Math: Making Arithmetic Training Helpful
Human Health and Behavior
Carter Mosier
- Grade:
- 5
- Teacher:
- Aubrey Mettenburg
I noticed that sometimes I get bored doing math at school, so I wondered if I could make a game that makes math fun without using a screen or technology. After brainstorming what type of game to make I decided to make a pinball machine.
The project is an excellent example of how the engineering design process works. I found the fact that you were committed to the iterative process of your design especially impressive: you were able to complete seven different initial versions of your machine and eliminate certain difficulties. In addition, your method of data analysis was exceptional; the fact that you used means, standard deviations and bell curves to judge peer feedback indicates the level of analytical maturity that is quite impressive. You also had a clear statement of your research question, and you were logical and disciplined about finding that answer. Continue on the questions that you asked in your Future Research section, in particular, can you scale your design, where you have a great basis to further research.
This project demonstrates strong engineering design thinking through multiple documented iterations and thoughtful design criteria. The student successfully built a functional prototype under clear constraints and incorporated scoring mechanics to reinforce math engagement. The use of survey data, averages, standard deviation, and NASA’s TRL framework reflects advanced analytical thinking.
To strengthen the scientific rigor, future work could include measuring actual improvement in math performance and clarifying the interpretation of survey results. Overall, this is a well-executed and creative engineering solution to a real educational challenge. Excellent work! Your pinball machine is a creative and thoughtful solution to making math more fun. I was especially impressed by your detailed design process, multiple prototypes, and use of survey data to evaluate your project. You clearly put in a lot of effort and demonstrated strong engineering thinking. Keep up the great work you have strong problem-solving and innovation skills!
Good Job on this project. I am very impressed with the idea/ creativity and implementation plans and a thorough analysis. Your procedures will make you a great engineer !
This is a very creative engineering project. I was impressed by the many design iterations you built before finishing your pinball machine. The game is a clever way to make math practice more fun without using screens. Your survey data also helped show that people enjoyed the game. Excellent work.