The authors explore the teaching of trigonometry using a method developed by Jeremy Burke of Kings College. A series of lessons was planned using an approach which looks at moving from a mathematical description of the topic, to a sequence plan, to a set of activities, which students can use to help them come to understand the topic. This is…

The mathematics methodology subjects the author undertook in the early 1980s encouraged him to adopt a very expository style of teaching in which each new concept is introduced by its formal definition. The teacher should then explain a few carefully chosen examples for students to copy into their books, and then provide plenty of graded practice…

Over the years the technology behind displaying the image of the unit circle has changed, but the defining features remain constant. The key question for the author as a teacher is this: are the relationships embodied in the image simple, memorable and rich enough to be grasped by any KS3 student at his school? It needs to be simple enough to…

This final article focuses in particular on the engagement of year 8 students who were taught trigonometry using dynamic geometry software ("Geometer's SketchPad"), as outlined in "MT214" and with resources from the ATM website. The project was implemented in three different classrooms in two different, multiracial,…

A 2 m long wooden beam provides an ideal demonstration tool for exploring moments. A class set is cheap and can be used at introductory and advanced levels. This article explores how such beams can be used to support learning about moments, equilibrium, vectors, and simultaneous equations. (Contains 7 figures.)

By selecting certain special triangles, students can learn about the laws of sines and cosines without wrestling with long decimal representations or irrational numbers. Since the law of cosines requires only one of the three angles of a triangle, there are many examples of triangles with integral sides and a cosine that can be represented exactly…

Describes how one math teacher presents trigonometry to gifted students through hands-on experiences. (JOW)

This paper presents a derivation of all five Lagrange points by methods accessible to sixth-form students, and provides a further opportunity to match Newtonian gravity with centripetal force. The predictive powers of good scientific theories are also discussed with regard to the philosophy of science. Methods for calculating the positions of the…

Introduces two methods of introducing trigonometry: ratio method and unit circle method. Presents a teaching experiment with two groups of students, half of whom were taught with ratio method and the other half with unit circle method. Concludes that ratio method students were better able to master the skills required and made greater improvements…

In this article, the author offers two well-known mathematical images--that of a dot moving around a circle; and that of the tens chart--and considers their power for developing mathematical thinking. In his opinion, these images each contain the essence of a particular topic of mathematics. They are contrasting images in the sense that they deal…

An examination problem and solution gives rise to the question of whether there actually exists a theorem concerning the minimal period of the sum of certain periodic functions. The author discusses such a theorem and uses the situation to support mathematical education as opposed to the teaching of mathematics. (MN)

In this pedagogical article, I explore a unified approach in obtaining the derivatives of functions and their inverses by adopting a guided self-discovery approach. I begin by finding the derivative of the exponential functions and the derivative of their inverses, the logarithmic functions. I extend this approach to generate formulae for the…

Methods are presented for teaching the meaning of exponential functions, Euler's formula, De Moivre's theorem and Maclaurin's series for exponentials, cosine, and sine to juniors or seniors in high school. (JG)

This article describes activities that introduce basic trigonometric functions in a smooth and natural way. The only requirements are basic algebra, the Pythagorean theorem, and the concept of area.