Trig Tricks with All Sorts of Technology at BHS
© 2014, 2017, Agnes Azzolino

Precalc Index

Take notes with Alt+Print Screen and a paint program.
Make 30-45-60 functions easy.
Think "Oscar Had A Heap Of Apples."
Make radian measure easy.
Consider reference angles and "Veronica's Bow Tie."
Make the Unit circle come alive.
"Derive" quadrantals and trig graphs with SketchPad.
Graph all 6 functions w/special trig graph paper.
"Prove" the Pythagorean identities with the Unit circle.
Curve shift with Excel.
Review with Windows Explorer. Directory: Individual Pages:

Educational Theory

Choose to Improve Instruction.

Choose a modality first.
Visual, Auditory, Symbolic, or Kinesthetic web notes

Introduce in the concrete.

Review in the abstract.

Sometimes use multiple modalities at the same time.

Strive for comfort in all modalities, not just your favorite.

Repeatition improves retention,
especially in different modalities.

Vary the technique to achieve the above.

Use color rather than black and white.

Use active rather than passive.

Use pictures rather than just text.

Use spoken word rather than just text.

Use white space to improve clarity.

Larger is usually clearer than smaller.

Sometimes start with the big picture rather than the details.

Reference to earlier work improves comprehension.

Showmanship -- a performance -- improves retention.

Precalc

Make 30°-45°-60° functions easy.
Think "Oscar Had A Heap Of Apples."
Use connect-the-dots to complete simple compuations.
Use active rather than passive.

*Write it in script vs. print it vs. Pre-Print it

*8th grade, to 10th grade, to precalculus

*Start to build a cheat sheet

and continue

*Library of connect-the-dots puzzles/worksheets

*blank connect-the-dots questions

*answers

*central angle, clockwise/counter-clockwise, coterminal, negative/positive angle measure

Make radian measure easy.
Consider reference angles and "Veronica's Bow Tie."

*2 mile race (visual with auditory and kinesthetic)

*basic Veronica's bow tie

*advanced Veronica's bow tie

*45°s

*internet trig reasources

See the Unit circle move. Derive Pythagorean Identities. Graph tan function.

The Unit Circle: *web, static, but with color; *web, active; The Animated Unit Circle. - animation w/text.; *UNIT CIRCLE JIG SAW PUZZLE, do it kinesthetically; unit circle jig saw puzzle master
The Usual Way vs. The Active Way: *sine/cosine only, web active
*quadrantals notes the usual way; *sine and cosine graphed; *write on similar triangles; completed notes on similar triangles for tangent; All 6 Functions; *tangent actively
Proofs: *Pythagorean Identities -- graphically and by hand symbolically; *Examine odd/even identities
Blank 3 plane paper: blank 3 planes per page, web; 3 planes per page gif; Other graph papers