Lesson (Learning Experience) Plan

Learning Area:Math Lesson Focus: Bearings, Elevation & Date: 31 Aug 17 Year Level: 11 Methods
Trigonometry Depression Time: 1425
Period: L6

Learning Area Outcome/s: 1. understand concepts and techniques in trigonometric functions, 2. Solve problems using trigonometric functions, 3.
Interpret and evaluate mathematical information and ascertain the reasonableness of solutions to problems, 4. Communicate their arguments and
strategies when solving problems

Specific Learning Goals:

At the conclusion of this learning experience each student should be able to:

a) Review sine, cosine and tangent as ratios and Sid lengths in right-angled triangles
b) Examine the relationship between the angle of inclination of a line and the gradient of that line
c) Establish and use tangent, cosine and sine rules.

Assessment:

Formative: Students continue lesson with exercises at the end of the chapter
How will you monitor? Allow approximately 20-30mins for students to go through the exercises while I walk around the room monitoring
progress.

Students Prior Knowledge: Be able to solve right-angled triangle problems including those involving direction and angles of elevation and
depression (ACMMG245)

Preparation and Resources: Preparation by doing the lesson plan and taking teaching notes in to use while teaching. Examples derived from text
book, Mathematics Applications Unit 2 by A.J. Sadler 1st Edn. Demonstration and problem solving on the white board. Students will have pens/
pencils and notebooks to work through the problem and a copy of the text book to follow the lesson and do the exercises at the end of the Chapter
Time: Teaching and Learning Strategies: Focus Questions/Key Instructions:

Ensure that students have set their calculator to degrees.

Step through the process of trigonometry.
10 mins Introduction, students settle into the class and sitting down
Step 1: Draw the triangle, label hypotenuse, opposite and
ready.
adjacent lines
Reflect on the previous lesson and learning.
Step 2: Decide which ratio to use us SOHCAHTOA to
Work through problem on the board, seek student participation
determine if it is sin, cos or tan base on what we know or the
by questioning each step of the process.
info we have.
Step 3. Rearrange and solve.
e.g.

!
tan 40 = x/5
= 5 tan 40 = x
x = 4.2m
Do an extra example with sin as the ratio.
 Introduce the meaning of bearings. Solve a real world problem
10 mins
on the board as an example of bearings. Provide an example on
the board. Seek student participation through out each step.
Encourage peer learning in pairs only.
Go through the steps for solving trigonometry problems.
Introduce problem for bearings.
What is the bearing of? give definition what it is used for. Give
a demonstration using a real world problem based on the
following diagram:
!
From the ship at sea (S), the land (L) lies 5nm away on a
bearing of 070deg from true North
From the land the gun position (P) needs to be 10nm on a
bearing of 160deg from true North
Need to find the range and bearing to P from S
Step through the problem with diagram and then label.
Identify the ratio from SOHCAHTOA. Choose tan
For the range use Pythagoras theorem: SP^2 = SL^2 + LP^2
SP^2 = 5^2 + 10^2 = 125 -> SP = 11.2nm.
Since we have opposite and adjacent the angle LSP = 10/5
= tan (LSP) = 10/5
 Introduce the next topic on Angles of Elevation and Angles of From a point on level ground, 40 metres form a tree, the angle
10 mins
Depression. Provide an example on the board. Seek student of elevation of the top of the tree is 27deg. Calculate the height
participation through out each step. Encourage peer learning in of the tree.
pairs only. First we make a sketch of the situation:
With respect to the 27deg we know the length of the adjacent
side and require the length of the opposite side. Thus we choose
the tangent ratio.

Tan 27deg = height of tree/40

Gives height of tree as approx = to 20.4m
Therefore the height of the tree is 20 m.

Instruction finished. Ask students to continue with exercises in

20 mins textbook starting at exercise 1. Walk around the classroom to
check work and assist if students face any difficulty. Encourage
peer learning as the students work through the exercises.
5 mins Cease work pack up.

The following sections are to be completed AFTER the learning experience

Lesson Evaluation:
(Reflect on the lesson. What worked? What did not work? What would you change? Why?)

What Worked?
The diagram I presented on the board provided a good example of angles and bearings and allowed me to step through each problem in order to
examine trigonometric functions and remain on track with the learning outcomes. With the bearings example, I attempted to relate bearings to a
reference point and use my experience from the Navy which allowed me to easily explain the meaning and the terminology of a bearing. Since this
was a new concept, the language of bearings was important so I placed a lot of emphasis on this so students would understand the difference when
discussing an angle or a bearing.
The exercises in the textbook are designed to follow on from the lesson and to test students on their knowledge of techniques of solving the
problems which is a very important step in understanding, interpreting and evaluating mathematical information. I saw this as a formative
assessment of the content and I walked around the classroom to ensure students remained on task and to answer any questions about the exercises.
What did not work?
I thought my planning went well and covered all the requirements of the task however, I struggled to implement the plan when I began teaching
the lesson. I found the diagram I used for the example was sound and it gave me the ability to step through the fundamentals identifying the
problems that required solving. However, I believe my planning let me down and I did not fully appreciate the necessity to understand each step
myself before going through it with the students. Luckily for me this was not too much of an issue since the students are in specialist math. If this
was a different class, say a general math class, then I might of perhaps lost the students altogether leaving them unsure of the approach and steps to
solving the problem. Subsequently, this might have required an additional lesson which is most unfavourable since teaching time is at a minimum
during the term.

What would I change?

In future, I will be focussing more on my planning. Since math requires a step by step solution, my future planning will include the following:
a) Firstly I will define the problem, what do we understand or know about the problem.
b) Secondly I will ask the students to help me draw the diagram based our understanding of the problem.
c) Thirdly at each point where problem solving is required I will stop and ask students to attempt to apply a fundamental to solving the problem
for example, now that we have a reference point from position A to position B and given the bearing 070 from true north, I would ask the class
to identify the reciprocal bearing from B to A. This also initiates the language required for bearings.
d) Finally, once we have stepped through the example, I will return to the initial problem and get the students to discuss and reaffirm the concepts
and techniques of solving it.
After satisfying the specific learning goals, students should then be prepared to go through the exercises in the textbook.