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K-12 Math Challenges Students to Create New Math Games

Nonprofit Mind Research Institute is trying to get students to rethink how to express the math standards they learned this year through its new "game-a-thon," a K-12 contest that challenges students to create a video describing a game featuring creative or unusual solutions to math problems.

Per the challenge’s rules, teams of two or more students, along with a teacher or mentor, invent the game, then upload a nuts-and-bolts video explaining how it works to YouTube (and example video has been posted online). Students can create all manner of games--from card and board games to apps--tackling a wide range of mathematics. All participants will receive prizes, and winners will be honored at a national math fair.

The game-a-thon is open to submissions through July 6. Entries will be evaluated by a team of educators, mathematicians and game designers affiliated with Mind Research’s ST Math software program. Evaluation criteria includes use of math themes (40 percent), creative game design/material (30 percent), originality (20 percent), YouTube likes (10 percent).

"We hope students will dive in and play with math concepts and numbers in completely new ways that excite and inspire them," said Matthew Peterson, chief operating officer and co-founder of MIND Research Institute, and creator of the ST Math game-based software in a statement. "Math is everywhere, and seeing the world through the lens of math, and then trying to build your own game to explain the math, can be a hugely fun and educational experience."

About the Author

Stephen Noonoo is an education technology journalist based in Los Angeles. He is on Twitter @stephenoonoo.

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