Math Pursuits is a research project to develop a software prototype where students will embark on exciting adventures. Each adventure will help students achieve their goals in understanding mathematics through their quest to discover the mathematical connections to the world around them. Within each of these adventures, students will be challenged to solve meaningful problem scenarios, presented through realistic videos. These videos portray actual students discussing math problems that are then left to the software user to solve. The students must solve these video problems in order to decipher the clues in the adventure.
Project Overview
► Magical Math Wish is the first adventure story that we developed.
In this adventure, the student teams up with a Genie to help people throughout the world solve math problems. The more problems they solve, the more mathematical powers they gain. When the program begins, the student receives an urgent message from a Genie that the student's favorite movie star has just been kidnapped by an alien from outer space, and the Genie believes that the movie star is hidden away in a cave. In order to solve this challenging problem, they need to obtain enough mathematical power to break through the magical enchantments in the cave and save the movie star.
Content Areas: Decimals, Fractions, and Percents
Grades: 3 - 6
NTCM Standards: Number and Operations, Problem Solving, Communication, Connections
► Attack of the Calculatron is the second adventure that we developed.
In this adventure, the student teams up with a Space Captain to fight Calculatron, who has been draining everyone's math powers on earth so that they become dependent on his calculator technology. When the program begins, the students receive an urgent message from their Space Captain that explains the grave situation and urges them to help fight these robots. In order to defeat Calculatron and his minions, the students must use their mathematical knowledge to help people who have already had their math powers drained and gain their help to fight off their enemies.
Content Areas: Whole Numbers
Grades: 3 - 6
NCTM Standards: Number and Operations, Problem Solving, Communication, Connections