5thJanuary 2005
NEW - Maths Circus Act 4 and Maths Circus Act 5 are now available.
(UK / European versions)
Best-selling series
The Maths Circus series has been extremely popular ever since the publication of Act 1 in 1993. The series is now used in schools around the world to help children enjoy mathematics and develop their problem-solving skills. The recent addition of Maths Circus Act 4 and Act 5 make this already successful series even more educationally useful.
NEW - Maths Circus Act 4 and Maths Circus Act 5
Maths Circus Act 4 and Act 5 are in effect completely new versions of the successful Maths Circus Acts 1 & 2. Although the new programs are based on Maths Circus Acts 1 & 2 they offer much more than the earlier versions. Just like Maths Circus Act 3 the puzzles in Maths Circus Acts 4 and 5 have 120 levels in total, split equally into Basic and Advanced challenges, instead of the one challenge with 60 levels of the original programs. The puzzles in each of these two new Maths Circus titles have an excellent pedigree, they are similar to those in Maths Circus Acts 1 and 2 but they have been extended with many new challenges added. Some puzzles are totally new, whilst others have new twists to them. New graphics and animations have also been used throughout to make the screens more appealing.
Two Challenges and 120 levels
Each of the twelve puzzles has five Basic levels for children in the early years of schooling, and the five Advanced levels for children who are ready for more of a challenge. In many of the puzzles, the hardest level will present a challenge to students of any age group - even some teachers! However, each title's User Guide contains a "hints and solutions" section in case you get stuck. The adaptability of the 120 levels, and the various teacher control options, ensure each program can be made suitable for a wide range of student ages and abilities.
Act 4 puzzles
Many mathematical topics are covered including positive and negative numbers, addition, multiplication, sums involving money, 2 and 3 dimensional geometry, sorting by colour and shape, the physics of pendulums and trajectories, and even programming sequences of movements. More importantly, the puzzles challenge and encourage students to think for themselves.
Act 5 puzzles
Many mathematical topics are covered including sorting by colour and shape, arithmetic including factors and "shopping sums", 2 dimensional geometry and spatial awareness (triangles, regular polygons, folding and packing puzzles), the physics of trajectories and electrical switching, and simple programming. Above all though, the puzzles are designed to make you think for yourself.
Facilities for teachers
Each package contains a comprehensive User Guide which includes a section on hints and solutions for busy teachers. Each CD-ROM contains a set of worksheets (in PDF format) that can be printed for classroom use. Teachers can control music and sound effects, decide which levels of which puzzles are available, and inspect, cut-and-paste or print details of students' progress. The user interface of each title is similar to its predecessor so moving up from Maths Circus Act 1 or Maths Circus Act 2 should be an easy process.
Still available: the original packages!
The original Maths Circus Act 1 and its sequel Maths Circus Act 2are still as popular as ever, and remain in daily use in thousands of schools around the world. Whilst these original packages are being kept available for the time being we strongly recommend that anyone new to the Maths Circusseries should consider using Act 4instead of Act 1. Most of the puzzles from Act 1also appear in Act 4, but with extra levels, covering a much wider range of ages and abilities, and with updated graphics and teacher controls. There are some new puzzles, too. Similarly we recommend Act 5 instead of Act 2.
Upgrades from Maths Circus Act 1 and Maths Circus Act 2
If you already have a single user or site / network licence for either of these original packages, and wish to upgrade to the newer versions, please contact 4Mation and enquire about our special upgrade prices.