Mathville Middle School: Where Kids Love Math
© 2004 Courseware Solutions Inc.
Great with content depth but clumsy in presentation, this update to MathVIP (1998) lets 6th and 7th grade students explore a virtual village where they can earn money by working in shops. For instance, as a chef, you are asked "a recipe calls for 3 1/8 cups of flour. You have 2 7/8. What fraction of a cup are you short?" Kids can use mental math or an onscreen calculator to type the correct answer. Correct answers earn more money, and gain access to new shops. Printed, nonspecific hints are provided for wrong answers. Topics include decimals, fractions, percents, ratios, integers, algebra, graphs, word problems, estimating, exponents, area, perimeter and volume. Progress can be tracked for just a single session for one student; a key drawback to the single use version. The network version ($700) has a network based tracking system that we did not test. Drawbacks include a clunky design that locks students into a problem until it is solved, and a cryptic help system that requires reading -- there is little or no hand holding with this program. The graphics, done in Macromedia, are crude at best. However, the content is rich, and the idea of earning money over time is engaging. Of most value are the "real world", practical applications of math. The CD also contains a collection of printable worksheets and tests. In sum, this is a useful program for both home and school settings.
$45, Win XP, Mac OSX
Teaches: math: decimals, fractions, percents, ratios, integers, algebra, word problems