Review by Debbie Gorrell, Common Sense Education | Updated October 2014
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5th Grade Math Planet – Fun Math Game Curriculum

Get it now
  • Download on Google Play
  • Download from App Store
  • Download on Amazon

Practice and build fluency with engaging games and fact drills

Subjects & skills
Subjects
  • Math
Skills
  • Character & SEL
  • Critical Thinking
Grades This grade range is a recommendation by Common Sense Education and not the developer/publisher.
4–5
Common Sense says (See details)
Teachers say (1 Review)
Price:  Free to Try, Paid
Platforms:  Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Kindle Fire, Fire phone

Take a look inside

5 images
Kids have to unlock a level to move on to the next one.
The Skill Tracker shows performance across content areas.
Kids use a number line to help them identify and visualize equivalent fractions.
In this activity, kids use their knowledge of place value to multiply large numbers.
Kids work with fractions by partitioning shapes.

Pros: Fun mini-activities and drills build comprehension and fluency; kids can track their progress with an easy-to-use, comprehensive tracking tool.

Cons: Hints and feedback are lacking, so kids need prior knowledge of fifth-grade math skills.

Bottom Line: A fun, engaging practice tool that targets important fifth-grade math skills.

How Can I Teach with This Tool?

The mini-activities are not organized by content, so you'll need to spend time reviewing the activities before using them in the classroom. Luckily, as you progress from one planet to the next, you'll find that the activities demand increasingly advanced skills. You could use the game as a pre-assessment in the beginning of the year, and then as a mid-year and final assessment. Kids should work independently, but they can take turns and share devices since the game accommodates multiple users. Have kids complete one set of planet activities at a time. Use the Math Facts activities for building fluency in addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division. 

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Standards:

5th Grade Math Planet – Fun Math Game Curriculum for Kids is a comprehensive practice tool with more than 30 levels of games and plenty of math fact drills. The mini-activities range in theme and include challenges that require kids to identify rational numbers and equivalent fractions on a number line, compare numbers, multiply, divide, partition shapes, calculate elapsed time, add and subtract angles, and more. Kids earn coins and stars for correct answers, and as they progress, the activities become more difficult. The Math Facts problems are typical drills that require speed and accuracy. Kids can choose to practice addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division. The Skill Tracker feature provides a graphical display of kids' performance in specific content areas such as parts and wholes, add and subtract fractions, place values in decimals, and much more.

The game accommodates multiple player profiles, making it easy to share devices in the classroom. The Android version offers free, limited gameplay for grades 2 through 8. Addtional grade-level curriculum can be purchased. 

The game addresses several Common Core standards and teaches kids about multiplication, division, fractions, decimals, angles, shapes, place value, elapsed time, and number sense. Kids can access mini-activities that cover a range of topics within each "Planet," and they must complete a level within a planet to get to the next level. Difficulty increases as kids play, even within a single mini-activity. For example, in a number line activity, kids start by identifying individual fractions. Then, they identify equivalent fractions and sums of fractions on the number line. In the Math Fact section, kids focus on building fact fluency. They choose a mathematical operation and then try to complete drills as quickly and accurately as possible. Kids don't receive feedback for incorrect answers; adding more features for feedback and progress tracking by a teacher or parent would add even more value to this worthwhile tool. Ultimately, this app is best suited to targeted practice rather than full curriculum support. 

Overall Rating
Engagement Is the product stimulating, entertaining, and engrossing? Will kids want to return?

The mini-activities have variety and get more challenging as kids play, making the learning experience quite engaging.  

Pedagogy Is learning content seamlessly baked-in, and do kids build conceptual understanding? Is the product adaptable and empowering? Will skills transfer?

The built-in adaptive learning tool automatically adjusts to kids' skill levels. Hints and feedback could improve the learning experience. 

Support Does the product take into account learners of varying abilities, skill levels, and learning styles? Does it address both struggling and advanced students?

The Skill Tracker gives a comprehensive view of kids' progress and areas of strengths and weaknesses. The mini-activities have clear, concise instructions and include brief tutorial animations. 

Common Sense Reviewer
Debbie Gorrell
About our ratings and privacy evaluation.

Key Standards Supported

Number And Operations In Base Ten

  • 5.NBT.5

    Fluently multiply multi-digit whole numbers using the standard algorithm.

  • 5.NBT.6

    Find whole-number quotients of whole numbers with up to four-digit dividends and two-digit divisors, using strategies based on place value, the properties of operations, and/or the relationship between multiplication and division. Illustrate and explain the calculation by using equations, rectangular arrays, and/or area models.

  • 5.NBT.1

    Recognize that in a multi-digit number, a digit in one place represents 10 times as much as it represents in the place to its right and 1/10 of what it represents in the place to its left.

  • 5.NBT.2

    Explain patterns in the number of zeros of the product when multiplying a number by powers of 10, and explain patterns in the placement of the decimal point when a decimal is multiplied or divided by a power of 10. Use whole-number exponents to denote powers of 10.

  • 5.NBT.3.b

    Compare two decimals to thousandths based on meanings of the digits in each place, using >, =, and < symbols to record the results of comparisons.

  • 5.NBT.4

    Use place value understanding to round decimals to any place.

Number And Operations—Fractions

  • 5.NF.1

    Add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators (including mixed numbers) by replacing given fractions with equivalent fractions in such a way as to produce an equivalent sum or difference of fractions with like denominators. For example, 2/3 + 5/4 = 8/12 + 15/12 = 23/12. (In general, a/b + c/d = (ad + bc)/bd.)

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Teacher Reviews

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Featured review by
Catrina B. , Researcher
Researcher
Creative App for fractions
I liked the game. I found it very engaging. The games were not repetitive. It cover many fraction topic: identifying, adding, estimating. There is also a math facts section where skills can be tested and tracked. The student earns coins and can buy new avatars and planets.
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