Day 2: Using Trigonometry to Calculate Height

Content Area:
Level: 9-10

Geometry

Grade

CCSS.ELALITERACY.RST.9-10.3

What do students
need to know?

What do students need to be able

to do?

Follow precisely a complex

multistep procedure when
carrying out experiments,
taking measurements, or
performing technical tasks,
attending to special cases or
exceptions defined in the
text.

-the steps of the

procedure
-what they are
measuring
-definition of the
trigonometric ratios
(sine, cosine, tangent)
-exceptions defined in
the text

-follow the procedure

-take measurements using a meter
stick
-take measurements of an angle using
a protractor
-use a trigonometric ratio to find
length of a side of right triangle

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.910.4

What do students
need to know?

What do students need to be able

to do?

Present information,
findings, and supporting
evidence clearly, concisely,
and logically such that
listeners can follow the line
of reasoning and the
organization, development,
substance, and style are
appropriate to purpose,
audience, and task.

-what information needs

to be presented
-the purpose of the task

-present orally to the class how

measurements were taken
-present calculations and justify them
-represent findings visually by
drawing a diagram

Lesson Objective: Use trigonometric ratios to determine the height of a person without
directly measuring that persons height.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSG.SRT.C.8
Use trigonometric ratios and the Pythagorean Theorem to solve right triangles in applied
problems.
Lesson Outline and Task for the students:
1. The following two Do Now problems will be put on the board. Students will complete
them and solution will be reviewed.
Solve for x:

2. Students will be given a worksheet with instructions for the procedure of indirectly
measuring someones height using trigonometry. (See How Tall Are You document.)
Teacher will demonstrate procedure.
3. Students will be put into groups of 4 and given the materials (protractor, meter stick,
string) to perform the procedure.
4. Students take measurements as outlined in the instructions and calculate one of their
group members height using trigonometry.
5. Each group will present their calculations to the rest of the class. Students must present
the following information to the class:
Sketch a diagram on the board of the triangle formed by the person, string, and
floor.
Describe the measurements that were taken.
Describe what trigonometric ratio you used to calculate height and why.
What did you calculate the persons height to be?
How accurate was your calculation? (We will then measure this persons height
directly and compare it to the calculation.)

Summative Assessment (how will you know if students hit the objective at the level
of the standard?):
The summative assessment will be the short presentation that each group will give on their
measurements and calculations. After each group presents, the person whose height was
calculated using trigonometry will then be measured directly using the meter stick, to see how
accurately each teams calculations were.

Notes:

I would place this activity as Apply Level 3 on the cognitive rigor matrix.

For our 3 case study students, I will physically demonstrate the procedure to be taken and
also help them out by drawing a diagram to create a visual representation of the situation.
This is using Strategy 33: Use Visuals and Graphics, Strategy 34: Demonstrate
Your Words, and Strategy 35: Be Dramatic.
This lesson utilizes UDL Guideline 7.2: Optimize relevance, value, and authenticity.
Students are using trigonometry in a real world situation and hopefully will have a better
appreciation for the application of trig in real life. There is also physical action in this
lesson, which is UDL Guideline #4.