Crafting in the Classroom: Minecraft as a Learning Tool

Crafting in the Classroom:

Minecraft as a Learning Tool

Sarah LudwigCECA ConferenceOctober 21, 2013

What’s

?

The Basics

• Use blocks to build

• Destroy blocks to dig and find resources

• Combine resources to craft tools, food, weapons, clothing, and more

• Interact with the environment; biomes include desert, forest, tundra, and swamp

Modes of Gameplay

• Multiplayer – many players join one server

• Single player

• Peaceful – no monsters, players can’t fight each other

• Easy, normal, hard

• Survival vs. creative

Setting up a Server

• Minecraft EDU

• If you have an IT partner, direct them to the Minecraft Wiki (minecraft.gamepedia.com)

• Minecraft server hosting services

Basic Activities

• Games

• Societies

• Challenges

• Training

Minecraft in the Classroom

Math

Line Plot lesson for 6th grade math, credit @MrBrotherton

Bar graph lesson for 6th grade math, credit @MrBrotherton

Volume lesson, credit Amanda Northrup, teachingandlearningcommunity.blogspot.com

Determining the mass of Minecraft Earth, credit Richard Townley, www.minecraftforum.net/topic/1685915-minecraft-science-mass-of-the-minecraft-earth

Science

Cell model, credit Chris Miko http://www.craft-academy.com/

Minecart velocity lesson, credit Bob Kahn, middleschoolminecraft.com

Sheep genetics lesson, credit Bob Kahn, middleschoolminecraft.com

Social Studies

City project lesson, credit Linda Gielen, http://saaminecraft.edublogs.org

Battlefield Map lesson, credit Linda Gielen, http://saaminecraft.edublogs.org

Medieval role playing, credit John Miller, http://mrmillersblog.com/

Language Arts

Writing Activities

• Activity log

• Tutorials/user guides

• Planning

• Character profiles

• Short stories based on gameplay

• Adventure map

Book report, credit Spencer, student of Bob Kahn, middleschoolminecraft.com

Recreating scenes from novels, credit James Burling, http://jamestburling.com/minecraft-summer-reading/Image courtesy minecraftcastle.blogspot.com

Skills Addressed:

• Problem solving and troubleshooting

• Collaboration and teamwork, leadership

• Planning, spatial reasoning, construction

• Digital communication and etiquette, ethics

• Could improve cognitive learning, memory, and problem-solving ability (source)

Educational Resources

• Minecraft in Education: https://sites.google.com/site/kidsnetsoftminecraft/resources

• MinecraftEDU Wiki: http://minecraftedu.com/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page

• The Wonderful World of Humanities: http://minecraftedu.com/wiki/index.php?title=Wonderful_World_of_Humanities

Thank you!

Please feel free to contact me:

[email protected]

@sarah_ludwig