy.
Materials:
 Calculators, Smart Board, Projector, Computer, Geometry Books.
Introduction:
 Have you ever wondered how high a building or tree was? You can figure the height of the building or tree by using the trigonometric functions.
Development:
 I will use the Smart Board to explain what the Trigonometric Functions are. They will know that sin A = opposite/hypotenuse, cos A = adjacent/hypotenuse, tan A = opposite/adjacent. I will also explain how to find these functions with their calculators.
Practice:
 I will have practice problems on the Smart Board to do together with the class. I will also use several examples on how to find the height of a hill, tree, building or tower using one of the functions.
Accommodations:
 Some students need the notes printed for them, and some students need one-on-one instruction. I usually have printed copies ready and I walk around the classroom instructing them individually. Sometimes, that means repeating how to do a problem 7 or 8 times.
Checking For Understanding:
 I assign homework for my students. I usually grade for accuracy. This is to find out if they actually understand the concept or if they were just copying their friend's work. I usually answer questions on homework before I collect it.
Closure:
 For closure, I usually just go over the concepts that we learned that day and how they can be used outside the classroom.
Evaluation:
 I always collect their homework and check it for understanding. At the end of the chapter, we always have a test summarizing everything we have learned in that chapter. Before class starts, we always have a warm-up with about 5 problems from previous lessons learned throughout the semester.
Teacher Reflections:
 I always reflect at the end of the class. I want to know what worked and what did not. If something did not work, I take it out of the future lessons or change it to make it work the next time.

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