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Graphs N Glyphs

Funded by the Boeing Corporation and the National Science Foundation

Graphs N Glyphs software combines mathematics, computer graphics and animation, and a high level of motivation for students who might not otherwise be interested in math. Students in grades 5-8 engage with the problem of modeling the 3-dimensional world on a 2-dimensional computer screen. Students create objects and animations through the use of the underlying mathematics. To build their animations, students learn the mathematics of Cartesian planes, geometric transformations, and issues of similarity and scaling. The project was developed in collaboration with professional computer graphics artist and game designers. The next phase of the project is the development of tools for handling light and shadow, and sound, according to observed principles of physics, triangle trigonometry, and periodic functions

Principal Investigators: Jere Confrey, Alan P. Maloney