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CYBERCHASE Training
Math & Sports
2007 - 2008
Agenda
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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.
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What is
Comprehensive
Print Materials
Promotion &
Advertising
Campaign
National Outreach
& Teacher Training
Website
Cyberchase
TV Series
External
Evaluation
THE SERIES
The CYBERCHASE Mission
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.
CYBERCHASE is Popular and Effective
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72 half hour
episodes on air
as of fall 2007
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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
The Series
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 Guys
Hacker: 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
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.
The Series
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.
Cyberchase Outreach
Outreach Goals
• 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 Partners
• 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
Museum Outreach
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:
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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
Cyberchase Online
Cyberchase Online
Site includes:
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Over 40 multi-level math games
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Streaming video
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Webisodes
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Family activities & teacher materials
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Opportunities to submit drawings and stories
www.pbskidsgo.org/cyberchase
Statistics:
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Over 1.3 BILLION page views to date
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650,000 “unique visits” per week
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An online poll indicates that 85% of visitors are seven or older
Visit Cyberchase Web Site
www.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 Collection
Numbers & Operations
Representation
Angles
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 [email protected] if you
would like to request additional materials
• Stayed tuned for more information from
Cyberchase!
Thank You!