8-9 Algebraic Thinking - Software/CD-ROM

• Astro Algebra (ENC-013071) This CD-ROM is designed to help students understand the basics of algebra as they captain the space ship Algebra Centauri and engage in missions to help strange alien cultures by solving mathematical problems. The Algebra Centauri is outfitted with stations to help students solve the problems, including the graphing station and the cargo bay. As the captain becomes more experienced, the missions require knowledge of variables, expressions, equations and inequalities, functions and graphing, ratios, fractions, decimals and percents. Astro Algebra includes a monitoring feature that allows the parent or teacher to establish the level of difficulty and subject matter of the missions to match the students' progress in their mathematics class.

• Boxer introductory algebra (ENC-010925) This CD-ROM tutorial covers the concepts of pre-algebra and beginning algebra in a visual, interactive environment. Organization of topics is based on concepts and subconcepts related to understanding algebra. The tutorial provides detailed explanation of the concepts immediately followed by questions applying the concepts; it uses readings, pictures, and animation to engage as many of the user's senses as possible for the purpose of retention.

• Gearing Up (ENC-012681) This CD-ROM is an interactive simulated bicycle race in which players take the role of the team that supports the riders in an international competition. Through interactive games the series applies basic principles of pre-algebra, algebra, and geometry to the real world through workplace applications.

• The great signed number race : how integers won the west (ENC-013697) This computer software game with teacher's guide is designed to help students in grades 6 to 10 expand their skills with signed numbers while applying the order of operations rules in a problem-solving situation. Two students may play competitively or students may play against a computer-controlled opponent. In the game, students take turns moving a locomotive and stagecoach along a number line trail in the Old West. Moves are determined by constructing arithmetic expressions from three signed numbers randomly generated by spinners. An accompanying teacher's guide provides program descriptions and four classroom lessons with worksheets for additional practice related to the context of the game.

• Green globs and graphing equations (ENC-013633) This software program focuses on the relationship between equations and their graphs. The program has four sections, the first of which is a program that plots the graphs of entered equations. In another section, graphs are displayed and students enter equations that match the graphs. There are also two games; in one, thirteen "green globs" are randomly placed on a grid and students try to enter equations that pass through as many green globs as possible.

• The learning equation mathematics 9 (ENC-011691) This CD-ROM kit contains 56 lessons that cover the following topics of a Canadian grade 9 mathematics curriculum: algebra, basic geometry, and introductory work with transformations and statistics. Each interactive lesson is introduced by a real-life character, such as Samina the helicopter pilot, who is then involved in a brief story line. The animated, interactive examples allow students to manipulate graph images, organize and use data on both spreadsheet and charts, and respond to multiple choice questions. In each lesson, questions are posed and answers are corrected immediately with feedback or hints for improvement. The teacher's manual gives detailed instructions on running the four CD-ROM discs, lesson descriptions with cross references, objectives and suggestions for teacher intervention, evaluation, extension, and enrichment.

• SkillsBank 4 (ENC-013537) This CD-ROM tutorial offers instruction in basic skills concepts to support preparation for high school equivalency exams. The subject areas covered are basic and intermediate mathematics, language arts, and information skills. Basic mathematics topics include place value and rounding, simplifying fractions, and computation. Intermediate mathematics topics include proportion, percent, and an introduction to algebra. Diagnostic pretests and post tests are included for all topics.