Practice Order of Operations
Players learn to construct and evaluate arithmetic and algebraic expressions.
©2005 The Waid Group, Inc.
The Math Gym-1D game system is a fun way
to learn and practice math. It combines a great board game concept with the thrill of earning money by solving math
problems.
The game is based on the method of steps described by William Kingdon Clifford in the 1850’s. This method uses numbers to move things rather than to count or measure things (which only need non-negative numbers). It is this use of numbers that caused mathematicians to create negative numbers.
In the game numbers are used to move your token both forward and backward along a path. For example, if you need to move your token four spaces back to land on a square to earn money and you have the tiles
5, 3, 3, - , and x
in your hand, you can construct the expression
5 - 3 x 3
and move back 4. To make your move you must work at a higher thinking level than mere computation. You see the answer you want and must construct a problem that evaluates to this answer!
By playing Math Gym-1D, even very young children can gain a clear physical understanding of how and why signed numbers work the way they do. They see clearly that the product of a positive number and a negative number must be a negative number!