Keep students engaged with fun arcade games! NGPF’s newest arcade game, Shady Sam’s Slick Wheels, and its companion Shady Sam: Loan Shark both give your students the chance to flex their math and decision-making skills.

1. Shady Sam’s Slick Wheels

Shady Sam’s Slick Wheels turns your classroom into a car dealership negotiation.

Students take on the role of a shady car salesperson who needs to maximize their profits. Through pressure, upselling, and scare tactics, they help 3 customers choose the best deal - for the dealership!

2. Shady Sam: Loan Shark

Shady Sam: Loan Shark makes number-crunching fun - and devious!

Students will learn the “tricks of the loan trade” as they play the role of a loan shark and try to maximize their profits. They learn how high fees, high interest rates, and long loan terms can make a loan more costly for the borrower.

Amp up the Math

After playing, consider how you can bring in math connections by having students:

• Discuss how add-ons and fees could impact the overall cost of the car, especially if financed over time
• Explore how the monthly payment or total repayment might change with or without certain upgrades
• Compare different student scenarios and ask, “Who got the better deal and why?” using math reasoning to support their claims
• Brainstorm strategies a smart buyer might use to avoid overpaying, and how those strategies could be backed by math

Pair these games with related math activities, such as:

• APPLICATION: Recursive Formulas for Loan Balances
• APPLICATION: Compare Loan Payments by Building a Spreadsheet
• CALCULATE: The Cost of Auto Loans
• CALCULATE: Impact of Credit Score on Loans
• DATA CRUNCH: Who Has Consumer Debt (by Age Group)?

About the Author

Kathryn Dawson

Kathryn (she/her) is excited to join the NGPF team after 9 years of experience in education as a mentor, tutor, and special education teacher. She is a graduate of Cornell University with a degree in policy analysis and management and has a master's degree in education from Brooklyn College. Kathryn is looking forward to bringing her passion for accessibility and educational justice into curriculum design at NGPF. During her free time, Kathryn loves embarking on cooking projects, walking around her Seattle neighborhood with her dog, or lounging in a hammock with a book.

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