Digital Age Skills: Sinusoidal Modeling - Trigonometry, High School

Description of the Lesson

Overview

After collecting data, students will develop a sinusoidal model for a real-life phenomenon that follows a “wavelike” pattern.

ISTE Standard

5b, 9-12 Grade Level Expectation:  Students collect data or identify relevant data sets, use digital tools to analyze them, and represent data in various ways to facilitate problem-solving and decision-making.
1d, 9-12 Grade Level Expectation:  Students understand the fundamental concepts of technology operations, demonstrate the ability to choose, use and troubleshoot current technologies and are able to transfer their knowledge to explore emerging technologies.

NE Standard

MA 12.2.3.a (AT) Model periodic events with specified amplitude, frequency, and shifts.
MA 12.2.3.b (AT) Solve real-world problems using trigonometric and inverse trigonometric functions.

Rubric Used for Assessment

Task and Rubric

Example Student Artifact(s)

NA

Lesson Design Reflection

Lesson Design: 

HOOK/ATTENTION GETTER:  Music and Math: The Genius of Beethoven video

     Teacher Instructions:  Show video then ask, “What do music, daylight hours, temperatures, ferris wheels, and tides have in common?”

DIRECT INSTRUCTION:

     Teacher Instructions:  You will need to teach the concepts of sinusoidal functions (amplitude, period, phase shift, and vertical shift) and give students a chance to practice those concepts before assigning this project.

GUIDED PRACTICE: 

     Teacher Instructions:  As an example to show my students, I used my own Black Hills Energy bills from 2017 and 2018, so I had 24 data points.  I plotted the (month, amount) data points on Desmos along with the sinusoidal function that fit my data points.  I reviewed the formulas for amplitude, vertical shift, period, and phase shift with my students using my data.  See Google Slides.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: 

     Teacher Instructions:  Students were allowed to work individually or with one or two other people.  I gave them three days to complete the project with very little in-class time.

STUDENT INSTRUCTIONS/ASSESSMENT: 

Instructions and Rubric

Personal Reflection

NA