Maths in Town Squared: maths on the Building Site

All the Building Site puzzles involve loading building materials, like the wooden blocks here in the Frames activity, onto a platform to make it balance.  

There are three activities in the Building Site game. In all activities, the task is to load up a platform with building materials so the builders on the floors above can keep working. The quantity and type of materials varies depending on the activity. In return for completing several loads, the child receives a quest ticket.

At the start of the activity, the mentor explains how to complete the task: drag items onto the platform, then tap the crane to test if it is balanced. There are piles of building materials along the bottom of the screen, two platforms side by side, and a number sentence underneath the platform with an equals sign in the middle. The number sentence displays a question mark over the part of the equation that can be changed, and the place to drop materials is highlighted. When materials are dragged on or off the platform, the question mark is replaced by the relevant number. 

The child can keep moving items on or off the platform as they think through their answer, and the number sentence automatically updates whenever an item is added or removed. When they are ready to test their solution, they can tap the crane to start lifting. This approach allows children to think through their answers in their own time, and test for the solution when they feel ready. 

If the number sentence is in balance, the platform lifts smoothly to the floors above. The builders immediately use the materials and celebrate the help they’ve received. The mentor shows their progress towards the quest ticket, and the next puzzle is presented. On each subsequent turn they get a different number sentence, with the difficulty increasing gradually over multiple turns. 

If the number sentence is not balanced, the platforms topple and the building materials crash to the ground. The child then receives feedback and is encouraged to try again. The child gets 3 attempts at each equation; on the fourth try, the game presents a puzzle from an easier level. 

There are three activities in the Building Site, each with a different type of equivalence challenge. 

Frames

Children complete a number sentence by stacking wooden blocks that all have a value of 1. This is the easiest activity, using whole number addition or subtraction to balance the equation. It explores different ways that a number sentence can be written, and how the concept of balancing the equation is always consistent. It also helps children make a clear visual connection with the number of items on the platform and the way these amounts are represented in numerals below.

All the Building Site puzzles involve loading building materials, like the wooden blocks here in the Frames activity, onto a platform to make it balance.

Walls

Children complete a number sentence using blocks of different values. Children use a conversion table to work out how to balance the load on either side of the equals sign. This activity uses addition or subtraction in combination with multiplication to balance each load. Early levels use small quantities and simple number sentences, then gradually the quantities increase and sentences become more complex.

Building Site - Walls puzzles involve loading building materials with different values. You need to use the Weight guide to work out how to make it balance.

Decorations

Children construct a number sentence using all the available materials, which have unknown values. This is the most challenging activity and allows children to explore different strategies to work out the value of the boxes, and to construct the number sentence in any way they choose - as long as it balances! 

Building Site - Decorations puzzles have building materials with different (consistent) values, but with no guide. You need to experiment to work out how to make it balance.