Animation Studio - use art to teach math

Paige has always had a passion for artwork and drawing.  She is becoming proficient in using graphics tablets and transforming her hand-drawn pieces into computer graphics.

We are learning to use Anime Studio, a great software title from Smith Micro

Paige can already use the package to animate shapes.  It also helped her to grasp some math concepts involving geometry and the manipulation of coordinates in 2D space


Learning Outcomes:

• Graphics
• Math transformations - translation and rotation

Use Google Earth - teach map reading and so much more

Google Earth is an outstanding resource with content that goes beyond geography to social computing, science and history.

It shows your position on a map of the earth but you can also quickly "fly" to any place by typing the destination into the search bar.

Ellie flew to Antarctica, Africa and even our old house in Trinidad!

While showing Ellie how my RC plane flies over our parks we looked at GE to see our house and the relative position of the park and nearby grocery.




She loves flying my plane simulators.  GE has a built-in version of a flying simulator where you can fly over the maps with joystick control.


Recently, we found entries in GE where we can track live marine animals and follow where they swim.

Paige and Ellie want to "adopt" animals and do a journal on the wanderings of these creatures.  Stay tuned!!

Teachable moments 2 - RC planes

I'm working on a project involving RC planes

We are coming up with ways to track the plane while it is in the air and even take pictures and video from the plane.  We connect a GPS unit, a radio transmitter and a battery power supply then let her go!

A GPS unit on top of the wing

A radio transmitter below the wing

Testing the battery life and voltage

Ground station showing the plane's position while in flight

Here is a link to some video of the Ground Station in action.  It is written in "Processing", a programming language developed at MIT.

Processing and Wiring/Arduino are both open source projects suitable for children from Grade 6 and up. The emerging field of Physical Computing gets kids hands on with fun projects that give life to real world objects.

For younger kids, the Telus World of Science is using a platform called Crickets and a simple language called Scratch.  Here are a couple of websites featuring projects for younger kids:
http://www.pienetwork.org/crickets/
MIT backgrounder

Learning outcomes:

• Map reading
• Coordinate systems (See Google Earth blog post)
• Voltage, Current and Power
• and, well.. planes (the science of flight)

Teachable moments 1 - Clones!

My GPS Tracker project (See Teachable moments 2) is in the testing phase.  I needed a small package for mounting the parts in the final product.

Answer: Why not make a Vacuum Former to shape plastic sheets?  Let's see how I can get Paige and Ellie involved.  It turns out that they were really excited (or just couldn't sleep).  We even got to explore other ways of "cloning" shapes like wax molding.

Here are a few results

A few finished pieces from Plastic Vacuum Forming

Paige painting one of the wax Clones - a cat

Ellie made a copy of this seal toy

Here's how we completed this project.

Safety - make sure you are working in a well ventilated area
Knowledge - Look at a few websites like Instructables.com, Make Magazine, even Youtube

Components

• Vacuum Former - Large plastic container with a lid, vacuum cleaner, heat gun or hair dryer
• Wax molding - Wax candle, plasticine or playdough, cupcake cups

NOTE: Some hobby shops sell molding and casting kits - shop around for options

Vacuum Forming

1. Test your materials

We tested a few household plastics

Milk containers are surprisingly good!

These plastic plates have nice color and melting characteristics

2. Next, make the former

Use the lid for the vacuum plate

Drill it full of holes

An old water bottle makes a good support

Now use the bowl and draw out a hole for the vacuum attachment

Drill and cut (be careful here)

Seal the vacuum with silicone rubber

Insert the hose and VIOLA - A vacuum former!

3. Now for some testing

1. Place a piece of plastic on top of the former (e.g. the plate we showed earlier)
2. Try the vacuum.
3. Heat the plastic in even strokes with the air gun while keeping the vacuum pressure

Result with an animal shape

Tips & tricks

• Watch for air leaks.  Silicone rubber can seal leaks on the air hose side. 
• Cling wrap is really good for sealing your plastic sheet to the former.  You can heat it along with the plastic sheet and remove it after.
• Practice a few pieces till you get the heat and timing right

And now.. How to do wax molding

1. Make the mold

The kids made their own molds from playdough by squeezing thier toy between 2 pie shaped pieces.

2. Clone your toy
Next, cut up some wax and heat it in the cupcake cup till it melts. The heat gun works nicely. Paigey measured the melting point at about 80 degC with an IR Thermometer.

Disposable hot wax container - A.K.A. cupcake cup

Mold shells with a wax copy

Tips & Tricks

• Stir the wax while it's being heated
• Don't waste your good candles. Use left-over wax from a used large candle
• Create air holes so that air pockets do not build up.  Paige thought through the path of the wax and put holes for wax entry and air exit
• When making the mold mark some lines across the joined pieces to re-align them after they are separated.
• Wait enough time for the wax to solidify

  

Learning outcomes:
- 3D shapes
- Gas pressure, the vacuum concept
- melting point and freezing point