This is simply another consequence of my poking around the web, and although I haven’t taught trigonometry since last summer, I would consider using either of these ideas in the future:
1. Touch Trigonometry – This is an interactive trigonometry graph and circle featuring the six basic trig functions. I wasn’t a fan at first because I’m colorblind, which made it seem like there was just too much going on, but I can see that it is a useful tool for those who are able to distinguish colors.
2. Serving Unit-Circle Trigonometry on a Paper Plate – At first I thought this was an awful idea for the college classroom, but then one day last summer one of my students came in with something very similar. I asked him where he got it, and he said that he made it in high school, and that it was one of the most useful things he’s ever made. And apparently he’s been carrying it around ever since. Although I still wonder why he was taking my class if it was so useful, the point is that if the students are engaged, I believe it aids greatly in the learning. Here is a link to a completed project. And here is a link to a blank circle.
