What's the game about?

Muchos Tacos puts students in charge of their own virtual taco trucks, serving hungry customers by quickly and accurately calculating their orders. Students receive menu-based orders represented by symbols and must efficiently determine totals, applying mental math and early algebra skills. All earnings from individual taco trucks combine to boost a class-wide total displayed on the public screen, promoting both collaboration and friendly competition. The game dynamically adjusts difficulty, challenging each student at their ideal level—moving from simple orders using easy-to-calculate numbers (like 2, 5, and 10) to increasingly complex scenarios involving decimals, percentages, and discounts.

The Math:

Muchos Tacos emphasizes fluency in mental calculations, algebraic thinking, multiplication, addition, subtraction, decimals, percentages, and real-world number sense. Students naturally practice rapid mental math and flex multiplication strategies learned in class or from peers, such as recognizing that 4 x 6 is double 4 x 3 or solving 5 x 9 as (5 x 10) - 5. Early algebra concepts are seamlessly embedded through the symbolic representation of menu items, encouraging students to reason abstractly. Advanced levels introduce decimals and percentage-based coupons, allowing students to apply rounding strategies and proportional reasoning in real-world contexts.

Teacher Tips:

Encourage Multiplicative Thinking: Move students beyond repeated addition by highlighting efficient multiplicative strategies. Ask questions like, "If we know 4 x 3 is 12, what is 4 x 6? How do we know?"

Model Recording Methods: Encourage students to use pencil, paper, or whiteboards to track larger orders. Demonstrate helpful recording strategies, such as rounding and adjusting—calculating 6.99 x 5 by first multiplying 7 x 5, then subtracting the extra 0.05 per taco.

Highlight Efficient Strategies: Use the "most missed questions" feature to project challenging problems onto the board. Facilitate discussion, inviting students with efficient strategies to explain their thinking, helping peers see the advantages of multiplicative and algebraic thinking.

Utilize Data to Inform Instruction: Regularly review the game-generated data to identify which students need targeted support or further challenges. Adapt your instruction based on insights from each session.

Celebrate Class Progress: Regularly discuss class totals and improvements to motivate students, highlighting growth and encouraging continuous effort.

Unique Features:

Dynamic Difficulty Levels: The game automatically adjusts the difficulty level based on each student's performance, ensuring appropriate challenges and continuous engagement from foundational arithmetic to complex decimals and percentages.

Low Floor, High Ceiling: Muchos Tacos provides entry points for all learners while offering unlimited potential for more advanced students, creating an inclusive, engaging environment for diverse skill levels.

Real-Life Context: Students engage deeply by managing their taco trucks, developing number sense and mathematical reasoning through authentic, relatable tasks.
Embedded Algebra: The symbolic menu naturally integrates algebraic thinking into everyday calculations, fostering abstract reasoning skills early in students' mathematical journeys.

Embedded Algebra: The symbolic menu naturally integrates algebraic thinking into everyday calculations, fostering abstract reasoning skills early in students' mathematical journeys.