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Integrating Educational
Software
Mathematics Grades 4-12 |
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Integrating Educational
Software
Mathematics Grades 4-12 |
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Click on a featured software title, or scroll down through all the reviews. |
| Title: The
Factory Deluxe |
| Publisher: Sunburst |
| Grades: 4-8 |
| Platform: Win/Mac hybrid CD-ROM |
| NH Frameworks: Math Std.1, 2, 3, 4 |
| Description:
This simulated factory sharpens students' plane geometry, visual
thinking and problem solving skills. Eighteen challenge levels are
incorporated into 5 multimedia environments, as described below.
Try It!--Students explore shapes, rotation, sequencing and angle measurements as they build sample products. Build It!--Students analyze processes, predict outcomes and develop sequencing skills when asked to build specific products. Research It!--Students find ways to more efficiently build specific products. Ship It!--Students rely on geometry concepts of congruency, similarity, area and perimeter to pack orders for shipping. Deliver It!--Students play against an opponent or the computer in a race to deliver products to the warehouse, strengthens knowledge of area formulas and computation skills. Journal capability is also included and allows students to take snapshots and notes describing products they have created. |
| Integration: |
| Best used by individual or pairs of students |
| Multiple computer environment |
| Curriculum reinforcement or extension, or use as enrichment |
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Teacher guide includes basic operation of all activities and numerous options to customize game play. |
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| Title: Hot Dog Stand: The Works |
| Publisher: Sunburst |
| Grades: 5-8 |
| Platform: Win/Mac hybrid CD-ROM |
| NH Frameworks: Math Std.1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 |
| Description:
This simulation software presents students with the challenge of
running a food vendor business at an arena. Students must use math,
problem solving and communication skills to successfully make purchasing
and pricing decisions, keep records and handle unexpected events. They
begin with $500 and try to reach a given goal at the end of a number of
sporting and concert events. Three levels of simulation are available.
Skills include arithmetic operations, interpreting graphs, data gathering, recognizing patterns, data analysis, working backwards, choosing appropriate tools and estimating. |
| Integration: |
| Best used by small groups of students |
| Single or multiple computer environment |
| Curriculum reinforcement or extension |
| Teacher guide includes basic operation and 7 classroom activities, the majority of which focus on numerous aspects of running a business. |
| Title:
Mighty Math Astro
Algebra |
| Publisher: Edmark |
| Grades: 7-9 |
| Platform: Win/Mac hybrid CD-ROM |
| NH Frameworks: Math Std.1, 2, 3, 4, 6 |
| Description:
Students rocket through the galaxy learning how to graph
functions, translate word problems into solvable equations and represent
algebraic expressions using virtual manipulatives (helps students make
connection between concrete and abstract math). Topics and problems
automatically progress in difficulty as students succeed, or you can use
the grow slides to set an activity's difficulty level or algebraic
topic.
Astro Algebra introduces and reinforces algebra and pre-algebra concepts including negative integers, equivalent expressions, ratios and proportions, exponential notation, variables, inverse operations, and solving and graphing linear equations and inequalities. Explore mode and question & answer mode are available within all activities. |
| Integration: |
| Best used by individuals |
| Multiple computer environment preferred |
| Curriculum reinforcement, enrichment or remediation (as appropriate) |
| Teacher guide includes functionality of explore mode and question & answer mode for each activity along with guided tours to introduce students to the activities, blacklines and 17 classroom extension activities. |
| Title: Mighty
Math Cosmic Geometry |
| Publisher: Edmark |
| Grades: 7-10 |
| Platform: Win/Mac hybrid CD-ROM |
| NH Frameworks: Math Std.1, 2, 3, 4, 6 |
| Description:
Students travel to a distant planet where polyhedral characters
guide them through 5 activities that explore basic geometry. Students
can also create and display their own geometric artwork and animated
robots.
Virtual manipulatives help students make connection between concrete and abstract math. Geometry concepts covered include angle measurement, surface area, volume, 2D & 3D coordinates, transformation and construction, solving for unknowns and symmetry. |
| Integration: |
| Best used by individuals |
| Multiple computer environment preferred |
| Curriculum reinforcement, enrichment or remediation (as appropriate) |
| Teacher guide includes functionality of explore mode and question & answer mode for each activity along with guided tours to introduce students to the activities, blacklines and 18 classroom extension activities. |
| Title: PrimeTime
Math Emergency! |
| Publisher: Tom Snyder |
| Grades: 7-8 |
| Platform: Win/Mac hybrid CD-ROM |
| NH Frameworks: Math Std. 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 |
| Description:
Students act as part of an emergency medical team using
real-world problem solving within a dramatic context. Students must work
to stabilize a young girl's critical condition then diagnose what is
wrong.
Math skills include working with percentages and ratios, calculating volume measurements and rates, graphing values that change over time, using oral and written methods to describe mathematical ideas, and appreciating the role of math in the medical profession. |
| Integration: |
| Works best with single classroom computer, teams of 4 students each |
| Requires 2-4 class periods |
| Curriculum reinforcement and extension |
| Guide includes all classroom and homework handouts, along with assessments and extension projects. |
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|
| Title: PrimeTime
Math Fire! |
| Publisher: Tom Snyder |
| Grades: 8-9 |
| Platform: Win/Mac hybrid CD-ROM |
| NH Frameworks: Math Std. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 |
| Description:
Students act as rookie firefighters using real-world problem
solving within a dramatic context. Students work together in cooperative
teams working out water pressure, friction loss, hose lengths and nozzle
tips along with determining ladder lengths, building dimensions and how
long air tanks last.
Math skills include understanding variables and equations, using order of operations, representing and solving problems using the Pythagorean theorem, using oral and written methods to describe mathematical ideas and understanding the use of measurements in firefighting. |
| Integration: |
| Works best with single classroom computer, teams of 4 students each |
| Requires 2-4 class periods |
| Curriculum reinforcement and extension |
| Guide includes all classroom and homework handouts, along with assessments and extension projects. |
| Title: PrimeTime
Math Stakeout! |
| Publisher: Tom Snyder |
| Grades: 6-7 |
| Platform: Win/Mac hybrid CD-ROM |
| NH Frameworks: Math Std. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 |
| Description:
Students use real-world problem solving within a dramatic
context. Detectives investigate a rash of burglaries at local comic book
stores. Students work together in cooperative teams to determine if the
latest burglary fits the crime pattern, then choose the best stakeout
location for the next hit.
Math skills include calculating mean values, range of values about the mean, compiling and interpreting data using frequency charts and tables, investigating relationships among data patterns, using oral and written methods to describe mathematical ideas, and appreciating the role of math in the profession of police work. |
| Integration: |
| Works best with single classroom computer, teams of 4 students each |
| Requires 2-4 class periods |
| Curriculum reinforcement and extension |
| Guide includes all classroom and homework handouts, along with assessments and extension projects. |
| Title: Tabletop/Tabletop
Jr. |
| Publisher: Broderbund |
| Grades: K-12 |
| Platform: Win/Mac hybrid CD-ROM |
| NH Frameworks: Math Std. 1, 2, 5, 7 |
| Description:
Tabletop is tool-based software for storing, exploring and
analyzing data. Students build databases then sort, group, rearrange and
compare data. Venn, stack and axes plots are available along with
statistical box plots. Data tables can be joined; data can also be
imported from other sources and exported. Formulas include basic math
operations (logs, trig also), string manipulations and Boolean
operations.
Tabletop Jr. is geared specifically for grades K-6. This tool based program helps younger students understand basics of graphing, analyzing and saving data. The software is very exploratory and many activities focus on attributes (some of the plot icons look a lot like the Zoombinis from Broderbund's Logical Journey of the Zoombinis software!). |
| Integration: |
| Can be used by individuals or in groups |
| Multiple computer environment preferred |
| Curriculum reinforcement and extension |
| Tabletop teacher guide covers all capabilities of program along with 15 supplemental activities that range across all curriculum areas. Tabletop Jr. teacher guide also covers complete program functionality along with 10 activities and projects. |
| Title: Math Mysteries: Measurement |
| Publisher: Tom Snyder |
| Grades: 4-7 |
| Platform: Win/Mac hybrid CD-ROM |
| NH Frameworks: Math Std. 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 |
| Description: This software is designed as a tool to
help teach students about the key steps in the problem-solving process:
understanding the problem, collecting important information, solving the
problem, and checking the answer. This particular title in the
series has students diving under the sea to Outpost Omega to determine
the source of strange earthquakes and to find the missing crew.
The content, which matches NCTM standards, covers distance, capacity and
weight measurements and conversions.
Two CD-ROMs are provided: the whole class CD and the mystery CD. Using one computer and the whole class CD, the teacher models the process and highlights specific skills. Students work collaboratively to find hidden questions, deal with tricky units and sort through information. They then compute answers and share their solutions with the class. The whole class CD includes seven problems of varying difficulty levels and takes about one-half hour of classtime per problem. The mystery CD is intended for individual or pairs use, to reinforce the skills learned in class. A total of 17 problems are included (about 2-3 hours needed to complete all the mysteries). |
| Integration |
| Single or multiple computer environment |
| Best for whole classroom lesson followed later by individual work |
| Curriculum reinforcement |
| Teacher guide includes a detailed walk-through of the whole class CD and the mystery CD. Teachers also have a section that includes an extensive content and answer key for all the problems on both CDs. A series of eight reproducibles are provided to supplement the CD-ROMs. |
| Title: Math Mysteries: Fractions |
| Publisher: Tom Snyder |
| Grades: 4-7 |
| Platform: Win/Mac hybrid CD-ROM |
| NH Frameworks: Math Std. 1, 2, 3 |
| Description: This software is designed as a tool to
help teach students about the key steps in the problem-solving process:
understanding the problem, collecting important information, solving the
problem, and checking the answer. In this particular title in the
series, students interact with a colorful cast of characters, solving
problems as goldrush fever sweeps through Balancing Rocks. The
content, which matches NCTM standards, focuses on the addition and
subtraction of fractions and finding common denominators.
Two CD-ROMs are provided: the whole class CD and the mystery CD. Using one computer and the whole class CD, the teacher models the process and highlights specific skills. Students work collaboratively to find hidden questions, deal with tricky units and sort through information. They then compute answers and share their solutions with the class. The whole class CD includes seven problems of varying difficulty levels and takes about one-half hour of classtime per problem. The mystery CD is intended for individual or pairs use, to reinforce the skills learned in class. A total of 17 fraction problems are included (about 2-3 hours needed to complete all the mysteries). |
| Integration |
| Single or multiple computer environment |
| Best for whole classroom lesson followed later by individual work |
| Curriculum reinforcement |
| Teacher guide includes a detailed walk-through of the whole class CD and the mystery CD. Teachers also have a section that includes an extensive content and answer key for all the problems on both CDs. A series of eight reproducibles are provided to supplement the CD-ROMs. |
| Title: The Trig Explorer |
| Publisher: Cognitive Technologies Corp. |
| Grades: 9 & up |
| Platform: Win/Mac hybrid CD-ROM |
| NH Frameworks: Math Std. 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| Description: This interactive software provides a
comprehensive overview of trigonometry fundamentals. Students work
through lessons, have access to tips and formulas, complete exercises
and explore real world applications.
Topics covered include: degrees, angles, pi/radians, triangles, right triangles, functions, plotting and inverse functions. |
| Integration |
| Single or multiple computer environment, depends on intended use |
| Best for individual students |
| Curriculum reinforcement, remediation or enrichment |
| Teacher guide includes detailed description of each topic and its associated real world application exploration, along with several exercises and answer key. |