Category : Science and Education
Archive   : MATHLOG.ZIP
Filename : ML.DOC

User's Guide For:


MATH AND LOGIC GAMES FOR KIDS
(A Shareware Disk)



(c) KIDware 1989
Portions (c) Microsoft Corp. 1989









KIDware
1380 156th NE, Suite H2
Bellevue, WA 98007
(206) 725-4859










MATH AND LOGIC GAMES FOR KIDS User's Guide - Page 1


INTRODUCTION

MATH AND LOGIC GAMES FOR KIDS presents six programs for the
IBM-PC that challenge a child's mathematics and thinking
skills. The programs are aimed at grade levels K through 6, but
can be enjoyed by all. The programs TARGET MATH and JELLY
BEANS are competitions between two players, or one player versus
the computer. In TARGET MATH, you take turns adding numbers
trying to reach a target sum, while in JELLY BEANS you take
turns removing beans from a jar and the one who takes the last
bean loses! I SHOT AN ARROW is a simple simulation of an arrow
flying through the air; the program introduces estimation and
answer refinement skills. LEAKY TUB simulates filling a leaky
bath tub with hot and cold water. This program helps teach
logical thinking and is just plain fun. In MATH RACE, up to
four players take turns answering flash card arithmetic
problems. The faster you answer your problem, the further down
the track your car travels. Each player can race at a skill
level appropriate to their grade level. Finally, MATH AS ART
simply draws pretty pictures using the ideas of fractal math.

In this note, I briefly describe operation of the six
computer programs provided to you on your shareware disk.
Hopefully, these programs will be of some use to you in your
home or classroom. If you use the programs, we ask that you
register your copy (use the registration form at the end of this
document). With registration, you will be sent a printed user's
manual describing program operation in detail, including playing
strategies and the equations behind each program. Also with
registration, you will made aware of new programs and any
updates to this disk. Now, let's talk about computer
requirements.


COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS

You need an IBM-compatible machine equipped with a minimum
of 256K of memory and a CGA (Color Graphics Adapter) or Hercules-
compatible monochrome graphics card. A color monitor is
recommended. Before using the programs, you must do two
things: install the program on your own disk, then configure
the program to your particular system. Depending on the number
and types of disk drives you have, follow the given instructions
for installing the programs.








MATH AND LOGIC GAMES FOR KIDS User's Guide - Page 2


Installation on Single Floppy Drive System:

Working with a single drive system can be tricky. Please
pay close attention to instructions provided.

1. Place DOS disk in drive A and start system.
2. You first need to format a disk and put a copy of the
operating system on it. Type: FORMAT A:/S
3. Replace DOS disk with blank disk and follow
instructions provided by computer.
4. When formatting is complete, replace blank disk
with MATH AND LOGIC GAMES FOR KIDS disk and type: COPY
A:*.* B: This will allow you to copy the files from the
MATH AND LOGIC GAMES FOR KIDS disk (referred to by DOS
as disk A) to your newly formatted disk (referred to by
DOS as disk B). Follow instructions provided by
computer.
5. Installation is now complete. Put the original copy of
the MATH AND LOGIC GAMES FOR KIDS disk in a safe place;
you will always use your copy. Now, place that copy of
the program in drive A and proceed to configuration
instructions.


Installation on Dual Floppy Drive System:

Pay close attention to instructions provided.

1. Place DOS disk in drive A and blank disk in drive B;
start system.
2. You first need to format a disk and put a copy of the
operating system on it. Type: FORMAT B:/S
3. Replace DOS disk in drive A with MATH AND LOGIC GAMES
FOR KIDS disk. Type: COPY A:*.* B: This will allow you
to copy the files from the MATH AND LOGIC GAMES FOR KIDS
disk in drive A to your newly formatted disk in drive B.
4. Installation is now complete. Put the original copy of
the MATH AND LOGIC GAMES FOR KIDS disk in a safe place;
you will always use your copy. Now, place that copy of
the program in drive A and proceed to configuration
instructions.









MATH AND LOGIC GAMES FOR KIDS User's Guide - Page 3


Installation on Hard Disk System:

Pay close attention to instructions provided.

1. Start system.
2. You first need to create a directory for the programs.
At C: prompt, type: MKDIR C:\MLOGIC\ This creates a
directory named MLOGIC on your hard disk (you may use
another name if you want). Now, move to that directory
by typing: CD C:\MLOGIC\
3. Place MATH AND LOGIC GAMES FOR KIDS disk in floppy drive
A. Type: COPY A:*.* C: This will allow you to copy the
files from the MATH AND LOGIC GAMES FOR KIDS disk to
your hard disk.
4. Installation is now complete. Put the original copy of
the MATH AND LOGIC GAMES FOR KIDS disk in a safe place.
Proceed to configuration instructions.


Configuration Instructions:

To configure the program to your system, place your copy of
the program disk in drive A (or go to directory C:\MLOGIC\ on a
hard disk) and type: MLCON

You will be asked a single question; answer accordingly.
The question asks you if you have color graphics (press 1) or
Hercules monochrome graphics (press 2). If you have both, press
1 and use color graphics, because the monochrome graphics
simulator will not work properly when both color and monochrome
graphics cards are installed.


PROGRAM OPERATION INSTRUCTIONS

Once the program is installed and configured, you can run
it. Please note if you ever change your system configuration,
you should rerun the configuration program. Running the program
is simple. If you are using floppy drives, place your copy of
the program disk in a drive. If using a hard disk, move to the
proper directory by typing: CD:\MLOGIC\ Type GO and press
. The program will begin running after a few seconds of
loading some needed files and a selection menu will appear. (If
the selection menu is unreadable, rerun the configuration
program making sure you answered the question concerning
graphics correctly.) Use the cursor control key to make your
menu selection, then press . Individual program
instructions follow.









MATH AND LOGIC GAMES FOR KIDS User's Guide - Page 4


TARGET MATH:

In this game, a target number is selected at random. You
and another player (or the computer) take turns adding numbers
to a sum trying to reach the target number. You are limited to
how large a number you may add each turn. The winner is the
player who completes the sum, i.e. reaches the target number.
In the program, the target number is graphically represented by
open boxes (10 in each row). As numbers are added to the sum,
these open boxes are replaced by colored boxes indicating how
many boxes have been added and how many boxes remain to reach
the target number.

The game is played by selecting TARGET MATH from the menu
screen. When loaded, you indicate whether there is one player,
playing against the computer, or two players, competing against
each other. If playing against the computer, you are then asked
whether you want to go first or you want the computer to go
first. Once these questions are answered, play begins,
alternating turns. At each turn, simply indicate the number of
boxes you wish to add.

The game ends when the target number is reached. Pressing S
will stop the game at any time. Once the game ends, you are
asked if you wish to play again (press 1 for yes, 0 for no).

JELLY BEANS:

This game is very similar to TARGET MATH, with a slightly
different goal. A random number of jelly beans is placed in a
jar. You and another player (or the computer) take turns
removing beans from the jar. You are limited to how many beans
you may remove each turn. The winner is the player who makes
the other player take the last bean (we've all been taught it's
not polite to take the last one of anything!). In the program,
the jelly beans are graphically depicted by colored star shapes
(5 in each row). As beans are removed, the remaining number is
seen in the jar.

The game is played by selecting JELLY BEANS from the menu
screen. When loaded, you indicate whether there is one player,
playing against the computer, or two players, competing against
each other. If playing against the computer, you are then asked
whether you want to go first or you want the computer to go
first. Once these questions are answered, play begins,
alternating turns. At each turn, enter the number of jelly
beans you want to remove from the jar.








MATH AND LOGIC GAMES FOR KIDS User's Guide - Page 5


The game ends when the jar of jelly beans is empty.
Pressing S will stop the game at any time. Once the game ends,
you are asked if you wish to play again (press 1 for yes, 0 for
no).

I SHOT AN ARROW:

This program is used to discover the basics of ballistics,
or motion in the x-y plane. The program has no right or wrong
answers--it simply provides an arena for trying different things
and seeing the results. The general idea of the program is to
determine at what angle (measured from the x-axis) an arrow
should be launched (starting at x=0, y=0) to hit a specific
point. The arrow moves in the x-y plane (y=0 representing the
ground) under the influence of gravity in the negative y-
direction, i.e. the arrow will fall down. The x-y plane and
concept of an angle should be explained to the user, at a level
the user can understand. With this general basis, several
exercises can be tried.

The program is loaded by selecting I SHOT AN ARROW from the
menu screen. When loaded, you indicate the value of the x point
(0-100) you wish to hit and the value of the y point (0-50) you
want to hit. To stop the program, enter 999 as the x value.
Next, enter the arrow angle (from 0 to 90 degrees). Enter an
angle of zero to re-select the desired x-y point.

After answering these questions, a plot of the arrow's
trajectory is drawn and you are told whether or not you hit your
desired point. You clear this screen by pressing any key. If
you hit the point, you are asked to enter another desired
point. If you missed, you are asked to enter another angle and
the new trajectory is plotted.

LEAKY TUB:

This program demonstrates a principle used extensively in
engineering and mathematics disciplines, that of computer
simulation. Simulation is used to test designs and procedures
before actually building some device or structure. For example,
we use simulators to train airline pilots--this is much safer
than training them in actual planes because if they make a
mistake, there is no loss of airplane or life. Before
constructing a building, we simulate it on a computer to see if
it can withstand winds and possible earthquakes. In this
program, we will simulate filling a leaky bath tub to help teach
logical thinking skills.








MATH AND LOGIC GAMES FOR KIDS User's Guide - Page 6


There are no correct answers or predeveloped goals for this
program. The child can just play with it and make up his/her
own goals. The idea is that you have a tub with a leak. You
can decide how much hot water to put in the tub and how much
cold water to put in the tub. Once you set these values, the
computer will show you how the level in the tub changes and what
the temperature of the water in the tub is. On the screen
display, the column on the left of the tub indicates how much
hot water is going into the tub, the column on the right of the
tub shows cold water flow. Thus, in the program you can control
two quantities: tub level and water temperature. You can tell
the tub leaks because if you fill it up then turn off both the
hot and cold water flows, the tub will drain!

The program is loaded by selecting LEAKY TUB from the menu
screen. When loaded, simply press 1 to get to the tub display
screen. The tub starts out empty. Flow into the tub is
controlled with a two key sequence: you first hit H or C to
adjust the hot and cold water flows, respectively. After
pressing H or C, the computer will ask you whether you want to
increase the flow (press +), decrease the flow (press -), or
stop changing the flow (0). After pressing a key, you will see
the requested change take effect. Changes will be seen in the
column associated with the hot and cold water flows (an empty
column indicates zero flow while a full column indicates maximum
flow) and in tub level and water temperature. Note once you ask
for the flow to change in a certain direction, it will continue
changing until you turn it off by pressing H or C, then 0.

The program is stopped and the display erased by pressing
the S key at any time. After pressing S, the computer will ask
you if you wish to continue (press 1) or stop (press 0).

MATH RACE:

One thing every kid likes is competition, whether it be
against a computer (how do you explain the immense popularity of
Nintendo?) or against a classmate (friendly only, of course!).
In this program, from one to four kids can compete in basic
flash card math skills. The faster you answer your problem
correctly, the further down the track your race car travels.
The first to the finish line wins!

The nice thing about this game is that each player selects
the level of problems she/he wishes to answer. Thus, an adult
can compete (using very difficult division problems) against a
first-grader (doing simple addition). Another selected variable
is how long one has to answer the problem. I speak from
experience in tutoring at-risk students that kids love to beat
adults at math!







MATH AND LOGIC GAMES FOR KIDS User's Guide - Page 7



Select MATH RACE from the menu. Several questions must be
answered to get the program started. First, you enter the
number of players (from 1 to 4). Enter a zero to stop the
program. Next, each player is asked a series of questions. You
are first asked to type in your name, so the program can keep
track of who's turn it is. Next, you select the type of
problems you want to try--press 1 for addition, 2 for
subtraction, 3 for multiplication, 4 for division, and 5 for
mixed problem types. The next question concerns how large you
want the numbers in your problems to be; enter a number from 5
(easy) to 500 (difficult, especially in division and
multiplication). Lastly, you enter the clock speed, i.e. the
time you want to answer the problem. Each problem is worth a
maximum of 10 points. With each tick of the clock, one point is
removed from your possible score. With a slow clock, there are
about two seconds between ticks, with a medium clock, about 1.5
seconds, and with the fast clock, there is about 1 second
between ticks. Once each player has answered the corresponding
questions, the race begins.

In the same order they entered their names, players are
given problems to answer. To see their problem, the player
presses the space bar when asked to. The problem is then
displayed. At that point, the player types in the answer to the
problem and presses --remember you must press in
order to get the computer to check your answer. You can erase
your answer (before pressing ) by tapping the space bar.

If your answer is correct, your car will move across the screen
a distance related to how much time was left when you answered.
If incorrect, you are given another chance. You can continue to
answer until time runs out.

The game is completed when one or more players reaches the
finish line. It takes a total of 84 points to reach the line,
so you must answer at least 9 problems fairly quickly to win.
After completion, the winner(s) and runner-up(s) are displayed.
At this point, another race can be run (press 1) or the
programmed stopped (press 0).

MATH AS ART:

This is not a game, but just a demonstration of how
mathematics can be used to generate pretty pictures. What this
program does is generate a coarse color picture using the
mathematics of fractals. What are fractals you ask? Fractals
describe in a pictorial sense how fast certain equations tend
toward large numbers. Such descriptions are very useful to
mathematicians trying to solve very complicated problems which
may have many potential solutions. All we have to worry about






MATH AND LOGIC GAMES FOR KIDS User's Guide - Page 8


is that they can draw pretty pictures. The pictures drawn here
are very rough because I use screen text coordinates (40 boxes
wide by 24 boxes high). This was done to save computation
time. Using pixel (individual dots on the screen) coordinates
make prettier pictures, but take a lot of time to draw (about 60
times longer).

The program is very easy to use. Select MATH AS ART from
the menu screen. You are asked to enter some number between 0
and 20 (enter 999 to stop the program). Then, enter another
number from 0 to 20. These numbers are used to start the
drawing process and each pair of numbers gives a different
picture. Once these numbers are entered, the computer draws its
picture (the drawing process can be stopped by pressing the S
key).







MATH AND LOGIC GAMES FOR KIDS User's Guide - Page 9


MATH AND LOGIC GAMES FOR KIDS REGISTRATION FORM

If you use the shareware version of MATH AND LOGIC GAMES FOR
KIDS and like it, we ask that you register your copy. Upon
receipt of your registration, we will send you printed program
documentation including playing strategies and the equations
behind the mathematics. This material will enhance your
understanding of the programs. Also registration entitles you
to information about other KIDware programs and any future
program updates. Furthermore, registration allows us to
continue program development efforts. Thank you!

Please register my copy of KIDware's MATH AND LOGIC GAMES
FOR KIDS disk. The registration price is $11.95 (WA residents,
add 8.1% sales tax.)

Name ___________________________________________________________

Address ________________________________________________________

City _________________________ State _________ Zip _____________

Payment Method:

_______ Check _______ Money Order ______ VISA/MasterCard

Card Number _________________________________ Exp. Date _______

Signature _____________________________________________________


I obtained my copy of MATH AND LOGIC GAMES FOR KIDS from

________________________________________________________________

and my computer type is

________________________________________________________________

Send your registration to:

KIDware
1380 156th NE, Suite H2
Bellevue, WA 98007
(206) 725-4859