Computer games – some people like them and some people hate them (usually parents). However at Gastrells Primary School the students make computer games. These computer games have a difference, the student design them to teach Maths. The first project they undertook was the development of their own coordinate game. This was so successful that the students have volunteered to teach the whole class how to develop coordinate games. Furthermore, the school has gained some great homegrown resources.
Thrupp Primary School had a wonderful time exploring Maths and Robots just before half term. The year 3/4 class got to grips with space travel, angle rotation and distance through a fantastic exploration project. The parents were amazed to find their children learning angle work, which is often taught at year 6. My deepest thanks to Mrs Harrison and Mrs Pritchard who made this happen!
There are now 5 projects all set out for you in the resources section. Please use them and give us feedback.
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Game Programming using Maths – Module 1 Algebra & Space Travel
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Free pilot studies – contact gabriel@makingpi.com |
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Space Exploration Project 1 Level 4 Time : 1 hour Beginners Scratch |
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The students create a game to explode alien invasion craft in space. They have to guess the coordinates and then if successful fire the rocket. The creation of this game teaches the following Maths: ·
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Space Exploration Project 2 Level 5 Time : 1 hour Beginners Scratch |
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The students create a game to move rocket launches along the y axis and program in a line to fire at the alien invasion craft. The students focus on the following Maths: · x-y coordinates · y = n lines
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Space Exploration Project 3 Level 5 Time : 1 hour Beginners Scratch |
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The students create a game where they have to shoot the aliens along an x = n line. The Maths used in this section is: · Coordinates · x=n lines
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Space Exploration Project 4 Level 5 -6 Time : 2 hours Intermediate Scratch |
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The aim of this game is rotating through 360 and shooting incoming spaceship. This is an introductory Maths Scratch project which creates a game to teach angle recognition. It teaches the following maths: · Coordinates in 4 quadrants · Rotation through 360 degrees · The use of random functions to set game initial conditions e.g. random coordinates and random angles
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Space Exploration Project 5 Intermediate level knowledge of Scratch Level 6 -7 Time: 2 hours
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Develop an Asteroid Game with an ability to shoot asteroids out of space. The students will program the game assets to: · Set asteroids on a collision course with earth ( gradient calculations) · Program missiles using y=mx+c · Set assets randomly on y/x axis This is a fantastic project for using and applying. |
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Space Exploration Project 6 Intermediate level knowledge of Scratch Level 6 -7 Time: 2 hours |
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Develop a game to escape from a black hole. The ship is caught in a black hole and is being drawn (y=x2 ) into the centre. You have to capture frozen water to give you enough energy to escape raising you to new trajectories ( y = x2 + 1…). However if you capture non water mass you will accelerate your decline ( y = 2x2). · Learn the shape of the y=x2 · Learn how it can be shifted in the form y = x2 + n · Learn how it can be shifted in the form y = nx2
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Space Exploration Project 7 Intermediate level knowledge of Scratch Level 7 – 8 Time: 2 hours
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Develop a space travel program. This requires the student to cross vast areas of space using trigonometry to calculate distance and fuel usage. The maths taught in this project is: · Trigonometry to calculate the hypotenuse · Compound measures fuel/dist · Algebraic substitution |
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Space Exploration Project 8 Intermediate level knowledge of Scratch Level A to A* Time: 3 hours
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Develop a game to intercept incoming rockets and program another rocket to exactly meet the incoming missile. The intercept missile equation is different each time and so you have to find a generic solution for simultaneous equations. The Maths used in this project is: · Simultaneous equations · Algebraic fractions · Pythagoras · Speed distance time calculations
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Space Exploration Project 9 Intermediate level knowledge of Scratch Level A to A* Time: 3 hours
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Escape attack by creating a special evasion program using sin(x) and shifted nxsin(x+a) · Y=mx+c lines · Sine curves · Shifts on the sine curve
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Elementary Electronics!
Those clever clever Koreans! They have started making electronics a part of their elementary education. No wonder my Samsung is so good (sorry apple users).
This is one of their LEGO electronic models they built. Oh, by the way they even make the LEGO brick because they are out of patent.
Long live Korea
In one of my lessons last night, a brilliant student called Ben developed a Maths game to teach angles. It was nice and simple; even so it had my own 12 and 13 year old playing it for 1 hour.
Ben applied Maths in the following area without noticing it:
1. Rotation and angles
2. Algebra formula
3. Coordinates and using random numbers
4. Working out the hit zone needed a nice bit of sectors of a circle
More adventures in gaming to follow.
This first resource is teaching Rotation and LOGO at Level 3 & 4. It brings the Programming and Maths side of the new UK curriculum together.
We are looking for a way of sharing our resources so that they are immediately usable by other educators. It is also an attempt to expand the boundaries of what can be done for free on Google drive. Any comments gratefully received.
