Justin Owens · Educator
MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH · 13+ YEARS TEACHING

Turning math class into a game worth leveling up for.

I'm Justin Owens — a 7th/8th grade math teacher who got tired of watching kids check out, so I built Guilds, XP economies, and boss battles into the curriculum instead. This is where I share the systems, the games, and the book that came out of it.

See the Classroom Games Get Brick by Brick Learning
Justin Owens
THE TEACHER BEHIND THE SYSTEMS

Hi, I'm Justin.

I've spent 13+ years teaching, with a background that spans both computer science and math — which is probably why I couldn't leave my classroom alone once I started thinking about it like a game designer instead of just a curriculum-follower.

I teach 7th and 8th grade math, plus Math 2, and I run a homeroom period called Knight Time built around a sci-fi/superhero world I call Numeria. Most of what's on this site grew out of trying to answer one question: what if showing up to math class felt more like starting a session than sitting through a lecture?

13+years teaching
10character classes in Multiverse Math
19games & labs in Numeria
THE FRAMEWORK

Multiverse Math

My gamified classroom framework for math courses, inspired by Scott Hebert's Press Start to Begin. Students join Guilds, pick from ten character classes, and work through quest tiers instead of a plain assignment list — earning XP and Gold along the way.

Grades are never based on XP. The game layer sits alongside the actual math, not in place of it — it's there to make showing up and doing the work feel like progress worth tracking.

Guild structures XP / Gold economy 10 character classes Quest tiers
GAME MANUALS
Coming soon
RUNS ON
Numeria HQ + Canvas LMS
THE TOOLKIT

Classroom Games

Every game and lab lives inside Numeria, my classroom game hub. It runs in any browser — Chromebooks and the projector included — and every problem students solve earns XP and Gold on one class leaderboard.

A 51-second tour of every game and lab.

Games

12 games · one leaderboard
Screenshot of Numeria Cup INTEGERS · RATIONAL NUMBERS

Numeria Cup

A soccer tournament where every pass, tackle, shot and save is a problem — and every miss shows the rule.

See the game → Screenshot of Numeria Arena LIVE PvP DUELS

Numeria Arena

Two students battle with their characters in real time, solving problems on any topic you choose to land each attack.

See the game → Screenshot of Numeria Raid WHOLE-CLASS BOSS FIGHT

Numeria Raid

You run the raid on the projector. Students solve on their own devices, and every correct answer damages the boss.

See the game → Screenshot of Grapple Line PYTHAGOREAN · DISTANCE · TRIG

Grapple Line

Students rig ziplines across canyons and towers — every tower, canyon and cable drawn to scale.

See the game → Screenshot of Targeting Console DISTANCE FORMULA

Targeting Console

Enemy ships drift across a radar grid. Find the horizontal leg, the vertical leg, then the distance — then fire.

See the game → Screenshot of The Reliquary Casebook SURFACE AREA

The Reliquary Casebook

A mystery where each relic is sealed by finding its exact surface area, face by face.

See the game → Screenshot of Race to Numeria HQ COORDINATE GEOMETRY

Race to Numeria HQ

Scout a ruined town sector by sector. Locked doors and hidden caches open with correct answers.

See the game → Screenshot of Dungeon Crawl: Free General O RATIONAL & IRRATIONAL NUMBERS

Dungeon Crawl: Free General O

A team review game you run from the front of the room — pick rooms off the board, solve, earn points.

See the game → Screenshot of Dungeon Crawl: Mirror Maze TRANSFORMATIONS

Dungeon Crawl: Mirror Maze

The team review game for Math 2: reflections, translations, dilations and congruence.

See the game → Screenshot of Village: Shelter in the Storm VOLUME · SURFACE AREA · CUBE ROOTS

Village: Shelter in the Storm

Walk a village map, visit building stations, and earn badges before the storm hits.

See the game → Screenshot of Village: Next Mission Prep RIGHT TRIANGLE TRIG

Village: Next Mission Prep

Train at four stations to master SOH-CAH-TOA and angle of elevation, then clear the Mission Board.

See the game → Screenshot of Numeria and Beyond PROPORTIONAL REASONING

Numeria and Beyond

A story RPG: explore rainy Portland alongside Evelyn, Miles and Henry, with story labs like the Ghost Cart and the Shanghai Tunnels.

See the game →

Hands-On Labs

7 labs · student data saved
Screenshot of Proportion Lab PROPORTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS

Proportion Lab

A ramp-and-car simulation: roll from five heights, find k, graph y = kx, then predict and test.

See the lab → Screenshot of Unit Rate Lab UNIT RATE · y = kx

Unit Rate Lab

Walking pace, a lantern's burn rate and a rising tide — then use k forward and backward to escape a dark tunnel.

See the lab → Screenshot of Scale Factor Lab SCALE FACTOR

Scale Factor Lab

Measure copies, catch the forgeries, build a scaled copy and discover what happens to area.

See the lab → Screenshot of Coordinate Plane Lab ORDERED PAIRS · TRANSFORMATIONS

Coordinate Plane Lab

Plot points, draw mystery pictures, and plot translations, reflections, rotations and dilations.

See the lab → Screenshot of Triangle Forge CONGRUENCE · SIMILARITY

Triangle Forge

Forge shards by choosing the three measurements that pin a triangle down — and watch SSA and AAA fail.

See the lab → Screenshot of Rail Yard PARALLEL LINES · TRANSVERSALS

Rail Yard

Set the switches: find every angle, name each pair, solve angle equations and race the clock in Rush Hour.

See the lab → Screenshot of Business Over Party: Ratio Lab RATIOS

Business Over Party: Ratio Lab

Business in front, party in the back: find the Mullet Ratio, judge mullet-offs and graph haircuts on y = kx.

See the lab →
FOR TEACHERS · FREE 30-DAY TRIAL

Try Numeria in Your Classroom

Numeria is the hub behind everything above — and I'm opening it to a small group of teachers. Your students get the games, the leaderboard, and the XP economy. You get a teacher portal that puts every setting in your hands.

You control every game

Choose which games, modes, and rewards each class period can access — and rename games and tabs to fit your own theme.

Bring your own questions

Upload question banks for any subject by spreadsheet or CSV, or use the built-in content aligned to the NC Standard Course of Study.

Quarter-by-quarter leaderboards

XP and Gold from every game land on one class leaderboard. Rank by quarter or by year, and save each quarter's top 10 to a Hall of Fame.

No student accounts

Print a login card for each student with a code and a QR code. No student emails, no passwords, and only first names or nicknames.

THE FREE TRIAL

30 days, full access.

  • Every game and lab, plus the Numeria and Beyond story quests
  • The whole Teacher Portal, the Live Board, and every teaching resource
  • Up to 6 class periods, with up to 40 students each
  • A setup checklist to get your first class running
  • Each request is approved by hand, usually within a day
Request Teacher Access Ask a Question
Request access with your school Google account. Questions? justinowens@justinowensauthor.com
FREE FOR EDUCATORS

LEGO Templates

Ready-to-use templates for teaching with LEGO bricks across math, ELA, science, and social studies — most work with or without a physical brick collection.

Math

9 templates

Teaching Multiplication

GR. 3

Repeated addition and equal groups, with lesson slides and a lab sheet.

Proportional Reasoning

GR. 6-7

Build scaled models while exploring ratios and proportions.

Line of Symmetry

GR. 1-3

Create symmetrical brick patterns using a line of symmetry as a guide.

Fractions Game

MULTI-ROUND

Earn brick types by solving problems, then build a fraction representation.

Factors Template

GRID-BASED

Base-plate or printable grid template for exploring factor pairs.

Division Template

MANIPULATIVE

Draw group representations, reinforced with physical brick manipulation.

Multiplication Template

MANIPULATIVE

Visualize multiplication as bundled sets to reinforce repeated addition.

Geometry Build

PERIMETER/AREA/VOLUME

Count studs to measure perimeter, area, and volume — fully customizable.

Building Bar Graphs

DATA

Use a base plate as a graph foundation, colors as data categories.

ELA

9 templates

Mock Trial NEW

GR. 9-12

Build a courtroom and act out a historical or fictional trial.

Sight Word Towers NEW

GR. K-1

Read each labeled brick aloud before stacking — tallest correct tower wins.

Close Reading Game

TIMED ROUNDS

Earn bricks by answering comprehension questions, then build the key scene.

Character Set Template

TEXT ANALYSIS

Design a LEGO set representing a character, with an optional box-back design.

Finish the Story

PREDICTION

Predict the ending from context clues, then build and write about it.

Prediction Template

FORESHADOWING

Build a scene representing the predicted next story beat.

Make a Movie Trailer

STOP-MOTION

Create a film preview showing key moments and character development.

Plot Template

STORY STRUCTURE

Depict exposition through resolution with written descriptions for each.

Theme Depiction

COMPREHENSION

Demonstrate understanding of a single theme or several interwoven ones.

Science

8 templates

Earthquake & Storm Buildings NEW

GR. 6-8

Engineer structures that withstand simulated earthquakes and wind.

Plant Life-Cycle NEW

GR. 2-3

Diorama of seed through flowering stage — template coming soon.

Simple Machines

DEMONSTRATION

Build a taught simple machine and submit photo or video proof it works.

Ecosystems

4 BIOMES

Build terrestrial, freshwater, marine, and one more ecosystem with explanations.

Animal & Plant Cells

3D MODELS

Color-coded brick models of cell structures, labeled and explained.

Human Anatomy

9 SYSTEMS

Build a 3D model of an assigned organ system with color-coded parts.

Engineering Challenge

5-PART

Design a wheelchair, catapult, bridge, boat, and a model town — judged live.

Space Exploration

DESIGN CHALLENGE

Design a space station that answers five guiding mission questions.

Social Studies

7 templates

Urban Planning Challenge NEW

GR. 9-12

Design a sustainable city, weighing zoning and environmental impact — coming soon.

Timeline of Events NEW

GR. 6-8

Research a historical period and build a physical LEGO timeline — coming soon.

Historical Recreation

FLEXIBLE FORMAT

Recreate an assigned historical event, with a presentation for peer Q&A.

Comparative History

COMPARE/CONTRAST

Build two historical scenes and connect them to current events.

Historical Character Set

ELA CROSSOVER

Design a LEGO set for a historical event instead of a fictional character.

Geo-Literacy in 3D

TACTILE MAPPING

Turn flat maps into physical elevation and landform models.

Examine the Cost

IMPACT ANALYSIS

Build scenes comparing events and assess their toll on people and communities.
THE BOOK

Brick by Brick Learning

Brick by Brick: Teaching Content With LEGOs book cover

My book for educators on teaching with LEGOs — practical, classroom-tested ways to use building bricks to make abstract concepts concrete, without needing a dedicated STEM budget or a class set of anything fancy.

Get the Book