What It Is

Finding P.I.P.E.R. is a 10-session, 15–20 hour Math Lab where students work as cadets on an interstellar rescue mission. They plot coordinates on oversized planet maps, build a motorized racer (the Exoplanet Exploration Vehicle, or E.E.V.) using Circuit Cubes™ kits, collect distance and time data with tape measures and stopwatches, and graph that data to locate and rescue a stranded robot. Materials include the motorized racer kits, ramp materials for data collection, oversized grid maps, crew badge templates, coordinate plane posters, and data recording sheets.

Students start by working directly on the coordinate plane — plotting points, reading ordered pairs, navigating grid maps. As the mission progresses, they move from plotting to collecting real measurement data, then to graphing that data and using the graphs to make predictions. By the final sessions, they're using rate, ratio, and polygon classification to execute the rescue — applying coordinate geometry and data analysis in the context of a sustained, collaborative project.

How the Curriculum Works

The Lab opens with students designing crew badges on the coordinate plane — plotting points and connecting them to create a design. In Session 2, they use ordered pairs to locate P.I.P.E.R.'s position on a large grid map of Proxima Centauri b. Session 3 shifts to engineering: students assemble their motorized E.E.V. from Circuit Cubes™ components. In Sessions 4 and 5, they develop methods to predict the racer's rate and then collect precision data — timing runs down ramps, measuring distances, recording results in data tables. Session 6 is where they graph the data and use the graphs to predict how far the E.E.V. will travel in a given time.

The second half of the Lab builds on that foundation. Students simulate the rescue using place value and multiplication to calculate travel distances at scale. They decipher a security code by classifying polygons plotted on the coordinate plane — identifying shapes by their properties to unlock P.I.P.E.R.'s systems. They reactivate the robot's transmitter by interpreting graphs and tables, and in the final session they plan a planetary evacuation using rate and ratio calculations to coordinate the escape.

Who It's For

• 5th grade teachers looking for hands-on supplemental curriculum in coordinate geometry and graphing
• 6th grade teachers who need review and enrichment in coordinates and data
• Afterschool and summer program directors who want structured STEM programming with built-in teaching guidance
• Curriculum coordinators looking for standards-aligned supplements that work alongside any core curriculum — no adoption process required

What's in the Kit

All materials are physical and fully durable — buy once, use every year. Consumable items are limited to paper-based maps and data sheets.

• Circuit Cubes™ motorized racer kits (E.E.V.)
• Ramp materials for data collection
• Tape measures and stopwatches
• Oversized planet maps and grid sheets
• Crew badge templates and coordinate plane posters
• Data recording sheets and graphing paper
• Construction paper, markers, stickers
• Quick reference booklet

10 Sessions at a Glance

Every session runs through a web-based slide portal at algebrastudio.org. Howie is the on-screen instructor in embedded video mini-lessons — he introduces each task, demonstrates the math, and guides students through the activity. The slides run the session. Open the kit, follow the slides, and go.

Sessions run between 45 and 90 minutes, with some extending longer at the teacher's discretion. The curriculum works as a daily block (3–4 weeks), a twice-weekly enrichment (5–10 weeks), or an afterschool/summer program. It supplements any core curriculum — students learn coordinate geometry and graphing through their regular instruction, and Finding P.I.P.E.R. is where they apply those concepts with physical materials and collaborative problem-solving.

Sample Lessons