ERIC Number: EJ1049057
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015-Jan
Pages: 3
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0031-921X
EISSN: N/A
Using "Flatland 2: Sphereland" to Help Teach Motion and Multiple Dimensions
Caplan, Seth; Johnson, Dano; Vondracek, Mark
Physics Teacher, v53 n1 p17-19 Jan 2015
The 1884 book "Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions," written by Edwin Abbott, has captured the interest of numerous generations, and has also been used in schools to help students learn and think about the concept of dimension in a creative, fun way. In 2007, a film was released called "Flatland: The Movie," and over one million students have watched it worldwide, primarily in mathematics classes. Since then, a sequel to the "Flatland" movie was released in 2012, entitled "Flatland 2: Sphereland." A primary goal of this sequel is to expand the use of the movie beyond mathematics classes and into physics classes because a central premise to "Sphereland" is the notion of warped space. This latest movie provides an engaging and interesting visual way for students to think about both dimension and motion through warped space. In addition, basic motion concepts such as speed and acceleration can be studied by students in introductory physics classes, for instance, by using frame-by-frame analysis of various scenes in the movie.
Descriptors: Motion, Science Instruction, Physics, Teaching Methods, Instructional Films, Critical Viewing, Scientific Concepts, Concept Teaching, Spatial Ability
American Association of Physics Teachers. One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740. Tel: 301-209-3300; Fax: 301-209-0845; e-mail: pubs@aapt.org; Web site: http://scitation.aip.org/tpt
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A