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Galactic Geometry 3D

Learn volume and surface area with this 3D space game!

Enjoy challenging action, vivid animation and sound with three difficulty levels.

Understand how equations relate to geometric forms, practice mental math and arithmetic. Get it now!

 

Galactic Geometry is a 3D educational game that offers an exciting environment for serious learning about geometric figures. As obstacles hurtle toward them, players calculate volume and surface area. The software encourage true understanding of equations and provides mental math practice. With five types of rocky debris tumbling through space in vivid animation, lots of sound and music, three difficulty settings, and relentless brain-racking action (with time-freeze capabilities thrown in for the really tough parts), Galactic Geometry brings math to your PC in style.


DOWNLOADS:

Download version 1.6

for Windows (2.1 MB)

Windows 95 or later, DirectX 7 or later



"The game is well done with a wide variation in difficulty and even more importantly
it encourages alertness and mental acuity" -- User review, WinSite


Blast your way out of an asteroid field

Galactic Geometry introduces 3D objects in an outer-space arcade setting. After viewing instructions, players encounter geometric figures in the form of large rocky obstacles looming closer and closer. They must analyze the shapes and calculate the volume or surface area to fire off the correct laser charge before impact.

Each successful shot increases score and brings the player closer to warping to the next level. When the player enters the wrong answer and misses a shot, he or she can try again until the obstacle gets too close. If an object hits the player's ship, the protective shields drain a portion of the energy reserve--too many collisions and the ship's energy runs out, ending the game.

But you'll need your thinking cap on

Galactic Geometry 3D was designed to be just as educational and challenging as it is fun and engaging. Looking at the forms from every angle, students relate the objects to their equations for true understanding. In the starting level, rectangular prisms (box-shaped objects) are shown divided into 1 x 1 x 1 cubes to aid comprehension and visual analysis.

Looking at the object and the additional information in the ship's display (such as length, height, and width) the player must use the relevant formula to find the correct answer and type it in before a collision happens. This provides lots of practice in arithmetic and encourages mental math. As players progresses through the games levels, they learn and use the volume and surface area equations for each type of object. The levels are cumulative, including some objects from previous levels, so the students must remember the equations and bring the proper ones into play. One of the equations is presented and then practiced on each level, and a Quick Reference file is also included for additional study.



BUY NOW!

Individual License (one computer or one home)

$11.95

Site License

(one school or organization site)

$119.95

District licensing also available.



Skills you need

Volume and surface area are crucial skills for students to understand, and they are used in many careers and tasks. Geometry represents a key area of math education, and proficiency in arithmetic and mental math will propel people further in almost any job or project. Students and adults who lack these skills will face a disadvantage in some areas of life and work. Our societies, too, need people with math skills so that our nations and industries can overcome challenges and achieve goals.

Galactic Geometry offers practice and help with these skills and concepts. Anyone, young or old, can use this game as an aid in their efforts to learn and improve.

Enjoy the ride

A journey through space should be interesting. Besides bright laser bursts and five types of three-dimensional objects drawn with several textures against the stars, Galactic Geometry is packed with sounds that accompany every action and epic music to provide the audio background for this learning adventure. Dynamic text and gauges fade in and out, drawing attention when they are needed.

Alarms clang as rocks draw near and fill the screen with their bulk, stars drift by and then seem to stretch into streaks of light as the ship warps to a new level, keys bleep as laser charges are entered, and rumbling collisions shake the view port when obstacles slam into the shields, all against melodies that set the mood for adventure, hope, and struggle--the typical feelings for a challenging space mission. But there's only so much time to enjoy the sights and sounds, because more of the dangerous asteroids keep spinning into view.


KEY FEATURES:

3D outer space setting, zapping obstacles that spin toward the ship

Lots of sound and music

Ten content levels covering five geometric objects

Three difficulty levels with different game speeds, performance requirements, and operand ranges
Great math practice



EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS:

Players see geometric objects from every angle, and equations are related to the forms for better understanding

Excellent environment for mental math and arithmetic practice

Answers are entered, rather than using multiple choice

   Students can make multiple attempts to answer, until obstacle collides with ship
   Engaging feedback and in-game instructions


Math practice galore

Not only are players encouraged to learn and apply the equations and to understand them in relation to the shapes they are working with, but they are also immersed in an environment which encourages mental arithmetic.

Galactic Geometry goes above and beyond the predictable products and sums, asking for products of products, sums of products, and products of sums. It's a chance for exceptional students to progress further and put their abilities to practice, and for struggling students to build confidence and ability in a fun environment with continual drilling, instant feedback, and graduated difficulty.

The game assumes knowledge of the basic arithmetic tables, but it may be useful for students who need help in that area if they use the easiest difficulty setting. The most successful in mental math will probably be those who view math flexibly rather than adhering to rigid procedures; for example, 39 x 5 might be calculated more easily as (40 x 5) - 5.

Calculators could be used now and then for the really difficult moments, but the speed and graphic nature of the game naturally encourage doing the math mentally whenever possible; fumbling with a calculator takes time, and performing calculations in the head will be rewarding in short-time self-esteem and long-term mathematical ability. Another option is to have a bit of scratch paper handy for the more difficult problems in higher levels. It's also possible for two students to play as a team, with one entering the answers.

The time freeze capability will provide a few extra seconds for calculations in a pinch.

Galactic Geometry includes practice with a variety of objects including rectangular prisms, irregular prisms, triangular prisms, cylinders, and cones.

A wrong answer means a bit of the ship's energy is wasted to fire the laser beam, but the player gets to try again until the rock gets too close to the ship.


WHAT'S NEW IN 1.6:

Better speed adjustment and performance requirements for difficulty levels

Music and sound volume control

More availability for time freeze

Expanded trial mode
New registration system


DOWNLOADS:

Download version 1.6

for Windows (2.1 MB)

Windows 95 or later, DirectX 7 or later


BUY NOW!

Individual License (one computer or one home)

$11.95

Site License

(one school or organization site)

$119.95

District licensing also available.


Developer's note

I had two major goals in mind when developing Galactic Geometry. First, I wanted to make a 3D educational game where the 3D aspect was actually related to the content and contributing to understanding of the concepts, rather than using 3D graphics only to make unrelated content more entertaining. Finding volume and surface area of obstacles is directly related, and presenting the objects in three dimensions helps convey the concepts, especially when the figures are divided into cubic units.

Second was my concern that many students need more practice and drilling in arithmetic and mental math. I wanted to provide a fun yet challenging environment for improving basic skills, aiming to go a little beyond the norm for ed games and hopefully make a difference for the better. Math skills are important, and no society can afford to fall behind.

I hope that you find Galactic Geometry 3D useful for learning and enjoyable for playing.

--Curry Kenworthy


Older downloads

Version 1.0

(This is an older version of the software. See the main download link above to get the current version.)


Volume and surface area equations

 

Rectangular prism (Box)

- Box volume = Length x Width x Height

- Box surface area = sum of areas of six sides

= 2 (Length x Width) + 2 (Width x Height) + 2 (Length x Height)

= 2 (L W + W H + L H)

 

Irregular prism (Any prism)

- Prism volume = Area of one end x Length

- Prism surface area = Area of sides

= (perimeter of end (plus any inner hole perimeters) x length)
+ 2 (area of end)

 

Triangular prism

- Triangular prism volume = Triangle area x Length

= 1/2 L W H

= half the volume of a similar box

- Tri. prism SA = rect. base + 2 (tri. ends) + 2 (equal rect. sides)

= L W + 2 (1/2 W H) + 2 (L SH)

= L W + W H + 2 L SH
or alternatively, L (W + 2 SH) + WH

 

Cylinder

- Cylinder volume = base area x height

= Pi (R squared) H

- Cylinder surface area = 2 (circular ends) + circumference x height

= 2 (Pi R squared) + (2 Pi R) H

= 2 Pi R (R + H)

 

Cone

- Cone volume = 1/3 Pi (R squared) H

- Cone surface area = base area + average of circumference along slant height

= Pi (R squared) + 1/2 (2 Pi R SH)

= Pi R (R+SH)

© 2000-2005 Curry Kenworthy
Portions © Dark Basic Software

All rights reserved.

The author will not be responsible for any consequence of using this software; the user assumes full responsibility. The software is provided "as-is" without warranties of any kind. See the license agreement file for full terms of use.

For including with CD shareware collections, etc., please contact the author for permission at least two weeks before finalizing content.

 

Enjoy your software!

 

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