Title: Math Rock

Publisher: School House Rock; Creative Wonders

Date Published: 1999

Platform: Mac or Windows

Price:

Installation (for Windows):
 Machine: 486 with 8 MB RAM
 Hard Disk Space: 7 MB
 Windows 3.1 or Windows 95
 Double Speed or higher CD-ROM
 Windows compatible sound card
256 Color monitor

Content Area: Mathematics

Range of Grade Levels: Students in second grade could use some of the programs on this
software, but it is more appropriate for grade three or higher.

Content Description: This software would be useful for students to practice new skills, or
to review old material. Individual students can work with one skill at a time, or with as many as they would like. There is no time limit on the games. There are eight different Math games on this software. Funky Numberland is the setting. Lucky Seven Sampson, a super-cool rabbit who lives here, guides students around Numberland. Sampson is trying to form a band, The Funky Numberland Band, with his friends from around town. In order for his friends to join, the player must beat them at their favorite Math game. There are seven games to win, and seven friends to complete the band. Each game has five difficulty levels. Ready or Not Hide and Seek game involves graph coordinates, spatial relationships and logical reasoning skills. Figure Eight Skating game incorporates shapes, lines, angles and geometric logic. Naughty Nine Pool game includes complex equations and algebraic concepts. Little Twelve Toes Connect the Stars game works with sequential patterns and multiples. Hero Zero Rocket Loading game includes place values, powers of ten and probability. Magic Three Water Balloon Dart game gives experience in estimation, numeric classification, addition and subtraction. Four legged Zoo game works with set identification, intersecting sets, matching, greater than and less than. When a student wins all of these games, the band loads up the van and travels to their first concert. This journey is the eighth game, The Funky Numberland Band Road to Fame game. This is a virtual board game. Click on the dice, and the band will move that many spaces. Categories for the spaces are Word Problems, Beat the Calculator, Name That (School House Rock!) Tune, and Wild Card. Strategy and decision making skills are also involved in this game.

Strengths/Weaknesses: Lucky Seven Sampson is a very helpful guide, who is available at
all times with tips and information. There is also a Help function that is useful. There is a menu, where each students progress throughout the game is kept. The program saves this information under the students name. Students have the option of working with a few skills by only playing one game at each setting, or can experience many skills by trying to form the band and play the Road to Fame game. The visual and audible aspects of this software are excellent. There are several bonus features, as well. Printable Activities, product demos, and a Teacher/Parent Corner are worth exploring. The only bad aspect of the game was that the Water Balloon Dart game was rather challenging, even for an adult. The math was not too difficult, just throwing the water balloons.

Rating: This software is very versatile and could be used very easily in an elementary
math setting. Math Rock is fun and exciting, a great way to help students enjoy practicing math skills. I give Math Rock a Nine on a scale of one to ten.

User Comments:
 “…the presentation of these difficult concepts is ingenious.”

Links:
http://www.scholastic.com