Bouncing Ball Animation in Blender
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Objective
I can create a bouncing ball animation in Blender using the graph editor.
Part 1 of 4
Warm-up video
Stream Scholar · 24:45
We don't generate video — this one is by Stream Scholar on YouTube. The practice questions and exit ticket below were drafted by AI for this objective, and every question is editable in the teacher guide.
Part 2 of 4
Key concepts
3 concepts
- 1
To animate an object in Blender, select the object, press i to insert a keyframe for its location, rotation, and/or scale at different points in time.
- 2
The graph editor in Blender allows you to manipulate the interpolation of movement between keyframes, controlling the speed and easing of animations.
- 3
When creating a bouncing ball animation, set keyframes at the lowest points of the bounce and use the graph editor to create arcs between these points, adjusting handles to control the bounciness and movement.
Part 3 of 4
Practice
3 questions
In Blender's animation workspace, what is the primary function of the graph editor?
When animating the bouncing ball, why is it important to set the handle type to 'free'?
Part 4 of 4
Exit ticket
Quick comprehension check
“Create a bouncing ball animation in Blender. Set two location keyframes: one at frame 1 with the ball at its highest point and another at frame 30 with the ball touching the ground. In the graph editor, adjust the handle type of the keyframes to 'free'. Manipulate the handles of the curve so that the ball appears to accelerate downwards realistically.”
Sample answer included in the free materials
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Teacher guide, student handout, and slides — free, in Google Docs format
Teacher Guide
Complete lesson plan with answer keys and alternate activities
Student Handout
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