About Gamestar Mechanic

Ratios, Proportions and Percents

Using features of the Gamestar Mechanic resources, this lesson will provide reinforcement and review of concepts related to ratios, proportions and percents.

The math concepts should get the focus, but game related elements and aspects of good game design are also featured to provide engagement and an environment to explore the math concepts.

Note that students should have at least a basic familiarity with the definitions and concepts related to ratios, proportions and percents prior to beginning this lesson.

Lesson

This lesson is largely directed by the pacing of the students as they work individually through the lesson worksheet.

Introduce the lesson by directing students to the worksheet (if it is online) or hand out the hardcopies. Explain that it will review and reinforce the concepts of ratios, proportions and percents by using features of the Gamestar Mechanic site.

Remind students to read and follow all directions on the worksheet.

Optional: Teachers might require students to have their answers for 1 — 12b checked before they proceed to the game related activities that follow.

As students work, monitor progress at each student's station. Besides addressing questions, here are some specific things to keep in mind:

  • The directions on the worksheet plus the basic knowledge of the course content should be enough for students to work through the worksheet. As appropriate, encourage them to read the directions carefully and ask each other for help before asking the teacher.
  • Students might rush through the first part of the worksheet in order to get to the game related questions in the second part. Be sure they are trying to get correct answers on the ratio and percent questions and that they followed the directions completely for the definitions.
  • When testing their ratios with the game template, remind students that the goal is to create a fair challenge. A game must be fair (doable) and a challenge (not too easy) or most people will stop playing it.
  • Be sure students fully explain their answers on the worksheet when prompted. Good answers must show evidence that they are relating the math concepts to the game elements and the basic aspects of good game design.

How did it go?

Here are some questions to consider after the lesson.

  1. How did the students do overall with the math questions in questions 1 — 12b?
  2. How well did the Gamestar Mechanic site engage the students during the lesson? Did it provide an environment for effectively practicing and exploring the math concepts?
  3. What can be changed in the introduction to the lesson or the worksheet to address any problem areas identified by questions 1 and 2 above?

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