ARCHIVE - Trajectories in Animation, Mathematics, and Physics - Fall 2012-Winter 2013 http://blogs.evergreen.edu/trajectories The web-site for an interdisciplinary program exploring animation, mathematics, and physics Thu, 11 Sep 2014 16:29:09 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.2 ARCHIVE - Final Program Description and Suggested Course Equivalencies http://blogs.evergreen.edu/trajectories/blog/2013/03/30/final-program-description-and-suggested-course-equivalencies/ http://blogs.evergreen.edu/trajectories/blog/2013/03/30/final-program-description-and-suggested-course-equivalencies/#comments Sat, 30 Mar 2013 16:16:39 +0000 http://blogs.evergreen.edu/trajectories/?p=2078 Continue reading ]]> Trajectories in Animation, Mathematics, and Physics (description varied depending on student’s specialty track)

Faculty: Krishna Chowdary and Ruth Hayes, MFA

Trajectories in Animation, Mathematics, and Physics was a full-time introductory program that combined animation, physics and writing, with optional specialty tracks in drawing or calculus. Students studied ways that animators and scientists investigate, make sense of, and represent change. They learned the mathematical models that help describe and explain motion in the natural world. They explored how to combine observation, reason and imagination to produce such models, and the creative uses that they could make of them. Faculty evaluated students’ work based on their engagement, submission of assignments, and demonstration of learning in workshops, assignments, and (in physics and calculus) in-class quizzes and exams and take-home exam revisions.

In fall, Trajectories participated in piloting Evergreen’s Academic Statement Initiative. Students read essays and interviews that examined different experiences of and views about education, tied these to our theme of change, and developed material for the first drafts of their Academic Statements. Seminar discussions focused on readings related to Academic Statement work and to animation and films screened. Students wrote entry “tickets” in response to prompts on each seminar’s readings. They integrated program ideas, information and activities in a peer-reviewed Integrative Essay submitted for faculty review.

Explorations of ways that physics informs animation began with the question of what is funny (humorous, strange or unexpected) about different phenomena. Students then examined styles of motion and approaches to representation that animators use. They read excerpts from Bergson’s essay on laughter and Carroll’s study of Buster Keaton as well as writings on animation by Wells, McLaren, Furniss and others. They viewed works by Keaton, Fleischer, Fischinger, Disney, Avery, Fischerkoesen, McLaren, Hubley, Lenica, Brakhage, and many contemporary animators including visiting artist Chris Sullivan. In conjunction with these studies, students produced animated sequences to explore how to represent physics phenomena in two ways: accurately and with creative license. They developed skills in basic preproduction and analog 2d techniques including drawn, cut-out, rotoscoped, and direct animation. In winter students focused on digital animation techniques, learning how to use Adobe After Effects to represent physics phenomena. They read excerpts from Furniss and others that discussed the relative merits of analog and digital techniques and the different formats currently available for presenting animation. They viewed works by Foldes, Hykade, Griffin, Hinton, Hillenburg and others. Visiting artist and inventor Rufus Butler Seder introduced them to a wide range of philosophers’ toys based on animation principles. In response, they designed imagery for his Strobotop and for flipbooks. Anticipating their final project, students viewed a variety of didactic animations and read Najafi’s short essay on the pedagogies of wonder and pain. Students each maintained a Screening Journal to document their learning about and responses to animation they viewed.

In the Drawing Track, students practiced basic skills including gesture and contour techniques, perspective, value and composition. In winter they learned color theory and applied that and their basic skills to drawing from a model in charcoal and chalk pastel. As weekly homework they further practiced and integrated these skills as well as doing studies of how other artists apply color in their works. To learn from other animators, they took visual notes in their Screening Journals of characters and other imagery seen in films screened in class.

In Physics, students studied standard topics in classical mechanics (College Physics, Knight Jones, Field, 2nd ed., ch. 1-7, 9-10; kinematics, dynamics, and conservation laws) and special relativity (using a custom Relativity Reader based on materials from Bucknell University’s Dept. of Physics and Astronomy; basic postulates, space-time, relativistic energy and momentum, and applications of relativistic conservation laws) via lectures, labs, and problem-solving sessions, with particular emphasis on concepts and applications related to animation. They used data-loggers and sensors to make measurements in the lab and at a local amusement park, performed video analysis, and used Vernier’s LoggerPro to represent and analyze motion. Students submitted weekly reading quizzes and homework online (via MasteringPhysics), and took two exams in fall, and in winter, six quizzes and an exam.

Students in the Calculus Track studied standard topics in differential and integral calculus (Stewart’s Calculus: Concepts and Context, 4e, ch. 1-6; functions, limits, differentiation, and integration). Physics connections and applications were emphasized. Students submitted weekly homework assignments and took two exams in fall, and in winter, six quizzes and an exam. In winter, students also chose their own project, and submitted a report to communicate their mathematical reasoning.

For the fall project, students integrated their learning about ways to observe and represent motion. They first used physics tools to analyze motions in two different styles of animated film. They each then chose one of the motions studied as a jumping off point for producing a sequence of animation.

The final integrative project in winter had students focus on creative ways to present a math or physics concept or phenomenon. Students submitted a proposal that included a treatment, an annotated bibliography, and a work schedule. Students were given significant program time to develop and execute their projects. Their work culminated in an in-class presentation that generated significant peer feedback. Students reflected on what they learned and the didactic effectiveness and creative impacts of their work in a project summary statement.

(Standard) Suggested Course Equivalencies (varied depending on specialty track)

  • 10 – Animation Theory & Practice
  • 10 – Algebra-based Physics (classical mechanics, special relativity)
  • 6 – Observational Drawing
  • 3 – Expository Writing
  • 3 – Integrative Projects in Animation and Physics
  • 10 – Animation Theory & Practice
  • 8 – Calculus-based Physics (classical mechanics, special relativity)
  • 4 – Calculus I
  • 4 – Calculus II
  • 3 – Expository Writing
  • 3 – Integrative Projects in Animation, Mathematics, and Physics
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ARCHIVE - Week 10 Calendar page available http://blogs.evergreen.edu/trajectories/blog/2013/03/10/week-10-calendar-page-available/ http://blogs.evergreen.edu/trajectories/blog/2013/03/10/week-10-calendar-page-available/#comments Sun, 10 Mar 2013 19:17:40 +0000 http://blogs.evergreen.edu/trajectories/?p=2049 Continue reading ]]>
  • The Week 10 Calendar page is available using the link above. Not counting evaluation week, this is the final week of our program! We are very much looking forward to your final presentations.
  • We discussed in detail the schedule and work for this final week in our Week 9 all-program session. Many of you missed this important meeting. You can find the hand-out for that session here. Please consult with your class-mates to fill in the blanks.
  • All materials for your final project presentation must be present in the Orca folder by 8:30 am Monday March 11. The presentation order will be selected arbitrarily.
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    ARCHIVE - Week 9 Calendar page available http://blogs.evergreen.edu/trajectories/blog/2013/03/02/week-9-calendar-page-available/ http://blogs.evergreen.edu/trajectories/blog/2013/03/02/week-9-calendar-page-available/#comments Sun, 03 Mar 2013 00:41:34 +0000 http://blogs.evergreen.edu/trajectories/?p=2023
  • The Week 9 Calendar page is available using the link above. There are a number of changes to next week’s schedule, so please note them carefully.
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    ARCHIVE - Calculus track materials update http://blogs.evergreen.edu/trajectories/blog/2013/03/02/calculus-track-materials-update/ http://blogs.evergreen.edu/trajectories/blog/2013/03/02/calculus-track-materials-update/#comments Sun, 03 Mar 2013 00:40:03 +0000 http://blogs.evergreen.edu/trajectories/?p=2021 Continue reading ]]>
  • Blank versions of winter quizzes #1 – 6 available under Assignments: Calculus
  • Under Assignments: Calculus, in week 8, you will find some suggested problems from the Chapter 5 Review and Chapter 6 Review sections, along with solutions.
  • Calculus Winter Exam is on Tue. Mar. 5 from 12:30 – 3:30 in Lab 2, 2242.
  • Calculus Exam Reflection is on Wed. Mar. 6 from 11:30 – 1:00 in Lab 2, 2242.
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    ARCHIVE - All Campus Mentoring Day-Wednesday, Week 9 http://blogs.evergreen.edu/trajectories/blog/2013/02/28/all-campus-mentoring-day-wednesday-week-9/ http://blogs.evergreen.edu/trajectories/blog/2013/02/28/all-campus-mentoring-day-wednesday-week-9/#comments Thu, 28 Feb 2013 16:56:23 +0000 http://blogs.evergreen.edu/trajectories/?p=1973 Continue reading ]]> All Campus Mentoring Days March 6th and May 15th , 1:00-4:00 p.m. Before the Academic Fairs on Wednesdays, March 6th and May 15th, Evergreen faculty will host All-Campus Mentoring Day on the Olympia campus is next Wednesday, March 6th from 1-4 pm (the Academic Fair follows immediately afterwards from 4-6). All students are invited to participate in broad, theme-based sessions led by faculty.  New students who participated in the Orientation Week groups that faculty led this past fall will have brief reunions, followed by mentoring and discussion sessions for all students conducted by small groups of faculty.  Each session will be offered twice.  Click here for the schedule.

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    ARCHIVE - Trajectories Featured in One Minute Evergreen! http://blogs.evergreen.edu/trajectories/blog/2013/02/25/trajectories-featured-in-one-minute-evergreen/ http://blogs.evergreen.edu/trajectories/blog/2013/02/25/trajectories-featured-in-one-minute-evergreen/#comments Tue, 26 Feb 2013 01:03:29 +0000 http://blogs.evergreen.edu/trajectories/?p=1949 This is a nice short piece on our work in the program.

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    ARCHIVE - Week 8 Calendar page available, new posts below http://blogs.evergreen.edu/trajectories/blog/2013/02/22/week-8-calendar-page-available-new-posts-below/ http://blogs.evergreen.edu/trajectories/blog/2013/02/22/week-8-calendar-page-available-new-posts-below/#comments Sat, 23 Feb 2013 06:19:19 +0000 http://blogs.evergreen.edu/trajectories/?p=1925 Continue reading ]]>
  • The Week 8 Calendar page is available using the link above. There are a number of changes to next week’s schedule, so please note them carefully.
  • The Winter Physics Exam begins Monday February 25 at 9 am, in Lab 2 2223A (**note: new room location**).
  • Note that there a number of new posts related to physics below: one about posted versions of blank physics quizzes and make-up quizzes for more practice, one about Physics Problem Set #7 Reflection & Analysis prompts, and one about corrections to the originally posted Physics Problem Set #7 solutions.
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    ARCHIVE - Physics learning goals, quizzes, and quiz make-ups http://blogs.evergreen.edu/trajectories/blog/2013/02/22/1915/ http://blogs.evergreen.edu/trajectories/blog/2013/02/22/1915/#comments Sat, 23 Feb 2013 06:01:39 +0000 http://blogs.evergreen.edu/trajectories/?p=1915 Here’s a page collecting together the physics learning goals, quizzes, and make-up quizzes from this quarter.

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    ARCHIVE - Problem Set #7 Reflection & Analysis prompts available http://blogs.evergreen.edu/trajectories/blog/2013/02/22/problem-set-7-reflection-analysis-prompts-available/ http://blogs.evergreen.edu/trajectories/blog/2013/02/22/problem-set-7-reflection-analysis-prompts-available/#comments Sat, 23 Feb 2013 05:10:34 +0000 http://blogs.evergreen.edu/trajectories/?p=1932 Continue reading ]]>
  • The Problem Set #7 Reflection & Analysis prompts were posted later than usual; you can find them here.
  • Because they were posted late, the due date is extended. In anticipation of Monday’s exam, I encourage you to complete the first five questions as soon as possible and certainly by Sunday evening, February 24. The required due date for responding to all the questions is Wednesday evening, February 27.
  • Several of you have complained about server errors or internet glitches which have caused your carefully composed responses to vanish. That must be very frustrating, and I sympathize. I encourage you to print-out (or otherwise have available) the prompts, and to type up your responses in your standard document editor. Then, you can at your leisure copy and paste your responses into the individual entries in MasteringPhysics.
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    ARCHIVE - Corrections to Physics Problem Set #7 solutions http://blogs.evergreen.edu/trajectories/blog/2013/02/22/corrections-to-physics-problem-set-7-solutions/ http://blogs.evergreen.edu/trajectories/blog/2013/02/22/corrections-to-physics-problem-set-7-solutions/#comments Sat, 23 Feb 2013 05:09:36 +0000 http://blogs.evergreen.edu/trajectories/?p=1918 Continue reading ]]>
  • There was some mistakes in the originally posted Physics Problem Set #7 solutions – I apologize for my mistake. Thanks to those of you who noticed them and brought them to my attention. If you printed out the solutions prior to 7:00 pm Sun. Feb.24, you have a version with the mistakes. I have posted an updated version with corrections Here are the correction so you don’t need to print out an entirely new version:
    • Problem 2: the originally posted solution mistakenly added 15 + 5 to get 15 GeV for E3. Of course, 15 + 5 actually equals 20, so E3 = 20 GeV. This makes u3 = 0.6c, and m3 = 16 GeV/c2.
    • Problem 5: minor typo error in final answer for E1. E1 = 2.0 MeV.
    • Problem 8: the originally posted solution mistakenly used 7.5 GeV/c2 as the mass of particle B instead of the 1.0 GeV/c2 given in the problem statement. Using the mass given in the problem statement, the corrected mass for particle A should be mA = 3.414 GeV/c2.
    • Problem 9: switched the energies for the left-moving and the right moving photon. The left-moving photon has energy 4 GeV, and the right-moving photon has energy 12 GeV.
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