Click here to access this program.
A few of the applications of this program could be used in middle school; however, this program is best suited for high school level mathematics. It can be used to help students learn how to solve for a missing angle or a missing side in a right triangle. It also can be used to reinforce the students' understanding of sine, cosine, and tangent. Thus, this program would be great for independent practice in the classroom, and it could also be used as a review activity.
This program is great because it allows students to solve for multiple missing measurements for a right triangle. In step one, students must pick the variable that they would like to determine. In step two, students must determine the method that they need to use in order to solve for the variable that they selected. In step three, students must actually solve for the variable that they selected using the method that they chose in step two.
I particularly like that students must decide what method to use to solve for a particular variable. This prevents students from simply "plugging and chugging". In other words, it prevents students from simply using a given formula and plugging in numbers without thinking deeply about what anything in the problem means.
Another aspect of this program that I like is the fact that if you select an incorrect method to use, the program gives the user some information that is meant to help him or her understand why his or her chosen method would not work. Also, if step three is not done correctly then the program gives the user a helpful hint. Of course, the program also informs students about correct answers. Thus, students can get instant feedback from this program. If this type of assignment were provided to students in a paper and pencil format then it would be much harder to give students immediate feedback. Remember, there is usually only one or two teachers per classroom.
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