ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN LIMA NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 1992 RARE OFFICIAL TI EDUCATION CARTRIDGES: AN OVERVIEW AND COMMENTARY by Charles Good Lima Ohio User Group The word RARE in this series of articles refers to command module cartirdges that were produced in limited quantities and, for the most part, only sold to the public after TI announced they were getting out of the home computer market. This education software all bears 1983 copyrights by Addison Wesley and Scott Foresman. TI was to handle the manufacturing and distribution, but very few of these cartridges ever made it to retail store shelves, and you won't find many of them commonly available at any price from today's dealers such as TEX COMP, L.L.^Conner, and RAMCHARGED. Only the NUMERATION 1 module is commonly available. The early published history of these titles is interesting. Remember, these rare cartirdges are all c1983, and most only became available in limited quantities in 1984. A full page Scott Foresman ad on page 53 of the November 1982 99ER MAGAZINE (which was published at least a month before the cover date) illustrates instruction books for STAR MAZE, SPACE JOURNEY, and PICTURE PARTS. The same ad shows two TI titles I never heard of, A DOG ON A LOG and A GHOST IN THE HOUSE. Another full page Scott Foresman ad in the December 1982 issue of 99ER shows the FRACTIONS 1 package. ALL of the rare and not so rare Scott Foresman titles (all 12 READING cartridges, the 5 MATH ACTION GAMES, and all of the MATH COURSEWORK series cartridges) are listed in the Sept 1983 99ER MAGAZINE as being available from Soft-Tex of 3 Walnut Lane, Berwyn PA at prices between $40 and $59 each. Some of these command module titles were sold directly to the public by TI and by Scott Foresman after TI supposidly left the home computer market. A dealer ad in the September '84 issue Micropendium of lists some of the Scott Foresman titles for $25 Some titles appear in TRITON catalogs listed as "NEW" starting about 1987. We obtained ours as GRAM disk files converted from the TI COMMAND MODULE SIMULATER disks acquired by a member of the LITI user group. There are three general types of RARE educational cartridges; math games, math coursework drills, and language arts coursework drills. In the math game modules the emphasis is on the game action or logic rather than the ability to solve specific math problems. Examples include COMPUTER MATH GAMES I, III, and IV, as well as Scott Foresman games such as PICTURE PARTS and PYRAMID BUILDER. The player is asked to solve math problems, but sometimes if the player's answer to the problem is incorrect the computer displays the correct answer and the game proceeds more or less as if the problem had been correctly answered. Many math game modules are timed. In my case this sometimes means that even though I can solve the problems, if I don't solve enough of them fast enough because of the complexity of the game action, then I lose. Math coursework drill cartridges simulate classroom learning, and in fact many are probably best used in a classroom rather than home. The software tries to teach specific math concepts by solving sample problems for the student and then giving the student a series of problems to solve for himself. Examples are the Milliken Math Sequence series and the Scott Foresman Math Coursework series. Color graphics, music, and voice are often used to make a potentially dull drill more interesting and to reward correct student responses. Language arts drills include rare titles in the Scott Foresman READING series. Grammar, sentence structure, proper interpretation of text, and research skills such as dictionary and encyclopedia skills are among the topics taught. With the availability of this "new" 1983 math education software I think it is time for the many adult TI users to "return to our beginnings" and make this "new" software as well as many of the pre 1983 TI education cartridges available to our children and/or grandchildren. Dust off one of your "second" consoles and set it up for the kids. Lots of the pre 1983 products are available from dealers and newsletter ads for less than $5 each. If you have a GRAM device, you can get the rare software from us. THIS IS QUALITY STUFF, developed by two of this country's biggest publishers of elementary school textbooks. Almost all of TI's 3rd and 4th quarter 1983 television commercials land magazine ads for the 99/4A emphasized CHILDREN'S EDUCATION. The 99/4A has a unique combination of color graphics, musical sound generation, and speech synthesis not easily avialable on Apple or MS-DOS computers. Apple computers are the most common in public schools and I have seen lots of Apple education software. None of it talks! Most has no color. Barry Traver's home schooled son learned all his basic math using TI cartridges. Barry says, "I didn't teach him the math, the TI did." Let us return now to those glory days in the 4th quarter of 1983 when the TV was full of commercials promoting the 99/4A as a tool in elementary grade education and when lots of new education software was about to become available. THAT SOFTWARE IS HOW HERE!! -------------------------- RARE OFFICIAL TI EDUCATION CARTRIDGES: THE SCOTT FORESMAN MATH ACTION GAME SERIES reviewed by Charles Good Lima Ohio User Group Most of these games are more fun, in my opinion, than the "Computer Math Games" series. They are probably best used in a home rather than a classroom environment, since math concepts already learned are reinforced but you aren't taught any new concepts. It is necessary to solve a math problem in order to make a move. An incorrect answer sometimes results in the computer displaying the correct answer to the problem, but you don't get an explanation of HOW to obtain the correct answer. None of these c1983 games are mentioned in any TI promotional literature I have seen. They were all, apparently, released by Scott Foresman after "Black Friday", although they are mentioned in Scott Foresman ads prior to then. All these gemes have on screen instructions, make good use of music and color graphics, and have three levels of difficulty, usually labeled HARD, HARDER, and HARDEST. Although originally designed to be run from cartridges, we have all these games on library disks 112b and 114a in a format that will run out of extended basic without the need for a gram device. FROG JUMP This game for 1 or 2 players teaches counting and reading of basic numbers. It is NOT a "frogger" type of "cross the freeway" game. You and your opponent's frogs jump around the pond from one lily pad to another. You the answer of each displayed problem. If the answer is correct your frog will jump and you win lily pads. The faster you answer the more lily pads you win. The winner is the first player to win 20 lily pads. Problems are of the "Give 3 more than 48" or "52 54 56 58 Give the next number" type. SPACE JOURNEY You have two minutes to guide your space ship home to earth in this one player game. To move your ship you must answer a PERCENT problem correctly such as "Give 3.157 as percent" (315.7%). before you land you mist either intercept ten meteors or land on five different planets. After each correct answer you may do either. The game is not easy. If meteors hit your ship you become lost in space and the game ends. If you land on a planet some disaster usually occurs which requires you to solve extra problems to get off the planet. For example, "Your ship has engine trouble. You can repair it only if you answer two problems correctly." Finishing within the allowed two minutes isn't easy, even if you know the math! PICTURE PARTS This is, in my opinion, the most amusing of this group of math games. It resembles FACE MAKER. Every time you correctly answer a basic addition, subtraction, or multiplication problem you get your choice of parts to add to the face you are building on screen. Face shape, ears, nose, hat, mouth, eyes, etc are added one at a time. When you are finished you have a very amusing looking face that you yourself created. PYRAMID PUZZLER This is a two player game, or one person can play against the computer. The object is to be the first to climb to the top of the pyramid. If you land on your opponent's square he is pushed down one space. You get to move Left/right or up/down each time you answer a MULTIPLICATION problem correctly. Problems are basic "number fact" problems. STAR MAZE You move a little creature called THID through a maze to his home planet. Every time you correctly answer a division problem (no remainders) you can move THID two spaces in the maze with the arrow keys. Sometimes you bump into a BADID star that sends you further back from the end of the maze. This game is timed. The faster you solve the maze the more points you earn. You can select the time allowed (and hence the game's difficulty), 2, 3, or 4 minutes. NUMBER BOWLING I wrote about this game a couple of years ago as a "never released" module. Later I learned that it was sold in limited quantities. The game teaches DECIMALS AND FRACTIONS. You are asked a question and must solve it quickly. If the solution is correct you bowl your ball and the time required to solve the problem determines the number of pins knocked down and your score. You only get two seconds to solve the problem and get the maximum score of 10 pins. Usually I can't type the answer that fast even if I know the answer immediately, so I have never bowled a perfect game with NUMBER BOWLING. Still, it is fun to try. ---------------------------- RARE OFFICIAL TI EDUCATION CARTRIDGES: THE SCOTT FORESMAN MATHEMATICS COURSEWORK SERIES reviewed by Charles Good Lima Ohio User Group I can't say enough about nice things about this software. It is, in my opion, far superior to the MILLIKEN MATH SEQUENCES TI cartridge software many of us are familiar with. When it comes to teaching students NEW mathematical concepts, as opposed to just reinforcing previously learned concepts with drills, there is nothing better than the SCOTT FORESMAN MATHEMATICS COURSEWORK SERIES. None of the basic math education software for Apple or MS-DOS computers is as good, in my opinion. You can actually sit a student down in front of the computer, start up the module, and have the computer do the complete job of teaching the student an unfamiliar math concept without any further human intervention. I have done so with my 1st grade daughter and 5th grade son, and I have talked to a couple of elementary school educators who use 99/4As and who have confirmed that these cartirdges are actually self teaching. I find this amazing! This software is computer assisted learning at its very best. All cartridges in the MATHEMATICS COURSEWORK SERIES were written by Thomas Hartsig. They seem to be designed for in classroom use, but also can be used at home. Each makes liberal use of sprites and color graphics, music, and especially speech, and each is based upon a particular theme. The powerup cartridge menu gives a choice of several activities, the last being a random review of the others. At the beginning of each activity, the student is given the choice of 1- A TEACHING EXAMPLE, or 2- PRACTICE EXERCISES. Selecting 1- really shows the magic of the cartridge. The problem is set up graphically on screen step by step. Digits float around the screen as the problem is solved, and while all this is happening the computer TALKS the student verbably and with on screen words through each step of the solution. You really have to see all of this to appreciate how good these tutorials are. When 2- PRACTICE EXERCISES is selected a problem is displayed and the student is asked to solve it digit by digit, usually from right to left, just as the problem would be done with pencil and paper. A wrong answer gets a "try again" the first time. If the student waits too long the computer prompts on screen and verbabally "your turn" a couple of times and if no solution is attempted the computer then solves the problem. If too many problems in a series are solved incorrectly or not at all the computer says "you can do better than this" and immediately begins to display some additional TEACHING EXAMPLEs. The better known software in this series, cartridges that are not rare, include ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION 1, ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION 2, MULTIPLICATION 1, and DIVISION 1. The activities of the "rare" c1983 cartridges are listed below. Both NUMERATION cartridges are listed in TI's last 1983 price list. None of the others are mentioned in official TI promotional literature. NUMERATION 2- at the carnival. This was available from some dealers in late 1983 but was less commonly available than Numeration 1. TI, in its 1983 pamphlet "Texas Instruments Home Computer Program Library" lists this cartridge as appropriate for "late elementary, 10-12 years". 1- 4 DIGIT NUMBERS. (Write four thousand two hundred five. Which digit is in the hundred's place?) 2- COMPARE NUMBERS. (Which of two is larger?) 3- Rounding numbers (To the nearest 10s with 5 or more rounding to the next digit.) 4- 5 AND 6 DIGITS 5- 7, 8, AND 9 DIGITS 6- DAILY USE OF NUMBERS (Weigh produce on a scale and round to the nearest 10 ounces.) 7- REVIEW. MULTIPLICATION 2- Mighty Multiplication. This has a cute graphic of a little flying super hero, Mighty, who saves the day if you answer correctly. I wrote about this module previously under the topic of "never released software" but I subseqeuntly found it listed on some TRITON catalogs. 1- MULTIPLYING 10 AND 100. (3x10=? 3x100=?) 2- MULTIPLES OF 10 AND 100 (3x7=? 3x70=? 3x700=?) 3- 2 AND 3 DIGITS TIMES 1 DIGIT. 4- 2 DIGITS WITH RENAMING. (I used to call this "carrying".) 5- 3 DIGITS WITH RENAMING. 6- MORE THAN 1 RENAMING. 7- WORK PROBLEMS. 8- REVIEWING IT ALL ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION 3- Adventures in Addition and Subtraction. 1- ADD 2 DIGIT NUMBERS. 2- SUBTRACT 2 DIGIT NUMBERS 3- REGROUP OBJECTS ("13 ones equals 1 ten and 3 ones.") 4- ADD WITH RENAMING 5- SUBTRACT WITH RENAMING 6- ADD 3 DIGIT NUMBERS 7- SUBTRACT 3 DIGIT NUMBERS 8- REVIEW. NUMERATION 1- Under the Big Top. TI considers this suitable for "early elementary 5-7 years" The cartridge was available from some dealers by the end of 1983 but I never personally saw one in the stores. 1- NUMBERS TO 9 2- COMPARE NUMBERS (3<5) 3- HOW MANY TENS 4- NUMBERS TO 99 5- NUMBERS IN ORSER ("5 is one less than 6.") 6- ORDINAL NUMBERS (First, second, third, etc.) 7- NUMBERS TO 999 8- REVIEW FANTASTIC FRACTIONS 1 1- WHAT IS A FRACTION 2- A FRACTION OF MANY ("How many boxes are black? How many total boxes are there? What fraction are black?) 3- EQUAL FRACTIONS (1/2 = 2/4) 4- MIXED NUMBERS (Whole number plus fraction, such as 2 1/4) 5- APPLICATIONS (Show 5 1/3 on ruler scale.) 6- REVIEW DECIMAL DELI 2 There is reference to a DECIMAL 1 in the literature, but I havn't ever seen DECIMAL 1. 1- PLACE VALUE (ones, tens, tenths, hundredths, thousandths; 92.475 equals "ninety two and four hundred seventy five thousandths") 2- COMPARING, ORDERING ("5.374 is greater than 5.334") 3- CONTING PLACES (35.8284, four decimal places) 4- MULTIPLYING DECIMALS 5- ZEROS IN THE PRODUCT (0.04 x 0.1 = 0.004; "We need two zeros in front of the four to make three decimal places.") 6- APPLYING DECOMALS (Each roast beef sandwich costs $3.93. What is the cost of 7 sandwiches?) 7- DELI REVIEW