The second app that I chose to review for the blog is called Rocket Math Free. As you can see by its name, it is a free app that involves rockets and math. There are actually a lot of different things you can do on this app. One of the modes you can build a rocket of your own. However, each part of the rocket costs money and the only way to accumulate money to buy the parts is to solve math problems. The main mode of the app is going on "math missions." You do this by selecting what kind of problems you want to solve. The options available are numbers, time, U.S. money, shapes/patterns, and multiply and divide. Then you launch your rocket into space and they will give you a question with the answer on falling stars and you have to tap the correct stars as quick as you can. Depending on how you do you are given a medal. If you get gold medals you get to move on and the missions become harder.
Pros- The biggest pro of this app is definitely that it offers a lot for free. The second pro is the variety of problem types the app offers. You can solve anything from addition problems to early basic geometry questions.
Cons- This isn't the full version so to complete the missions on the app you would have to purchase the full version.
This would be a great app to use for children learning about the topics covered in the app. There are three different levels of difficulty that you can set it to. That would allow students struggling and those with a better understanding to both use this app as further practice to follow up a lesson.
This app really had a lot more features to it than I expected (but it is the same company that makes Pres vs. Aliens so not too unexpected) and it would really be a good way to get students interested in doing math. There's a lot of distracting features to it so I wouldn't recommend it is used for anything but to help students study or as a reward. I could really see students loving to play this game, like I did, and being driven to do better to earn better medals. It is similar to my app, Splash Math 3, in that it offers basic math problems in a colorful and exciting way, and would both be good apps to use in the right way in a classroom.
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