Sample/Possible Trigonometric Project Rubric
Solution
Graphics
Web Design
Communication
Connections
4 - Excellent
Solution is
correct, creative,
and complete
Multiple creative
and appropriate
images and
graphics are
included to
enhance and
explain solution
Your page is
easily navigable
and organized in
a manner that
makes the
solution of your
problem easy to
follow – YOU
personally have
made an edit
Your group has a
valuable
discussion
thread, and YOU
have made at
least two
substantive
comments on
discussion
threads
Multiple
trigonometric
concepts that
connect to your
problem are
highlighted and
featured on your
page
3 - Proficient
Solution is
correct and
creative, but
slightly
incomplete
One appropriate
graphic or image
is included to
enhance or
explain solution
2 - Developing
Solution is
correct but
significantly
incomplete
1 - Basic
Solution is
incorrect
Multiple images
and graphics are
included, but
they are
irrelevant or
unhelpful
One irrelevant
image is included
Your page is
easily navigable
and organized in
a manner that
makes the
solution of your
problem easy to
follow
Your page has all
necessary
components, but
is not structured
or organized well
- YOU
personally have
made an edit
Your page has all
necessary
components, but
is not structured
or organized well
Your group has a
valuable
discussion
thread, and YOU
have made one
substantive
comment on a
discussion thread
YOU have made
at least two
substantive
comments on
discussion
threads
YOU have made
one substantive
comment on a
discussion thread
One
trigonometric
concept that
connects to your
problem is
highlighted and
featured on your
page
Any
trigonometric
concepts
highlighted do
not connect well
to your problem
All trigonometric
concepts
highlighted do
not connect well
to your problem
Trigonometry Project
You and your group will receive a practical problem that will require trigonometric concepts to
solve. Your solution will be published on a website, specifically a Wikispace, along with the
solutions to all problems. A Wikispace is editable by any member of the site, so it will be built
from the ground up by you.
You may publish your solution in any manner – word processing, power point, video, audio, etc
– but it must be publishable to the website and be clear, complete, and correct. It is assumed that
you will “show all work.”
In addition, you should have the following components…
… multiple images, graphics, or graphs that enhance the solution of your problem.
… connections to the trigonometric concepts we work on in class. This should not merely be a
list of concepts, but should go deeper and provide information on that concept so that someone
looking at your problem would be able to review the material used to solve the problem.
… a discussion forum set up so that students can ask questions about your problem, provide
positive feedback, or give constructive criticism. Everyone will be required to respond on the
forum.
Other notes…
… you will help create the rubric.
… it is possible that two groups will be working on the same problem.
… you will be working on this project with both of Mr. Rachor’s classes and Ms. Lloyd’s class.
… at the end, you will be given an “open web” quiz on the work of your classmates.
… each person in your group will take on one of the following roles: Web Designer – in charge
of facilitating the construction of your page and uploading of documents; Forum Moderator – in
charge of creating your discussion thread and periodically monitoring it; Connections Facilitator
– should focus on what trigonometry is found within your problem; Solution/Graphics Facilitator
– should be responsible for storing your work and leading the group. These roles can be
somewhat fluid but should be reported to your teacher!
The goal of this project is to help you see the practicality and sometimes theoretical beauty of
trigonometry in the world around you!
This project will be due the day before Christmas break.
Problem Number One – Temperature Model
Create an annual temperature model using the sine or cosine function for a city of your choice.
Fully explain the components of your model, compare the predictions from your model to the
actual temperatures from the data set you used and include a use of your temperature model.
Problem Number Two – Tide Model
Create a tide model using the sine or cosine function for a beach of your choice. Fully explain
the components of your model, compare the predictions from your model to actual tide values
from the data set you used and include a use of your tide model.
Problem Number Three – Design a Chair
A simple camp chair can be designed by taking two pieces of
wood and inserting one perpendicularly through the other.
Design a blueprint for this chair that includes all angle and
length measurements and various views of the chair. Include all
work used to calculate any lengths or angles.
Problem Four – Surveying a Property
Your friend has an old property of which she would like to find
the boundaries. The deed is quite old, so she knows where the
front two corners of the property are and that the distance between them is 218 feet. The shape is
an irregular quadrilateral and the other three sides have distances of 523 feet, 246 feet, and 542
feet in a clockwise direction from the front left corner. More importantly, it is known that the
front left corner of the property is a right angle. Construct a blueprint of her property so that she
can locate all of her boundary lines and corners.
Problem Five – Plotting Wheel Height
Create a graph that shows the height above ground for the valve on a mountain bike tire as the
tire spins across the ground. Assume that the tire is on a 26” rim, i.e. the valve is 13 inches from
the center of the wheel. Create an appropriate trigonometric model for your graph and explain
the components of your model.
Problem Six – Design a Road
Workers are designing a road to go over a mountain. They want the road to have a maximum
grade of 12%. The lowest gap in the mountain that they are going to go over has an elevation of
1623 feet above sea level. The road will start at an elevation of 412 feet above sea level and meet
up with a road on the other side at an elevation of 631 feet above sea level. What is the minimum
length of the road to meet these requirements? What is the average angle of elevation for this
road?
Problem Seven – Following a Plane Bearing
A plane takes off with a bearing of 32° east of north. After 65 miles it changes its bearing to 28°
west of north and travels for 43 miles. Plot the course of the plane with all angles shown,
determine its displacement from the starting point, and determine the bearing from the starting
point.
Problem Eight – Tennis Serve
Assuming the ball won’t be changing direction from spin, determine the lowest angle that a
tennis ball can hit the far back corner of the service box on a tennis court in a singles match on a
serve. Based on what you consider to be reasonable limitations, determine the highest angle that
a tennis ball can it the far back corner of the service box in a singles tennis match on a serve.
Problem Nine – Finding the Height of a Tree
You have been instructed to measure the tallest tree in a grove. You can’t climb to the top of the
tree, but you can’t see the top of the tree until you move back from it quite a distance. Using an
inclinometer, you determine that the angle of elevation to the top of the tree is 23°. Moving 20
feet directly toward the tree on a patch of flat ground, you determine that the angle of elevation
to the top of the tree is 36°. Using an altimeter, you find that your elevation above sea level is
235 feet while the base of the tree has an elevation above sea level of 213 feet above sea level.
Problem Ten – Checking the Speedometer
Two vehicles that are similar in all respects except the size of the tire have different linear
speeds. Assume that you have purchased a standard Ford F150 and have decided to replace the
standard tires with either a tire with a diameter of 29.2 inches or a tire with a diameter of 24.4
inches without updating the onboard computer. How fast will the truck actually be traveling
when the speedometer reads 75 mph for each new tire?
Problem Eleven – Ferris Wheel Ride
One of the cars on the Ferris Wheel ride at Hersheypark goes all of the way around in 35
seconds. What is the linear speed of a point halfway between the car and the hub?
Problem Twelve – The Horizon
If you were in a plane at an elevation of 1000 feet above the earth, determine the distance to the
horizon. With what angle would you be looking at the horizon relative to your position directly
above the ground?