Growth in Assessment Competency: 1(a)

The topic of choice is trigonometry, the concept within this topic is trigonometric ratios.

This topic of choice was geared towards the form 3 level; it does not cover the entire unit

Trigonometry as stated in the CSEC syllabus. This unit covers the basics of trigonometry, that is,

the three core trigonometric ratios. To fully understand the concept of trigonometric ratios the

students would first have to have the pre-knowledge of ratios and Pythagoras’s Theorem before

they could grasp this concept. Once the concept of trigonometric ratios is fully examined, then

students may move on to different task challenges of the topic.

They will first need to recap the basics of a right-angled triangle, hence, students would

recall the angles found within a right-angled triangle in order to identify the two acute angles and

the right angle. Once these angles are identified, another recall from Pythagoras’s theorem is

prompted to name the side opposite the right angle in the triangle. Students should recall this is

the hypotenuse and it is also measured as the longest line in a right-angled triangle. We would

now refer to one of the acute angles, naming it angle A. Just like the side opposite the right angle

is the hypotenuse, stressing on opposite now, the side opposite the acute angle A will be called

the opposite. Now, the last side in the triangle which is the side that touches our acute angle A

and that is called the adjacent. Students can be given exercises in order to identify the names of

the sides.
In the following lesson, students should now know that for any acute angle in a right angle

triangle there are three core trigonometric functions that specify the ratio of certain sides in the

triangle and are referred to as the trigonometric ratios. The first core function is sine with respect

to the given acute angle A (sin A) and its ratio of the sides is opposite/hypotenuse. The other two

core functions with respect to the acute angle A are cosine (cos A) whose ratio of the sides is

adjacent/hypotenuse and tangent (tan A) whose ratio of the sides is opposite/adjacent. Students

can be given exercises to identify which trigonometric ratio should be used given the acute angle

and sides that are known. At the end of this lesson, students need to recap the trigonometric

functions with respect to an acute angle and to which ratio of sides they refer. It should be

stressed in this concept lesson that the trig ratios are always with respect to an acute angle in the

triangle since it is only with this they can identify the names of the other two sides to form the

ratio.