CYBERCHASE Training

Math & Sports2007 - 2008

Agenda

• Welcome & Introductions

• Introduction To Cyberchase

• Cyberchase 2007 – 2008

• Materials Review

• Sign Up To Join “The Chase”!

Workshop Objectives

By the end of today’s presentation, you will:

• be a Cyberchase Expert!

• learn how to use the Cyberchase television episodes and corresponding educational materials to help the children in your program better understand mathematical concepts;

• have an opportunity to sign up to receive free Cyberchase educational materials through 2008.

What is ?

Promotion & Advertising Campaign

National Outreach & Teacher Training

ExternalEvaluation

Website

Comprehensive Print Materials

Cyberchase TV Series

THE SERIES

The CYBERCHASE project strives to…

Help 8- to 11-year-olds develop and sustain enthusiasm for math;

Help children develop skills in reasoning and problem solving;

Demonstrate the usefulness of mathematical thinking;

Help children see math in the everyday world;

Change children’s perceptions of math and foster an “I can do this!” attitude.

The CYBERCHASE Mission

• Broadcast on 300+ PBS stations & digital channels in 50 states (95% of TV households)

• Download your favorite episode at– Google Video, Amazon Unbox, Open

Media Network, & iTunes

• A big hit with kids of all ages

• Skews evenly between boys and girls

• Nearly 1/3 of the audience is African-American or Hispanic

• Nearly 5 million viewers tune in every week

• Ranks in the top tier of the PBS Kids line-up

• CYBERCHASE is effective! According to research, CYBERCHASE viewers are better problem-solvers and are more confident about math relative to non-viewers

72 half hour 72 half hour episodes on airepisodes on airas of fall 2007as of fall 2007

CYBERCHASE is Popular and Effective

Action-packed Adventures• Packed with mystery, humor, and action, the TV show features a team

of curious kids who outwit, outsmart, and outlast the bad guys in their adventurous quest to save Cyberspace.

• Centers on the classic battle of good vs. evil.

• One of the original inspirations for the series was Alice in Wonderland.

• Each episode takes place on a different fantasy “Cyber-site”.

• Key to show’s success is that it shows ordinary kids—not teenagers or adults—using brain power to solve mysteries and problems.

The Series

The Good Guys Jackie: African-American suburban girl; a

“drama queen,” over the top, the “organizer.”

Inez: Latina city girl; stubborn and talkative, loves animals and has a cat.

Matt: Caucasian country boy; kinesthetic learner; backpack full of gadgets.

Digit: Wisecracking, loudmouthed Cyberbird.

The Series

The Bad GuysHacker: Pompous, power-hungry, conniving. Wants to take over Cyberspace. A good guy turned bad. Wears a pocket protector.

Buzz: Hacker’s bumbling henchman. Short and round; not the sharpest tool in the shed.

Delete: Hacker’s other bumbling henchman. Tall and skinny; not the brightest star in the heavens.

The Series

The Premise• Hacker is on a dastardly mission to “crash” Motherboard,

and take over all of cyberspace.

• Jackie, Inez, and Matt are whisked into cyberspace to help

Motherboard and prevent Hacker’s victory.

• In each episode, the kids must thwart Hacker’s diabolical plans with their only weapon: BRAIN POWER!

The Series

“Sneaky Learning”

• Math content is an integral part of the humor, mystery, adventure, and fun of the series;

• Series content guided by NCTM math standards, classroom experience of math educators, and cognitive research;

• Each episode focuses on the exploration of a single math concept;

• Applies math to real-world problem-solving.

The Series

The Series

What’s the “BIG IDEA”?

• Each episode is built on a single math concept or skill.

• All mysteries and problems in the episode relate to the BIG IDEA.

• The Cyber kids are challenged to apply this concept or skill to a variety of situations.

Important to note. . .• Some characters may not “catch on” to math concepts immediately;

• Problems are broken down into simple steps;

• Characters employ different strategies and learning styles;

• Solutions come with process and persistence.

The Series

“For Real”• Each episode is immediately followed by a live-action epilogue where “The Big Idea” is applied to real life.

• Bianca and Harry constantly encounter conundrums and challenges that require math skills and brain power.

• Each epilogue is exactly five minutes long and provides a stand-alone overview of the concept and its applications.

The Series

Cyberchase OutreachCyberchase Outreach

• Extend learning into homes, classrooms, libraries, museums, and after school programs nationwide.

•Special focus on reaching girls, minorities and underserved kids, particularly those without ready access to technology.

• Support teaching and learning through a network of outreach partner organizations.

•Directly connect with educators at professional conferences through presentations, trainings and exhibits.

•Drive viewers to the TV program and visitors to the Web site.

Outreach Goals

• Year-long outreach to PBS stations, libraries, museums/science centers and after school sites nationwide

• Key Partnerships, Collaborations, & Grant Recipients– PBS Stations – After School and Educational Programs such as:

• AAHPERD• American Library Association (ALA)• Association of Science & Technology Centers (ASTC)• Children’s Aid Society• Children’s Museum of Houston• Girl Scouts• Girls Incorporated• National Engineers Week Foundation• Sally Ride Science

Outreach Partners

Cyberchase – The Chase Is On!• Created in partnership with the

Children’s Museum of Houston• 1500 sq. ft. bilingual traveling exhibit• Visiting 14 cities over 5 years including:

– The New York Hall of Science; Flushing, NY– EdVenture; Columbia, SC– Minnetrista; Muncie, IN– Chicago Children’s Museum; Chicago, IL– Port Discovery; Baltimore, MD– Austin Children’s Museum; Austin, TX

Museum Outreach

Cyberchase OnlineCyberchase Online

Site includes:

• Over 40 multi-level math games

• Streaming video

• Webisodes

• Family activities & teacher materials

• Opportunities to submit drawings and stories

Statistics:

• Over 1.3 BILLION page views to date

• 650,000 “unique visits” per week

• An online poll indicates that 85% of visitors are seven or older

www.pbskidsgo.org/cyberchase

Cyberchase Online

Visit Cyberchase Web Sitewww.pbskidsgo.org/cyberchase

• Visit “For Parents & Teachers”• Check out “News & Events• Play games!

Educational Materials Available Online

Thematic Initiatives from previous seasons of Cyberchase featured:

• “Know Your Dough”– Tackled topics such as saving, spending and budgeting, CYBERCHASE

to help children learn smart money skills they can use their whole lives

• “Super Cyberchase Science”– Illustrated how math can unlock and help children explore science ideas

• “Math in Science & Engineering”– Helped children think like engineers, who use both math and science to

solve practical problems and create valuable and useful things for our everyday world

• “My Big Idea”– Presented and modeled the problem-solving process behind inventing

used by mathematicians, scientists, and engineers

New Themes

2007 - 2008

2007 – 2008 CYBERCHASE Themes

Kids love sports, and sports are rich with opportunities to use numbers, find patterns and develop winning strategies. CYBERCHASE Math & Sports challenges kids to “get active with math”!Topics Include:Data CollectionNumbers & OperationsRepresentationAngles

Math & Sports Activity Example

Math & Sports Activity Example

2007 – 2008 Resources Available

Available Now:• Cyberchase Comic books• Cyberchase Posters

Coming Soon:• “Builders’ Math” DVD and CD-Rom• “Math in Sports” DVD and CD-Rom

Wrap Up

• Questions

• Please make sure that you have signed up to continue to receive Cyberchase materials

• Email us at cyberchase@thirteen.org if you would like to request additional materials

• Stayed tuned for more information from Cyberchase!

Thank You!