The Next Big Game is a 10-session Math Lab where student teams play three oversized fraction games — Rollerslide, Collision, and Apex — using ramps, double-sided game boards, marbles, curling pucks, and bean bags. Then they design and build a complex original game and present it at a Game Expo.
Students start with physical fraction work — measuring and marking a meter stick, adding and subtracting fractions with like denominators in structured mini games. Then the games get harder: Rollerslide introduces unlike denominators through ramp-and-marble scoring, Collision introduces fraction multiplication on a game board, and Apex introduces fraction division on a track. By the time students design their own game, they've used fraction operations as scoring mechanics, measurement tools, and design constraints — moving from physical gameplay to original game design where the math is embedded in every decision.
How the Curriculum Works
The first five sessions put students inside structured fraction games, each targeting a different operation. The second five sessions flip students from players to designers — they plan, build, test, and present a complex original game.
- Session 1: Make a meter stick — measure, mark, and label fractional units on a blank strip, building a reference tool used throughout the lab.
- Session 2: Play Mini Games — add and subtract fractions with like denominators using game cards, dice, and meter sticks.
- Session 3: Play Rollerslide — roll marbles down 200cm ramps and score by adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators.
- Session 4: Play Collision — flick curling pucks across a double-sided game board (33″×22″) and multiply fractions to calculate scoring zones.
- Session 5: Play Apex — toss bean bags along a 55″ track and divide fractions to determine final scores.
- Sessions 6–7: Receive design training, draft a game plan with rules that require fraction operations.
- Sessions 8–9: Build the game using craft materials and physical components, create a scorecard that requires fraction operations.
- Session 10: Game Expo — every team presents, plays, and evaluates each other's games.
Who It's For
- 5th grade teachers looking for hands-on supplemental curriculum in fraction operations
- 4th and 6th grade teachers who need fraction review or enrichment
- Afterschool and summer program directors who want structured STEM programming
- Curriculum coordinators looking for standards-aligned supplements that work alongside any core curriculum — no adoption process required
What's in the Kit
All materials are physical and fully durable — buy once, use every year.
- Rollerslide mats (200cm polypropylene tracks)
- Collision game boards (33″×22″, printed both sides)
- Apex mats (55″ polypropylene tracks)
- Hot Wheels tracks and connectors
- Marbles, curling pucks, bean bags, ping pong balls
- Connector straws and craft materials
- Player's guides, planners, jobs poster, teamwork poster
- Quick reference booklet
10 Sessions at a Glance
Every lesson runs through a web-based slide portal at algebrastudio.org. Howie is the on-screen instructor in embedded video mini-lessons — he introduces each task, demonstrates the math, and guides students through the activity. The slides run the session. Open the kit, follow the slides, and go.
Sessions run 45–90 minutes, with some extending longer at the teacher's discretion. The curriculum works as a daily block (3–4 weeks), a twice-weekly enrichment (5–10 weeks), or an afterschool/summer program. It supplements any core curriculum — students learn fraction operations through their regular instruction, and The Next Big Game is where they apply those concepts with physical materials and collaborative problem-solving.
Sample Lessons
Standards by Session
The Next Big Game covers equivalent fractions, adding and subtracting fractions with like and unlike denominators, multiplying fractions, and dividing fractions. It doesn't replace your core instruction on these topics. It gives students a place to apply what you're already teaching, using physical materials and collaborative problem-solving.
| # | What Students Do | Standards |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Make a meter stick — equivalent fractions; fraction of a whole | 4.NF.A.1 |
| 2 | Play Mini Games — add & subtract fractions with like denominators | 4.NF.B.3 |
| 3 | Play Rollerslide — add & subtract fractions with unlike denominators | 5.NF.A.1 |
| 4 | Play Collision — multiply fractions | 5.NF.B.4 |
| 5 | Play Apex — divide fractions | 5.NF.B.7 |
| 6–9 | Design, build & test advanced fraction games | 4.NF–5.NF |
| 10 | Game Expo — present, play & evaluate games | 4.NF–5.NF |
Career & Workplace Connections
Each Next Big Game lesson includes a one-page Workplace Connection brief that profiles a professional who uses the same math students are learning that day. Examples include:
- Recipe developer — scales ingredient quantities using fraction multiplication and division when adapting recipes for different serving sizes
- Sound engineer — mixes audio tracks using fractional adjustments to balance volume levels across channels
- Carpenter — adds and subtracts fractional measurements when cutting lumber and fitting materials to precise dimensions
These profiles connect academic content to career pathways across culinary arts, audio production, manufacturing, and construction.
Professional Development
The teaching portal provides step-by-step guidance for every session.
Professional development for Algebra Studio focuses on teaching practice — structuring hands-on learning, facilitating collaborative problem-solving. Led by a nationally recognized math educator, teachers work through a Next Big Game session as learners — rolling marbles down Rollerslide ramps, flicking pucks across Collision boards, scoring with fraction operations. Then they unpack the teaching moves with the facilitator: how to structure the teamwork, where students get stuck, what questions to ask, when to step back.
Details
- Half-day workshop, up to 30 participants
- $3,495
- Led by a nationally recognized math educator
- Teachers experience a full lab session as learners, then unpack the pedagogy
- Fundable through Title II-A professional development funds
Evaluation Partnership
Structure a rigorous study using your own assessments, your own comparison groups, and your own timeline.
Research Design Options
Option A
Simple Pre/Post
Administer a brief assessment before and after the Lab, using district benchmark questions or the Algebra Studio assessment.
Option B
Delayed-Start RCT
Half of participating classrooms begin first, the other half a few weeks later. Assess all students after the first group completes the project. Use an Algebra Studio pre/post or your own assessment.
Option C
Matched Comparison
Compare participating classrooms to non-participating classrooms with similar demographics and prior achievement.
Option D
Implementation + Perception Study
Document implementation fidelity, student engagement, and teacher perception alongside quantitative measures.
Kit
Teams are 4 students each.
Full Kit
Full-class including materials for all 7 Next Big Game teams.
- 7 team material packs
- Complete game board library with all game pieces
- Game design kits with craft supplies
Cost Per Student
$1,295 ÷ 28 students = $46 per student. 15–20 hours of instruction. Game boards are durable — only paper-based design materials need replacing.