Trigonometry for GCSE

Subject: Mathematics
Level: Secondary
Age Group: 14 - 16
Order Number: 10079

Students often have difficulty visualising trigonometric problems, Trigonometry for GCSE which has 19 PowerPoint Slides, uses animation to help them 'see' the problem. The course assumes nothing and starts literally from a blank sheet. By the end of the course, students have developed coping strategies that allow them to answer any trigonometry questions in any form, which they may meet at GCSE.

The course begins by ensuring that students are confident naming the sides of a right-angled triangle. Students are then introduced to the standard trigonometric functions and their variations. While some will be comfortable with this information the majority will make active use of the 'Triggy Triangle' strategy to help them choose the right formula for the job. Emphasis then turns to the 'We want' strategy that establishes a standard lay-out for solutions.

Each phase of the course is supported by practice questions and lends itself to interleaving and reinforcement using exercises from regular textbooks. There are slides dealing with the calculator keys, including the arc forms and the course ends with a look at trigonometry in the context of problems rather than just straight questions.

Trigonometry is a daunting topic, requiring students to draw upon multiple and diverse skills. In addition, students are faced with the additional demands of interpreting questions posed in the context of problems. The philosophy of the course is therefore to provide students with a number of simple and repeatable strategies used inside a standard template, enabling them to solve any trigonometrical situation they are likely to meet.