Students in Mrs. Anna Gross’ AP Pre-Calculus designed sine and cosine graphs to celebrate Valentine’s Day. They were given a unit circle, paper, and string to create their own graphs using these physical materials.
Sine and cosine represent the coordinates of any point on a circle’s circumference, with sine corresponding to the y-value and cosine to the x-value. Over the past month, students learned this concept and applied it in a Valentine’s Day-themed project.
“I’ve been doing this for about four or five years. Some of my favorite projects are the holiday-themed ones,” Gross explained. “I want them to understand what sine and cosine mean in a tactile way.”
“I think this project helped me learn how to graph. It helped me remember what things look like in relation to my drawing,” junior Mia Percaciante commented. “I really enjoyed getting to be creative and color; we don’t get to do that much anymore.”
Students had the opportunity to decorate their projects with a Valentine’s Day theme, and all 13 students completed this aspect. The decorated projects were then entered into a competition where students from Gross’s math classes had the opportunity vote on their favorite project.
Junior Lilia Pawuk came in first place, and Percaciante came in a close second, with Junior Gio Hasrouni coming in third place. All three students will receive a bonus for winning.
“Originally, I was just going to do hearts, different colors, typical Valentine’s Day things. Then I was in the car, I was thinking about spaghetti, and I thought the graphs looked like spaghetti. Then it hit me, Lady and the Tramp would fit the theme perfectly,” Pawuk commented.
Mrs. Hilary Sahli, Gross’ long-term sub, completed the competition after Gross left for maternity leave.
The competition showcased not only the students’ creativity but also their understanding of mathematical concepts through an engaging, fun lens.
