CP Math Survey, Tuesday 1/24/17

Teacher: Joe Eggert Grade Level: 11/12

I. Content and Standards: 4.D Apply the Law of Sines and Law of Cosines to find
unknown measurements in non-right triangles.
II. Prerequisites: Students should understand proportions. Students should
understand that the measure of the interior angles of a triangle sum to 180.
Students should understand how to evaluate sine expressions using a calculator.

III. Essential Questions: How do we determine side length and angle measures of
non-right triangles? Why are our previously learned methods insufficient?

IV. Instructional Objective: Given a triangle, the student will use measuring devices
(protractor and ruler) to find side length and angle measures, and investigate
proportions to discover the Law of Sines.

V. Instructional Procedures:

a. Before. Students will complete a warm-up that reviews properties of triangles,

use of trigonometric functions to find measures in right triangles, and use of a
protractor. Students will also consider situations in which SOH-CAH-TOA will not
work, and why such situations might occur. This will involve examples of non-
right triangles in real-life. Such scenarios arise for various reasons: unforeseen
outcomes (e.g. the Leaning Tower of Pisa); design choices (e.g. unique
sculptures); technical careers (e.g. surveyors, architects, air traffic controllers).
Images of these concepts will enhance this discussion. (10 min.)

b. During. The teacher will divide students into pairs. This will be done carefully to
ensure that no pair consists of two struggling students. Students of mixed
abilities will be required to work together, maximizing learning for all. Each pair
will be given two triangles, a protractor, and a ruler. Students will measure the
side length (to the nearest tenth of a centimeter) and angle (to the nearest
degree) measures. Students will have to calculate the ratios of sine function
outputs and side lengths. Considering specific proportions on their Law of Sines
Investigation Activity worksheet will allow them to discover the Law of Sines.
(25 min.)

c. After. On the worksheet, students will notes the statement of the Law of Sines,
and the type of triangle that requires it. After a brief discussion with each group,
 the teacher will facilitate a quick classroom discussion about Law of Sines and its
uses. (10 min.)

VI. Materials and Equipment: Students will use a ruler and protractor to measure side
lengths and angles of triangles. Students will use a calculator to find proportions
rounded to three decimal places.

VII. Assessment/Evaluation: Students will complete their Investigation Activity

worksheets. While they work, the teacher will closely monitor their efforts to ensure
beginning understandings of the Law of Sines. The teacher will gauge understanding
by checking for successful discoveries of the Law of Sines.

VIII. VII. Differentiation: Students who lack prerequisite knowledge will receive extra help
to prepare them for the lesson. This help will come either from their collaboration
partner (ideally) or from the teacher (if necessary). The teacher will circulate and
provide additional support to students who continue to struggle. This will likely
include assistance with accurate measuring, as students have found this difficult in
the past.

IX. Technology: Students will use a calculator to find precise measures of side lengths
and angles.

X. Self-Assessment: I will reflect upon the lesson immediately following it. I will
consider how many students lacked prerequisite knowledge, how many correctly
discovered the Law of Sines, and how many needed targeted support during the
investigation.