Nagata Native Hawaiian Unit Circle Lesson Plan

Class: Alg 2 Trig
Age group: 10th and 11th graders

Duration: This lesson plan should take 4-5 days at 45 minutes of
instruction a day.
Materials used: Math Textbook which will include practice

problems and reemphasize how to do the work. Worksheets that
help to reinforce what the unit circle is and how it is used. A
handout that will have a blank unit circle that the students will fill
in on their own. A copy of the star compass will also be given to
the students.
Lesson Description: In this lesson, the learners will learn how the
unit circle is constructed and how to use the unit circle to solve
trigonometric functions. Students will not memorize the unit but
rather understand and be able to use the unit circle. Helpful tools
will be presented to assist students in this process. Students will
also learn about the Star Chart that navigators on the Hokulea
use to sail around the world. They will relate the two circles and
try to find the similarities and differences of the two.
Instructional Objectives: Students should be able to: a. Identify a
unit circle and describe its relationship to real numbers b.
Evaluate trigonometric functions using a unit circle c. Evaluate
trig functions of any angle d. Use reference angles to evaluate
trig functions. e. Identify the star compass and some of the key
points and concepts used during navigation of a canoe. f. Create
a chant or song to help with the star compass. g. Know the
Hawaiian Constellations and the stories associated with them. h.
Be able to share the constellations with friends and families
during a field trip.
Summary: The unit circle is a quintessential idea for trigonometry

and it relates angles with trigonometric functions. The unit circle
is a circle centered on the origin with the radius of 1. The angles
that are formed can be related in both degrees and radians and
the (x,y) values correlate to the cosine and sine, respectively, of
the angle formed. Similarly the star compass used by modern
Hawaiian Navigators on the canoe. The star compass can be used
to relate angles and trigonometric functions. A sample lesson
plan would be as follows.
Instructional Procedures Day 1

1. This lesson will start with a warm-up reviewing angle
measurement.
2. The teacher will give class notes and lecture introducing the
unit circle and how it is constructed.
3. Student will be asked to work with a partner and construct a
unit circle from scratch.
4. Students will finish this assignment for homework.
Day 2
5. All questions will be addressed following this activity.
6. Students will be presented with the actual unit circle and
how to read it.
7. Students will practice reading and using the unit circle to
evaluate trig functions.
8. Students will complete the fill in the blank worksheet and
we will go over it in class.
9. Students will work on homework assignment from the
textbook.
Day 3
10. Students will be given practice problems for a warm-up
activity reinforcing the use of their unit circle.
11. We will go over the homework solutions and all questions
and/or concerns will be addressed.
12. Guest Speaker will come to talk about the Star compass and
go over the proper pronunciation and spelling of the Hawaiian
words in the star compass and the constellations associated
with it. The speaker will also talk about the reasonings behind
the names on the star compass. This will give the students a
chance to see the authentic use of the language with the
proper pronunciations and spellings.
13. Students will be given the Star compass and will either be
taught or review its function.
14. Students will talk story to figure out some of the important
stars and constellations and the similarities or differences
between the star compass and the unit circle.
15. Students will discuss the relationships between the four
cardinal directions and the stars that create the same points
as the unit circle.
16. Students will design a mnemonic device to remember the
constellations and the unit circle.
17. Day 4
18. The teacher will give class notes and instruction on using
reference angles and/or the left hand trick to assist in learning
the unit circle.
19. Students will continue to work on mnemonic device in class
20. Students will work on homework assignment from the
textbook.
Day 5
15. Students will be given a worksheet for a warm-up activity
reinforcing the lesson objectives.
16. We will go over the homework solutions, the worksheet
solutions and all questions and/or concerns will be addressed.
17. Students will continue practicing their mnemonic devices
making sure that they are able to pronounce the words the
right way.
18. A field trip will be organized to view the stars either to a
beach near Kaena Point or to the Bishop museum
planetarium. Here students will share their knowledge of the
stars and their mnemonic devices with classmates, family
members, and other guests.
19. Students will reflect on the connection between the ancient
Hawaiian navigators and the unit circle. Also, the students will
look at how successful their mnemonic device is in helping
them remember the stars and constellations of the compass
and the unit circle. They will write a one page paper reflection
on this experience.
The Hawaiian Language was always a part of this lesson plan
because of the very nature of the material covered, the Hawaiian star
chart. The only additions that I did were to reemphasize the proper
pronunciations and spellings of the star chart and the constellations
associated with it. Another important part was having a guest
speaker, hopefully one of the navigators for the Hokulea, come talk to
the students. This way the students can see the people who actively
use this material in the real world. The mnemonic devices that the
students create would also be in the forms of chants or songs. This
has been a traditional way for the Native Hawaiians to pass down their
knowledge and the students will be a part of this with their own
mnemonic devices for the star charts and constellations. They might
even create one that could help the new navigators learning to guide
the Hokulea. This will also be a chance for the students to blend their
culture with the Native Hawaiian culture by using different songs as
bases for their mnemonic devices. The important thing is that the
students get to hear, read, and interact with the real language
Hawaiian language in order for them to gain a better understanding
and appreciation for it.

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Class: Alg 2 Trig

Age group: 10th and 11th graders

Materials used: Math Textbook which will include practice

Summary: The unit circle is a quintessential idea for trigonometry

Instructional Procedures Day 1

The Hawaiian Language was always a part of this lesson plan

pronunciations and spellings of the star chart and the constellations

associated with it. Another important part was having a guest

students create would also be in the forms of chants or songs. This

culture with the Native Hawaiian culture by using different songs as

Hawaiian language in order for them to gain a better understanding

and appreciation for it.

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