Mini Project

Inquiry Question:
How does the angle of an object and its height impact its shadow?

Hypothetical Project Background:

After learning about the both the sine and cosine laws, it is time to put them
into a real-life scenario. Your class is deciding to plant a few trees outside in
the school field. The trees will give future students a place to relax and study
when the weather is hot. Since you are only planting a few trees in the field,
you decide it would be best to maximize the amount of shade each tree
provides. You know that a tree that stands at a 90 degree angle with the
ground gives of a fair amount of shade but you are not sure if a tree creating
an acute or obtuse triangle would be better.
Using objects around your school, you will conduct a short test to see if an
acute or obtuse triangle would be best to grow the trees at. You will compare
the height of the object and the angle that it creates with the ground with
the length of the shadow it provides. The principal also wants to know how
you came to your conclusion so that he can give the okay.

Project description:
You will pick TWO objects around the school that creates an acute or obtuse
angle its shadow. For one object, ONLY measure the necessary sides and
angles that will allow you to use the SINE LAW to solve for the rest of
the triangle. For the second object, ONLY measure the necessary sides
and angles that will allow you to use the COSINE LAW. In short, you
are solving for every side and angle of both triangles, but one of them you
use sine and the other uses cosine.
Detailed diagrams of both of these objects are required. This means that
both triangles need to be drawn out and labelled with each object name and
side/angle lengths.
Lastly, you need to include a write up for the principal. This write up will
have you explain your process of the project. You will need to go through and
thoroughly explain the exact steps you took to complete the project. The
write-up should include things like:
The sides you measured to set up a sine and cosine law type question.
 Your work to solve for the rest of the triangles.
A brief conclusion that answers the inquiry question (at the top)
Groups:
1) Kaelei, Julia Noel, Rhys
2) Leila, Logan, Amy
3) Aaron, Cobe, Hunter
4) Joey, Dru
5) Nancy, Julia
 5 4 3 2 NA
Sine and
Sine and Sine and
Cosine
Cosine Cosine
Sine and Law
Law Law
Cosine Law calculation
calculation calculation
Sine and calculations s are
s are s are
Cosine are partially ^
mostly incorrect
Law completel correct |
correct with no
Calculati y correct with some |
with most units
ons (x2) with units units
units included;
included; included;
included; 5-6 errors
no errors. 3-4 errors
1-2 minor or 2 major
or 1 major
errors. errors
error.
Diagrams
Diagrams
are
Diagrams Diagrams are not
complete.
are are less complete.
They
mostly than The No
correctly
complete. complete. triangles material
Triangle include all
They They are handed
Diagrams three of the
correctly correctly displayed in or
(x2) criteria; the
include include but the material
side
two of the one of the criteria is missing
lengths, the
three three missing or
angles, and
criteria. criteria. not
the objects
correct.
labelled.
Write-up is Write-up is
Write-up is
Write-up is somewha unclear
somewha
clear and t proper and
t unclear
concise and provides
and
and provides an
provides a
Write provides a an inadequa |
limited
up thorough adequate te |
explanati
(x2) explanatio explanati explanati |
on of their
n of their on of their on of their
process
process process process
through
through the through through
the
project. the the
project.
project. project.

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