The Canadian Mathematics Teacher – Volume 1
Winter 1982
Publication of the Mathematics Council of The Alberta Teachers’ Association
16 – 18
Sines, Cosines and Ferris Wheels
Anne Anderson
In Using Advanced Algebra (Travers et al, 1977), the textbook used in the Newfoundland land Grade 11 matriculation program, a ferris wheel is presented in the introduction to the chapter on trigonometry. Such an analogy triggered a possible inductive approach to a discussion of trigonometric ratios, especially sine and cosine. This method has proven successful for me in three successive years of teaching, and