&0 &T,63,49,591,78,0,15,l Educational Focus of the Shape Station &T,92,87,549,386,1,15,l In the Shape Station, children learn about basic geometry. As they manipulate shapes to fit into a puzzle outline, players develop spatial sense. They also learn about size, angles, and orientation of shapes, and begin to see relationships between different shapes. This activity is based on the tangram, an ancient Chinese puzzle that consists of a square divided into 7 geometric shapes: 2 large triangles, 1 medium triangle, 2 small triangles, 1 square, and 1 parallelogram. This set of 7 shapes can be put together in a variety of ways to fill in a larger geometric area. As children work with tangram puzzles, they begin to recognize that the orientation of a shape does not change what the shape is—for example, a square rotated 45 degrees is still a square. &1 &T,63,49,591,78,0,15,l Educational Focus of the Shape Station &T,92,87,549,386,1,15,l Puzzle outlines in the program’s early levels are filled by two or three shapes. As children progress, they are presented with more difficult puzzle outlines that eventually are completed using all seven pieces of the tangram set—some of which require rotation before being placed in the puzzle. This way, players can develop an understanding of basic geometric relationships before they confront more complex problems. As with other activities in ]Treasure Galaxy! , children direct their own learning, setting their own pace. Where the Shape Station differs, however, is in the variety of solutions that are possible. Since there is more than one way to solve a Shape Station puzzle, a player succeeds whenever the puzzle outline is completely filled in. &2 &T,63,49,594,72,0,15,l Educational Focus of the Day Dock &T,92,87,549,386,1,15,l In the Day Dock, children learn another important real-world skill—how to use a calendar to track the days, weeks, and months of the year. This activity begins by asking players to locate a specific date in a given month. As players progress, they’re asked to locate a particular day by its position in the month (for example, the 4th Tuesday in June). This task helps children learn to read the calendar by rows and columns. Eventually, players must locate a date that is a certain number of weeks before or after a specific date. &3 &T,63,49,597,76,0,15,l Educational Focus of the Measure Mill &T,92,87,551,394,1,15,l The Measure Mill offers a realistic environment where children practice measuring everyday objects with a ruler and scale. By observing, estimating, and comparing, children learn to make inferences about the length and weight of different objects. The Measure Mill uses the standard English System units of measurement: inches (linear) and ounces (weight). At the early educational levels, children measure the objects to the nearest whole unit (inch or ounce). As they progress, they will measure objects to the half, fourth, and then three-fourths of an inch or ounce. As they learn to measure, children also learn that objects have more than one physical property associated with them—for instance, that a straw is very long, but also very light in weight. The activity allows for trial and error, so children can take time to compare measurements before they select an answer. &4 &T,63,49,591,76,0,15,l Educational Focus of the Sundrop Game &T,92,87,549,386,1,15,l The number-analogy riddles in the Sundrop Game give children practice in counting, addition, subtraction, and multiplication. Players compare two sets of pictures and use deductive reasoning to determine the mathematical operation that was applied to both sets. For instance, if the first example changes 2 kites into 4 and the second example changes 4 kites into 8, then players can deduce that the number of kites has been multiplied by 2. After identifying the operation, players apply the same operation to their own problem. Early riddles in the game involve counting and addition with single-digit numbers; later on, the most difficult riddles require subtraction and multiplication with double-digit numbers. &5 &T,63,49,589,78,0,15,l Educational Focus of the Code Satellites &T,92,87,549,386,1,15,l The code satellite activity gives children the opportunity to practice counting from 1 to 99 as they use a numerically coded alphabet to decode a secret word. They also identify and complete sequential number patterns, and count by increments of one, two, and three—both forward and backward. Beginning players see the full numeric code to the alphabet. As the game progresses, numbers in the code disappear, and players supply the missing numbers. Eventually, players must complete a number pattern from a sequence that provides only three numbers. &6 &T,63,49,590,76,0,15,l Educational Focus of the Star Mart &T,92,87,549,386,1,15,l When children shop at the Star Mart, they’re learning about basic fractions—halves, fourths, and eighths—by manipulating fractional pieces on screen. In the early levels, children deal with whole pieces. As they progress in the activities, they also use fractional pieces. At any time, players can exchange larger pieces for smaller ones—such as 1 whole for 2 halves, or 1 whole for 4 fourths—and by doing so, begin to understand fractional equivalents. At the higher levels, players observe how different combinations of fractions can be added together to fill in the same area—for instance, 2 halves can make a whole, or 1 half plus 2 fourths equals a whole. &7 &T,63,49,591,75,0,15,l Educational Focus of ]Treasure Galaxy! &T,92,87,549,386,1,15,l ]Treasure Galaxy! is specifically designed to develop a broad range of math and critical-thinking skills within an environment of interactive and engaging game play. The program helps five- to nine-year-old children build real-world math skills, including identifying basic fractions, measuring length and weight, and locating calendar dates. Automatic educational leveling allows players to learn at appropriate and challenging rates for each individual activity. The program adjusts the level of difficulty, depending on the player’s success. [Critical Thinking Skills ]Treasure Galaxy! addresses higher order (critical) thinking skills—analyzing, comparing, inferring, and deducing—in the activities and program objectives. &8 &T,63,49,593,77,0,15,l Educational Focus of ]Treasure Galaxy! &T,92,87,549,386,1,15,l For example, in the Sundrop Game, children compare and analyze two sets of pictures to deduce the mathematical operation that was applied to both sets. In the Measure Mill, children examine sets of objects and infer from the sizes, their lengths and weights. Children also use comparison, analysis, and deduction to fit shapes into geometric outlines in the Shape Station. Since there are usually at least two ways to achieve a given goal, players can develop their own game strategies. For example, children can earn digits by performing measurement with a ruler and scale, filling in geometric puzzles, or locating calendar dates. They can also obtain digits by answering number-analogy riddles. Whatever their strategy, children can practice using complete thought processes that can lead to a deeper understanding of mathematics. &9 &T,63,49,593,77,0,15,l Educational Focus of ]Treasure Galaxy! &T,92,87,549,386,1,15,l [Manipulatives In ]Treasure Galaxy! , players can manipulate on-screen elements to facilitate an understanding of various mathematical concepts. The “hands-on” experiences enable children to explore concepts rather than simply memorize procedures. For example, in the Sundrop Game children stamp out their answers, adding and removing stamped images and observing the immediate results of their actions. In the Shape Station, players manipulate shapes and rotate them directly over a puzzle outline to see if they fit—just as they would hold a real piece and turn it in their hands. This type of “hands-on” activity encourages children to explore freely—they learn by doing. &