When to Lead with Space Academy

Lead with Space Academy when the buyer says "STEM," "hands-on," or "motorized" — or when the conversation is upper elementary / early middle school and the need is coordinate geometry, graphing, ratio, rate, or percent. The motorized racer is the hook: students build a real vehicle, collect real distance and time data, and use the math to complete a rescue mission. That combination of engineering and mathematics is what distinguishes Space Academy from everything else in the catalog.

Finding P.I.P.E.R. covers coordinate plane, ordered pairs, graphing, and polygon classification for grade 5. Journey to Titan covers ratio, unit rate, percent, and proportional reasoning for grade 6. Both use the same motorized racer (Circuit Cubes™ E.E.V.) but cover different math and are sold separately. A school doing Finding P.I.P.E.R. in 5th grade can add Journey to Titan in 6th — same format, same racer, next-level math.

When NOT to lead with Space Academy: If the buyer needs fractions (lead with Mega Mini Games). If the buyer needs algebra or equation-solving (lead with Essentials). If the buyer is grade 3 and needs area/perimeter/multiplication (lead with PRISM). Space Academy is specifically for coordinate geometry + graphing (grade 5) and ratio + rate + percent (grade 6). The motorized racer is compelling, but it only matters if the math matches the need.

The 30-Second Pitch

Two labs, same motorized racer, different math. In Finding P.I.P.E.R., students are recruited as cadets in Space Academy on a rescue mission. They design a crew badge on the coordinate plane, locate a stranded robot using ordered pairs, build a motorized racer, collect real distance and time data, create graphs to predict outcomes, classify polygons to decipher a security code, and execute a planetary evacuation. Coordinate geometry and graphing, grade 5. In Journey to Titan, cadets receive a new distress signal. They design a team flag using ratio and scale, build the racer, conduct time trials to find unit rate, calculate changing speeds, create a flight plan using percent increase and decrease, decode a launch sequence, and complete the rescue. Ratio, rate, and percent, grade 6. Both are 10 sessions, 15–20 hours, and the racer kits are fully durable — buy once, use every year. The teaching portal runs every session. Supplemental — built for enrichment, STEM blocks, or flex days.

What to Show in a Meeting Rep Only

If you have 60 seconds

Open an Explore page for Finding P.I.P.E.R. or Journey to Titan and show photos of students building the motorized racer and collecting data. The racer is immediately visible — this is math that produces a real vehicle and real measurements. Have the page open before the meeting starts.

If you have 5 minutes

Show the session arc for whichever lab matches their grade level. For Finding P.I.P.E.R.: start with Session 2 (Locate P.I.P.E.R. — ordered pairs on a grid map), jump to Session 3 (Build the E.E.V.), then Session 6 (Create Graphs — students plot their own data and make predictions). For Journey to Titan: start with Session 3 (Time Trials — calculating unit rate from real data), Session 6 (Changing Speeds — variable rate), Session 7 (Flight Plan — percent increase and decrease). The arc is narrative mission → build a racer → collect data → use the math to solve the mission.

If you have 15 minutes

Walk through the teaching portal for one lab. Open a data collection session — Session 5 (Collect Data) for Finding P.I.P.E.R. or Session 3 (Time Trials) for Journey to Titan — and advance through 4–5 slides. Show the structure: Howie's video walkthrough, the student activity, the timer. Then show Session 3 for P.I.P.E.R. (Build an E.E.V.) where teams construct the motorized racer. The physical construction is what gets students invested — they build something that moves, then the math is about understanding and predicting that movement. End with the standards alignment.

If you're meeting a teacher specifically

Show the teaching portal from their perspective. Click through 5–6 slides of a data session, play Howie's video walkthrough. Teachers see immediately that the slides run the session and the video shows exactly what to do. Then show how the narrative connects: each session is a step in the rescue mission, so students have a reason to be precise with their data and careful with their math — the mission depends on it. That narrative structure is what makes data collection feel purposeful rather than procedural.

Presentation Decks

Tailored slide decks for different audiences. Open in Google Slides, present directly or make a copy to customize.

For Teachers & Coaches Coming Soon

Motorized racer, data collection, teaching portal walkthrough, session arc.

For Principals Coming Soon

STEM integration, visible engagement, standards coverage, pilot proposal.

For Coordinators Coming Soon

Standards alignment, supplement positioning, math-engineering bridge.

For District Leaders Coming Soon

Two-year STEM sequence, funding pathways, pilot + evaluation.

Space Academy–Specific Objections Rep Only

These are objections specific to this product line. For universal objections (budget, time, evidence, digital), see the Scenarios page.

This looks more like science or engineering than math

The motorized racer is the data source, not the learning objective. In Finding P.I.P.E.R., students build the racer in one session, then spend the remaining sessions plotting coordinates, graphing distance-time data, analyzing patterns, and classifying polygons — that's 5.G, 5.OA, and 5.NBT. In Journey to Titan, the racer generates real distance and time measurements that students use to calculate unit rate, find proportional relationships, and solve percent increase and decrease problems — that's 6.RP and 7.RP. The engineering context creates a reason to be precise with data and careful with calculations. The math standards are the same ones in their textbook.

We need two separate purchases for this?

Finding P.I.P.E.R. and Journey to Titan cover different math. P.I.P.E.R. is coordinate geometry, ordered pairs, graphing, and polygon classification — grade 5 content. Titan is ratio, unit rate, percent, and proportional reasoning — grade 6 content. A school might need one or both depending on their grade levels. The racer kits are identical, but the missions, data activities, and mathematical content are completely different. A 5th-grade teacher doesn't need percent increase and decrease; a 6th-grade teacher doesn't need coordinate plane introduction.

Building a car sounds chaotic — how much class time does that take?

The build session is one session out of ten. The Circuit Cubes™ racer kits are designed for classroom assembly — snap-together components, no tools, no soldering. Teams of four students build one racer. The build itself takes most of a class period, but it's structured with slides and a video walkthrough like every other session. After that, the racer is built and ready for data collection for the remaining sessions. The construction is front-loaded specifically so the rest of the lab is about the math.

What if the racers break?

The Circuit Cubes™ components are designed for repeated classroom use — they're snap-together construction, not fragile electronics. Students build and rebuild as part of the design process. The racer kits are fully durable and included in the one-time kit purchase. If a motor or battery pack does fail, individual replacement components are available, but in practice the kits hold up across multiple years of classroom use.

Our textbook already covers coordinates / ratio and rate

It does — and coordinates and ratio are topics where the gap between "can do the procedure" and "understands the concept" tends to be wide. A student can plot an ordered pair on a worksheet and still not connect coordinate geometry to spatial reasoning. In Finding P.I.P.E.R., students plot coordinates to locate a robot on a planet map, then use the coordinate plane to classify polygons and decipher a security code. The context makes the abstraction concrete. In Journey to Titan, students calculate unit rate from measurements they collected themselves — their own racer, their own data. That's different from reading a rate off a table in a textbook. The labs don't replace your textbook's unit. They give students a context where the math has a physical referent and a narrative purpose.

Can students who struggle with math access this?

The narrative and physical materials are specifically designed to be accessible. Students who struggle with abstract math often do better when there's a physical object generating the data and a story providing the reason. In Finding P.I.P.E.R., the coordinate plane isn't an abstract grid — it's a map of a planet, and the ordered pairs locate something specific. In Journey to Titan, rate isn't a formula to memorize — it's how fast their racer actually moves, and they measure it themselves. The collaborative team structure means students who are strong in different areas support each other. The teaching portal provides scaffolding at every step.

What's in the Kit

Each lab ships separately. The Circuit Cubes™ motorized racer kits are the core durable component — buy once, use every year. Both labs share the same racer platform but include different mission-specific materials. Print consumables (maps, flags, data sheets, mission cards, graph paper) are available as refill packs.

Finding P.I.P.E.R.

Circuit Cubes™ motorized racer kits (E.E.V.)

Tape measures and stopwatches

Oversized planet maps and grid sheets

Crew badge templates and coordinate plane posters

Data recording sheets and graphing paper

Construction paper, markers, stickers

Quick reference booklet

Journey to Titan

Circuit Cubes™ motorized racer kits (E.E.V.)

Tape measures and stopwatches

Mission planning sheets and data recording forms

Team flag templates and design materials

Graphing paper and calculation sheets

Construction paper, markers, stickers

Quick reference booklet

Standards by Session

Finding P.I.P.E.R. — 10 Sessions

Coordinate plane, ordered pairs, graphing, polygon classification

Session	What Students Do	Standards
1	Crew badge — plot & connect points on the coordinate plane	5.G.A.1
2	Locate P.I.P.E.R. — ordered pairs & grid-based problem-solving	5.G.A.1, 5.G.A.2
3	Build an E.E.V. — engineering design	—
4	Predict rate — generate & analyze patterns	5.OA.B.3
5	Collect data — standardized measurement & recording	6.RP.A.3
6	Create graphs — plot data & make predictions	5.OA.B.3
7	Simulate rescue — place value & multiplication at scale	5.NBT.A.1
8	Decipher code — plot vertices & classify polygons	5.G.B.3, 5.G.B.4
9	Reactivate transmitter — interpret graphs & tables	5.OA.B.3
10	Evacuate the planet — rate, ratio & graphing	5.OA.B.3, 6.RP.A.3

Journey to Titan — 10 Sessions

Ratio, unit rate, percent, proportional reasoning

Session	What Students Do	Standards
1	Team flag — ratio & scale design	6.RP.A.1
2	Build E.E.V. & predict — rate & data	6.RP.A.2
3	Time trials — unit rate	6.RP.A.2, 6.RP.A.3
4	Rate predictions — proportional reasoning	6.RP.A.3
5	Develop accuracy — precision & measurement	6.RP.A.3
6	Changing speeds — variable rate	6.RP.A.3, 7.RP.A.2
7	Flight plan — percent increase & decrease	6.RP.A.3, 7.RP.A.3
8	Decode launch sequence — ratio & percent	6.RP.A.3
9	Send TYRO to Titan — apply rate & ratio	6.RP.A.3
10	Evacuate the planet — rate, ratio & percent	6.RP.A.1–3

PD Workshop Connection

How PD works with Space Academy

In the half-day PD workshop, the facilitator uses a Space Academy session as the core activity — typically a session where the math and the mission intersect, such as Session 2 (Locate P.I.P.E.R. — ordered pairs on a grid map) for Finding P.I.P.E.R. or Session 3 (Time Trials — calculating unit rate) for Journey to Titan. Teachers experience the session as learners first: they plot coordinates on oversized planet maps, collect and record data, and work through the math collaboratively. Then they unpack the teaching moves with the facilitator: how to set up the activity so teams stay organized, how the narrative drives precision, how to use Howie's video walkthroughs effectively, and how the teaching portal scaffolds each step. They leave understanding both the mathematical content and the pedagogy of narrative-driven, hands-on instruction.

The sentence for the buyer: "We offer a half-day PD workshop where a nationally recognized math educator leads your teachers through a Space Academy session — they work through the mission activities themselves, then unpack the teaching moves. It's genuine professional development on structuring hands-on, narrative-driven math instruction. $3,995, up to 30 teachers, fundable through Title II-A as a separate line item from the kits."

Pair With

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Mega Mini Games: The Next Big Game (Grade 5)

Complement to Finding P.I.P.E.R. for 5th grade. The Next Big Game covers fraction operations through physical games — different math domain, different materials, same enrichment time slot. Schools with enough flex time can run both in 5th grade, or use one per semester.

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Essentials: Balance Lab (Grade 6)

Natural next step after Journey to Titan. Balance Lab covers equation-solving through a physical balance and cups-and-cubes — different math, same hands-on philosophy. Schools doing Journey to Titan in 6th can add Balance Lab in 6th or 7th for the algebra bridge.

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Games Library (Free)

Use as a lead-in. Send a teacher 2–3 free print-and-play games that connect to coordinate geometry or ratio concepts, follow up in two weeks, ask how students responded. If the games land, propose the full Space Academy lab experience. The free games demonstrate the collaborative format with zero commitment.

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The Full 3–8 Sequence

For district-level conversations: PRISM (grade 3) → Design Game X (grade 4) → The Next Big Game + Finding P.I.P.E.R. (grade 5) → Journey to Titan + Balance Lab (grade 6) → Slope Lab (grade 7+). Space Academy anchors grades 5–6 in the middle of the sequence, bridging elementary fractions and middle school algebra.

Pricing

Each lab is priced and sold separately. Same price structure, same kit sizes. The racer kits are identical — schools buying both labs get two sets of racers.

Finding P.I.P.E.R. — Coordinate Geometry & Graphing (Grade 5)

Kit Size	Teams / Students	Price	Per Student
Starter Kit	2 teams · 8 students	$299	~$37
4-Team Kit Lead with this	4 teams · 16 students	$549	~$34
Full Kit	7 teams · up to 28 students	$895	~$32

Journey to Titan — Ratio, Rate & Percent (Grade 6)

Kit Size	Teams / Students	Price	Per Student
Starter Kit	2 teams · 8 students	$299	~$37
4-Team Kit Lead with this	4 teams · 16 students	$549	~$34
Full Kit	7 teams · up to 28 students	$895	~$32

Circuit Cubes™ motorized racer kits are fully durable — no replacement needed. Print consumables (maps, flags, data sheets, graph paper) available as refill packs. Cost per student is for 15–20 hours of instruction per lab.

Add PD: $3,995 for a half-day workshop, up to 30 teachers. Fundable through Title II-A (separate budget line from kits). See the Funding Guide for details.