Cedric’s Cartesian Quest: Math app part 1

What is Cedric’s Cartesian Quest?

Cedric’s Cartesian Quest is a free iOS iPad app developed by the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) to support middle school students—especially those who are blind or have low vision—in strengthening their understanding of the Cartesian coordinate plane through engaging, accessible gameplay. In Cedric’s Cartesian Quest, students embark on a magical adventure as Cedric, a young wizard tasked with defending his forest from invading monsters using the power of math. Gameplay takes place on a coordinate grid, where students complete challenges by locating points, plotting shapes and solving geometry-based puzzles. Each level presents a new task—such as identifying coordinates, drawing polygons or applying symmetry—requiring students to apply their knowledge of the Cartesian plane. With each successful challenge, Cedric gains strength and moves closer to protecting his home, blending academic learning with fun, interactive storytelling.

Cedric’s Cartesian Quest in the App Store

Bridging the gap

Bridging the gap between tactile Cartesian planes and digital tools like Desmos is essential for helping students with visual impairments develop confidence in using digital math tools. While tactile graphing tools provide foundational understanding through hands-on exploration, students must eventually transition to digital environments where math is increasingly taught and assessed. Cedric’s Cartesian Quest serves as a meaningful bridge, reinforcing spatial reasoning and coordinate plane concepts in a digital, screen reader–friendly format. By practicing these skills in an engaging touch screen app before moving to more complex platforms like Desmos, students gain the confidence, vocabulary, and orientation needed to navigate digital math tools with greater independence.

One of the powerful features of using an iPad for accessible math instruction is the touchscreen itself. For students with visual impairments, the ability to physically explore the screen allows them to develop a concrete understanding of spatial relationships. When working with a digital Cartesian plane, the student can locate their finger in a specific quadrant—for example, the top right—and understand that both the x and y coordinates in that area are positive. In Cedric’s Cartesian Quest, this tactile-spatial connection is reinforced as students receive prompts like “two less on the x-axis and one more on the y-axis.” The student can then drag their finger left two units and up one to physically trace that movement, and the app confirms the new coordinate through audio feedback. This direct interaction between finger position and coordinate output strengthens both spatial reasoning and number sense in a uniquely accessible way.

Why TSVIs are excited about Cedric’s Cartesian Quest

Designed for Accessibility
The app is fully compatible with VoiceOver and includes zoom features, making it an inclusive tool for students who are blind or have low vision.
Curriculum-Aligned Content
It supports key middle school math standards, helping students master coordinate plane concepts, geometry and symmetry through practice and play.
Engaging Format
The fantasy-themed game format captures students’ attention and keeps them motivated to practice math skills in an immersive environment.
Bridges Tactile and Digital Learning
Teachers value how the app supports the transition from tactile graphing tools to digital formats, reinforcing the same concepts in a new medium.
Promotes Independence
Students can navigate the game and complete challenges independently, giving them a sense of accomplishment and reducing the need for constant adult support.
Builds Tech Confidence
The app encourages students to use screen readers and touchscreen gestures in a purposeful way, supporting broader technology skill development.
Easy to Integrate
Teachers appreciate that it can be used as a supplemental activity or integrated into structured lessons, making it a flexible addition to the classroom.

App overview and interactive tutorial

For more details about the game, tap the How to Play button located on the home screen. This section is especially helpful for teachers, as it provides an overview of game mechanics, objectives, skills addressed and important instructional tips. Before beginning the game, it’s essential that both students and teachers go through the interactive tutorial to understand the layout, navigation and core math concepts. The interactive tutorial in Cedric’s Cartesian Quest, titled “Introduction: Are You Ready for the Adventure?”, sets the stage for students by combining story-driven excitement with foundational skill-building. In this guided walkthrough, players meet Cedric and his owl companion Aleithia and begin learning how to navigate the coordinate grid using touch gestures and audio prompts. The tutorial introduces key concepts such as identifying points, interpreting coordinates and understanding quadrant layout—all in an accessible, supportive environment. This introduction not only orients students to the gameplay but also builds confidence and familiarity with the screen layout, ensuring they are ready to take on the challenges ahead.

Cedric’s Cartesian Quest Video 1: Overview and interactive tutorial:

Note: The instructions for coordinate plane quadrants screen, simply states, “Tap the coordinates in the upper-right, upper-left, lower-left and lower-right corners.” The key is the word “corners”; you must tap on the coordinate points (6, 6), (-6, 6), (-6, -6), and (6, -6).

App options

To begin, tap the Start button. Cedric’s Cartesian Quest includes 13 quests, each with multiple adventures designed to reinforce math skills through engaging gameplay.

Tap the More button next to any quest to access key information and customization options:
- Math Goal(s) of this quest
- Skills to Practice
- Prerequisite Math Skills
- Math Terminology
- Number of Times to Play
  - This setting allows the quest to repeat with new content each time (e.g., different coordinate points). Increasing the number of times provides extra practice and helps reinforce learning.
  - This is especially useful for students who required guidance the first time; repeating the quest with different content allows them to build independence.
  - The default is set to 1, meaning the student advances after completing the quest once.
Times Played
- Displays how many times the student has completed that quest. This count can be reset on the Cedric’s Quest screen.

Note:

With VoiceOver off, scroll down manually after “Skills to Practice” to see all available options.
With VoiceOver on, use a right swipe gesture to navigate through each setting.

When ready, select the desired adventure, then tap the Play button in the bottom-right corner to begin.

Cedric’s Cartesian Quest Video 2: Options

Game play

Game layout

The story text appears in the top left quarter of the screen.
The Help button is located above the Previous Step button in the bottom left corner.
The Cartesian plane occupies the right three-quarters of the screen.

Navigation commands

Swipe right to move through the story or instructions.
Drag your finger across the screen to explore the coordinate grid—keep your finger in contact with the screen for continuous feedback.
Use a split tap to select a data point or activate an item.
Swipe up or down to go through the Help items.

Need to hear something again?

To repeat critical information, such as the coordinates again, navigate to the Help button and swipe up or down.

Cedric’s Cartesian Quest Video 3: Game

Summary – How Cedric’s Cartesian Quest supports algebra

Cedric’s Cartesian Quest lays the groundwork for algebra by helping students build essential skills on the coordinate plane. Through interactive gameplay, students practice plotting points, identifying coordinates, and exploring geometric concepts like symmetry—all of which are foundational to understanding linear equations and functions. The app reinforces spatial reasoning, mathematical vocabulary, and directional concepts, providing a strong base for future algebraic thinking. Designed with accessibility in mind, it offers an inclusive path for students with visual impairments to engage meaningfully in early algebra learning.

Resources

The TEAM Initiative is developing a series of step-by-step lessons designed to help students with visual impairments build the skills needed to transition from tactile graphing to digital platforms like Desmos. These lessons provide guided instruction, practice opportunities, and accessible strategies that support both educators and students throughout the learning process.

TEAM Initiative web page

Graphing Concept series:

Graph Board to Desmos series:

Post 1: Setting up Jaws for Desmos
Post 2: Plotting points and navigating Audio Trace
Post 3: Representing functions in Desmos
- Input functions into the expression list
- Create tables from functions
- Navigate tables
- Editing expressions
- Sharing a graph
Math resources: XY Coordinate Pegboards
Coordinates and Clues: Decode the Desmos riddle (gamified lesson with video tutorial)
Graph it out! Understanding linear equations with Desmos and JAWS (gamified audio tracing lesson with video tutorial)

The Cedric’s Cartesian Quest post, written by Diane Brauner, was created as part of the TEAM Initiative to support Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TSVIs) in teaching foundational technology and algebra skills through engaging, accessible math apps. This resource helps students with visual impairments build the tools they need to explore digital coordinate planes, develop early algebraic thinking and succeed in digital math alongside their peers.

If you would like more information about the TEAM Initiative, contact Leslie Thatcher at [email protected].

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