At a Glance:
Product: Time Engineers
Cost: $19.95 Individual, $49.95 School District/University
Use: Homeschool, Classroom, Home
Grades: Middle School-High School (5th-9th)
Lessons Taught: Math, Science, History, Physics
Skills: Problem Solving, Reasoning, Critical Thinking
Rating: 5 out of 5 Gold Stars
Today I am sharing with you one of my new favorite tools to teach math concepts to middle and high school age students. For many homeschoolers these years are difficult in terms of teaching math. I agree. It is for this reason I want to present you with a tool that you and your students will enjoy.
What is Time Engineers?
Time Engineers is a CD Rom that emphasizes math skills and engineering concepts to middle school and high school students (5th-9th grade) through interactive computer play set in historical environments. Please visit the site for system requirements.
The Basics
Installation: Fast installation. You may install it or play off the CD-ROM.
Navigation: Easy, first person play
Graphics: Good enough that even your teen will be engaged.
Audio: Clear, and the sounds are fantastic!
Game Play: The game flows easily and without glitches. The play is fun, interesting and gives you the sense of puzzle solving instead of doing the same old math.
Two Modes of Play: There are two modes of play: interactive and activity. The interactive mode allows the student to play the “game” on his own. The activity mode will take you directly to the lessons without going through the steps of the game. A great mode for teaching and presenting the lessons.
The Concept and Lessons
The game takes your student on a time travel adventure where he solves common engineering problems of the time period. The story begins with your student in a library doing research. He stumbles upon a document called Time Engineers. Inside is confidential information about a time machine and three chapters on three different time periods. The time periods are: Ancient Egypt, Middle Ages and World War II. Within each time frame are two engineering tasks such as building pyramids, catapult operation and submarine simulation.
While the CD-ROM is a math game that is only half the story. The other half is the curriculum. You will not have to wonder how to fit this into your homeschool or current math program. Time Engineers is hands on math, science and history at its best. If you go the website site can click on Teachers, you will find the curriculum and PDF files for each lesson. Not only will your student learn about math your student will learn engineering principles. It is my belief that math concepts need to connect to the physical and visual world we live in to appreciate it. That is the concept and goal of Time Engineers. Your student will develop a greater understanding and not just better memorization and basic skills.
You will want to stay close to your child as he plays the game. The game is challenging but that isn’t the reason to stay close. The reason is you will have as much fun during the catapult operation as your student. At only $19.95, you cannot go wrong. I have two children who not only enjoyed playing but enjoyed competing with each other. A little healthy competition to learn math is a good thing.
Make it Real Learning: Math Just Got Exciting