Transcript The role of Context - University High School

Spinning Around: Using Sketchpad and a
Ferris wheel to motivate an entire
trigonometry unit
Kevin Thompson, Ph.D.
University High School
Normal, Il 61790-7100
[email protected]
Typical textbook sequencing

Have we got mathematics
sequencing backwards?
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This is not just a neat project
rather a philosophical shift
Motivation
If students are not initially
engaged with their
preconceptions of reality, they
may learn a particular item for a
test but then revert back to their
own preconceptions afterwards
(Donovan & Bransford , 2005)
Motivation
Students’ understanding of
concepts is then relegated to
exist only in the mathematics
classroom and lack any
connection to their lived in world
(Boaler, 2000a; Kirshner & Whitson, 1997; Lave, 1992).
Background

Classes meet for 55 minutes daily

Was done in a precalculus class—also
appropriate for Algebra 2 type course

Students already had SOME familiarity
with Sketchpad
The Problem Day 1
Animate Point
Show Axes
Drag
Timeline
Directions
resize
Tips and Suggestions
•For the Teacher
•For the Student
•For Sketchpad
Student Outcomes
Graph of Height and Angle
Video link
Angle and Arc Length
Sample Creations
Culminating Sketch Day 3
What connections were made?
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Right Triangles and Circles
Coterminal angles
Multiple solutions to trigonometric
equations
Meaningful connections within the unit
circle—why do some patterns repeat?
The behavior of trigonometric graphs
(Amplitude, Period…)
How to construct graphs
Student Quotes
The backbone
of Trig…
Additional Sketches
Additional resources
•Video detail of the sketches
Thanks for Attending!