Lesson Plan: Unit Circle

Standards
MM4A2: Students will use the circle to define the trigonometric functions. (a) Define and understand angles measured in degrees and radians, including but not limited to 0, 30, 45, 60, 90, their multiples, and equivalences. (b) Understand and apply the six trigonometric functions as functions of general angles in standard position. (c) Find values of trigonometric functions using points on the terminal sides of angles in the standard position. (d) Understand and apply the six trigonometric functions as functions of arc length on the unit circle. (e) Find values of trigonometric functions using the unit circle. MM4A3: Students will investigate and use the graphs of the six trigonometric functions. (a) Understand and apply the six basic trigonometric functions as functions of real numbers. (b) Determine the characteristics of the graphs of the six basic trigonometric functions.

Objective
By the end of this lesson, SWBAT construct and describe the basic shape of sine and cosine graphs to within 80% accuracy.

Warm-up
Draw an angle in standard position. How would you describe to a friend how to place an angle in standard position? Procedure (Perpendicular Line)

Exploration

1) Using the 4cm line and the mark on the inches side part 1 (small groups/individual students) that is just pass the 2.5 inch mark, line the X-axis so that 1. Each student should have a standard sheet of construction paper. it passes through these two 2. Using a compass and any radius (measured in centimeters) students lines. will construct a circle centered on the center of the construction paper. 2) Line-up one edge of the ruler on the dot of the circle with the x-axis as in step 1. 3) Use this edge to draw the line and it will be Lesson Plan: Unit Circle Page 1 of 3

3. Once the circle is drawn, students should construct the critical values of 0, 30, 45, 60, and 90-degrees along the circle (corresponding to the unit circle). Utilize the principle of reflection to determine the measurements in subsequent quadrants using the same 0, 30, 45, 60, 90-degree angles from the x-axis. 4. Using the straight-edge, student should construct the perpendicular lines from each of the points along the circles to the x-axis.

part 2

(should be done individually by each student)

1. The student should now construct a table. The table needs to relate the angle measurement and the height above the x-axis. 2. Students should then measure the length of the perpendicular line connecting the point on the circle to the x-axis and record this in the table. 3. Using a single sheet of graph paper, students should construct a graph of Angle vs. Height.

Teacher Activities
During this lesson, it is imperative the teacher walk-through steps for (1) Finding the exact center of a construction paper page. (2) How to use a protractor to determine angles from the x-axis. (3) Relating the foldsfrom step 1 to the x-axis and y-axis used to form the unit circle. The teacher should use careful wording to talk about the height of the perpendicular lines as opposed to the distance. This will help to make it clear that while a line may have a distance of 5.83cm, its height can be recorded in a table as a negative value. Be sure to guide students through the process of setting up the x-axis and y-axis in the Angle vs. Height graph so that it scaled correctly on the Angle axis and Height axis. Also be sure that it is initially setup as follows

Lesson Plan: Unit Circle

height
- or angle

height

angle

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Closure
Allow students to answer any of the following questions 1. What is the general shape of the sine graph? 2. What are some characteristics of the sine graph? 3. In your own words, how would you tell a friend to draw the shape of a sine graph?

Lesson Plan: Unit Circle

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