Motion can take on a variety of different fashions within art. Whether it is capturing motion through still photography or portraying motion in a 3-dimensional work, motion within art can add a certain aesthetic . Many movement scenarios can be viewed with Newton's Laws in mind to understand why movement is depicted the way it is.

Concepts: Newton's Laws of Motion

Discussion:

• What elements in the work portray the idea of motion?
• How does movement speak to the overall narrative of the work? How does it add or develop the story?
• How is motion captured in photography and film? How has motion picture developed over time?
• What are some features of the work that shows there is movement happening?
• Based upon Newton's Laws of motion, what will happen next?

Sample Activities:

• Students will view various sculptures that depict movement. They will then be given a long sheet of paper they will will use to draw a cartoon reel of what movement happens next based on the sculpture they are looking at. This can be done in groups or individually. (Reference: Auguste Rodin) Intended Audience: Elementary and Middle School 
• Students will think about how artists create movement in two-dimensional art. They will use the concept of pivotal motion to create their own motion pictures using stencils and markers. Intended Audience: Middle and High School
• Students will focus specifically on photography and how movement imagery is captured and why movement in photography is important. They will split into groups and given a short synopsis on how to capture movement in photography using their own devices. From here, the students will use their everyday devices to capture a stunning movement photo in which they will share to the entire group. Photos can be collected using a hashtag or via email. (Reference: Donald Sultan, Blythe Sultan) Intended Audience: High School+

Resources:

Newton's Laws: Crash Course Physics #5

Movies are Magic: Crash Course Film History #1

The History of Motion Pictures and Movie Cameras documentary

Motion Time Movement in Art

NASA-Newton's Laws of Motion

Texas Gateway

The Physics Classroom