In Treasure Math Storm! the user is on a quest to find treasures that will stop the evil wizard who put the mountain into a deep-freeze. The player starts with a certain number of nets. These nets are used to catch elves that are running by the player. When an elf is caught, there is an addition or subtraction problem to be solved. If the problem is answered correctly, the player receives money to use in the store. When the player arrives at the store, s/he can buy more nets or tools that will be needed in a room. The store involves counting money, buying in multiples and comparison shopping (example: is it better to buy 3 nets for 5 cents or one net for 2 cents).

The player encounters four rooms. The first is the Time Igloo, where the player must answer problems involving matching analog to digital time and changing time. In all the rooms, correct answers are rewarded with tools that will be needed to advance to the next room. After all the tools are won, the player may exit the room or stay and gain money for more correct answers. When the player leaves a room, s/he continues catching elves and making snowball piles, which will be discussed shortly. Eventually the player comes to another room. The next destination is the Gold Room. This room involves balancing with weights. The player must make both sides of a scale equal by adding or subtracting gold from one side. The third room is the Crystal Cave. The player counts crystals by ones, tens and hundreds to gain tools.

The final stop is the Clubhouse. In this room the player is told if s/he has gained enough treasures to advance in rank. To acquire treasures, throughout the game the player has had to make piles of snowballs. The elves relay the information on how many snowballs are to be in each pile. If the player makes a pile with the correct number, s/he receives a treasure. A certain number of treasures must be collected to move up in rank. If the player does not have enough, treasures are saved at the end and added to the next round.

Players are not penalized for wrong answers in the rooms. After one wrong answer, they are given a clue, and on the second attempt the correct answer is given and the player moves on to another problem. If an incorrect answer is given on an elf question the player has to catch another elf to answer it again. Money is taken away if the player attempts a snowball pile and is wrong.

The software’s math content is accurate. It is appropriate in difficulty and content area covered for the grade levels intended. The software moves automatically through various levels of difficulty as the player answers questions correctly.

There is some gender bias in the software. The player is represented by a male image. I would add the choice of picking a female or male image at the beginning of the game. Boys and girls would be able to choose a figure that they identified with themselves.

Treasure MathStorm! is simple to install. It takes very little computer experience to use the software. The navigation system includes icons and a help button. The icons are obvious. A picture of a door with the player walking out is used for exiting a room. A snowball with + and - is used for addition and subtraction of snowballs from piles. These are some examples of the icons pictured on the screen during play. At the beginning of the game the player is given the choice of having explicit directions told for new players. I found these to be very helpful.

The software flows smoothly. The challenges the player faces are in a logical sequence. The graphics give the feel of playing a video game. They are colorful and the people are animated. The audio is optional. I found the music made the game more exciting. Also the spoken words, such as in the beginner tips, are helpful in planning the next move.

This program makes good use of technology. It provides an enjoyable means to incorporate math into the curriculum. It involves many content areas in one game that would be hard to accomplish without a computer. The teacher or student can modify the software by changing the level of difficulty of the math problems. The difficulty of the math can be changed in each room. The user would pick options, then the room name, then the level. Under level, there is level definition which describes what each level involves. The teacher can check how far a child has advanced in the game and the level of difficulty that the child is working on as a tracking tool. In between uses the player's rank and level is saved.

Students are empowered by Treasure MathStorm! The player is allowed to make many decisions. S/he may spend as long as wanted in any of the rooms, and choose what to buy, and how many elves to catch, and in certain rooms there are various ways to answer problems. A student can spend extra time in any of the rooms if s/he needs practice in that content area. This allows the program to be individualized. The game can be played individually, in pairs, or by taking turns. The offline activities provided in the teacher materials encourage students to work cooperatively in small groups. The students be able to see how their learning helps as they use it to climb the mountain. Their knowledge directly affects how far they can progress in the game.

The teacher will need to introduce the software thoroughly before letting students use it independently. The game is fairly complicated. I would recommend going through a whole round with small groups or using an LCD panel, if it is available, with the entire class. Students with less computer experience will need more monitoring and help.

Treasure MathStorm! includes very complete teacher materials. The manual explains how NCTM Standards are being met when incorporating this software into the curriculum. It also gives ideas and blackline masters to be used in stations that the teacher can set up around the room. Using the stations extends the skills used on the computer to other areas.

This software can effectively be used by individuals, pairs and small groups. The station activities to extend the program can be used by the whole class. The areas covered in this program (measurement, telling time and arithmetic) are all covered in first through third grade so it fits perfectly into the curriculum. It would be fun for the class to make a bulletin board using the characters in the game. The character could climb a mountain by children completing their math homework. The class could track how many days it takes for the player to reach the top.

Critical Summary:

Treasure MathStorm! would be an excellent addition to a classroom. It makes math exciting and relevant for the students. The player needs math knowledge to obtain the goal of climbing the mountain. Students will want to practice their skills by playing this game. The content covered is relevant to the age group intended. I did not find any bugs in the program.

Overall Rating: 9

The only reason I did not award a perfect 10 is because of the slight gender bias. Math and science tend to be male dominated fields and any way that that can be overcome, no matter how small, should be attempted.

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