Timeline with Standards

Students will keep a log of their day-to-day adventures in Minecraft.

1.  Explore Minecraft and crafting in Minecraft  (1 ½ hours)

    

     Standard(s):  

·         Technology.  Using a computer program.

    

     References:  

·         Exploring http://www.minecraft101.net/reference/exploring.html

·         Crafting  http://minecraft.gamepedia.com/Crafting#Complete_recipe_list

·         http://minecraft.gamepedia.com/Digging

   

      Assignment:  

·         Explore Minecraft, collect items on your journey.  

·         Spend time digging downward in Minecraft.  Go down at least six blocks deep.

·         Build a 3 x 3 crafting table.

·         Craft at least two items with your 3 x 3 table.   

Log Prompt:  

·         What did you discover in your explorations in Minecraft?  

·         What did you find when you dug downward in Minecraft.

·         What did you collect during your explorations?  

·         What did you craft?  

·         What else would you like to know about Minecraft?  

     

2.  Learn about building materials available in Minecraft.  Build a house in Minecraft.  (1 ½ hours)

   

     Standard(s):  

·         Science.  Properties of building materials.

·         Technology.  Using a computer program.

    

     Reference:  

·         http://www.minecraftopia.com/building_blocks

     

     Assignment:

·         Study the "real-life" properties of five of the building materials that are available in Minecraft.  

    

     Log Prompt:

·         What are the five building materials that you chose? 

·         Briefly describe the “real-life” properties of each of these materials. 

      

3.  Build a house  (2 hours)

      

    

     Standard(s):  

·         Engineering. Drawing “blueprints” and building a house.

·         Technology.  Using a computer program. 

·         Mathematics:

o   6.RP.2. Understand the concept of a unit rate (a/b associated with a ratio a:b with b ≠ 0, and use rate language in the context of a ratio relationship) and apply it to solve real-world problems (e.g., unit pricing, constant speed).

o   6.RP.3. Use ratio and rate reasoning to solve real-world and mathematical problems (e.g., by reasoning about tables of equivalent ratios, tape diagrams, double number line diagrams, or equations).  Use ratio reasoning to convert measurement units between given measurement systems (e.g., convert kilometers to miles); manipulate and transform units appropriately when multiplying or dividing quantities.

o   7.RP.1. Compute unit rates associated with ratios of fractions, including ratios of lengths, areas and other quantities measured in like or different units.

o   7.G.1. Solve problems involving scale drawings of geometric figures, including computing actual lengths and areas from a scale drawing and reproducing a scale drawing at a different scale.

   

      Assignment: Build a house in Minecraft.

·         Draw a “blueprint” of your house.  Indicate measurements of each wall and roof.   When measuring surface area, each block is 1 meter x 1 meter. 

·         Build the house in Minecraft. 

·         Convert the measurement of your house from squared meters to squared feet using conversion fractions. 

Log Prompt: 

·         Place the “blueprint” of your house in the log.  Indicate the measurements on drawing. 

·         Show all the steps of your conversion from squared meters to squared feet using conversion fractions. 

·         What materials did you use to build your house?

·         Did you have to craft materials?  If so, what did you craft?  Write the materials that you needed for crafting those items. 

·         Where did you build your house?  Was there a special reason you choose this site?

4.  The Monster Lobe  (1 ½ hour)

    

     Standard(s):  

·         Engineering.  Study to gain information for creating a plan.

      Assignment:  Read at least two articles regarding the Monster Lobe.

·         http://www.gi.alaska.edu/AlaskaScienceForum/article/flowing-tongues-rock-ice-and-dirt

·         http://www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci.net/12/1521/2012/nhess-12-1521-2012.pdf

·         http://ine.uaf.edu/autc/projects/monitoring-and-analysis-of-frozen-debris-lobes-phase-i/

·         http://ascelibrary.org/doi/abs/10.1061/9780784412978.014

·         http://www.rita.dot.gov/utc/publications/spotlight/spotlight_2013_08

·         http://www.adn.com/2012/12/01/2710503/frozen-landslide-threatens-to.html

·         http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/20130813/only-alaska-creeping-frozen-landslide-threatens-critical-highway-and-pipeline

·         http://www.examiner.com/article/60-ft-tall-mass-of-frozen-debris-slowly-landsliding-toward-major-alaska-highway

Log Prompt:

·         Which articles did you choose?  Briefly summarize the information from these articles.

·         Look up one item mentioned from one of the article and find more information on this item.  List the citation for this item. 

·         State the problem that the Monster Lobe is potentially going to cause? 

·         How might you solve the Monster Lobe problem?

5.  Planning Session  (2 hours)

    

     Standard(s):  

·         Mathematics: 

o   7.G.1. Solve problems involving scale drawings of geometric figures, including computing actual lengths and areas from a scale drawing and reproducing a scale drawing at a different scale.

     Assignment: 

·         In Minecraft, find the Monster Lobe. 

·         In a group, be sure everyone has found the Monster Lobe.

·         Draw a map of where the Monster Lobe is in relationship to your house. 

·         With a group, come up with some ideas as to how solve the Monster Lobe problem.  Come up with at least three ideas, these ideas will destroy, redirect, or some other solution. 

   

    Log Prompt: 

·         Draw a map of where the Monster Lobe is in relationship to your house.

·         List your three ideas.  Briefly describe how you might implement these ideas.

6.  Planning (1 ½ hours)

      Standard(s):  

·         Engineering.  Creating plan.

·         Mathematics: 

o   7.NS.3. Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving the four operations with rational numbers. (Computations with rational numbers extend the rules for manipulating fractions to complex fractions.)

o   7.EE.3. Solve multi-step real-life and mathematical problems posed with positive and negative rational numbers in any form and assess the reasonableness of answers using mental computation and estimation strategies.

    

     Assignment:

·         With your group, decide which plan you will pursue. 

·         Make an outline/timeline for your project. 

·         Decide which materials you will need to complete your project. 

    

 Log Prompt:

·         Describe the plan you are going to use. 

·         Write down your outline/timeline.

·         What materials are you planning to use?   Why are you using these materials? 

7.  Execute plans  (1 ½ hour)

    

Standard(s):  

·         Engineering.  Implement plan.

·         Technology.  Using computer program.

·         Mathematics: 

o   7.NS.3. Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving the four operations with rational numbers. (Computations with rational numbers extend the rules for manipulating fractions to complex fractions.)

o   7.EE.3. Solve multi-step real-life and mathematical problems posed with positive and negative rational numbers in any form and assess the reasonableness of answers using mental computation and estimation strategies.

     Assignment: 

·         In a group, using Minecraft, implement your plan. 

   

  Log Prompt: 

·         Describe how your plan went?  Did you execute the plan the way that you had planned?  Did anything change from your original plan?  What changed? 

8.  Analyze/Extension  (1 hour)

    

     Standard(s):  

·         Engineering.  Analyzing plan.

    

     Assignment/Log Prompt: 

·         Do you think your plan would work in “real-life.” 

·         Consider the following, what if there was a “debris flow,” similar to the Monster Lobe, was heading towards Palmer.  Pretend that the “debris flow” has appeared on Lazy Mountain and is working its way down the mountain towards the Matanuska River.   Given this course, the “debris flow” continue traveling into the Palmer.  Would your solution to the Monster Lobe work in this situation? What might work and what might not work?  

It was interesting and frustrating trying to construct the topology map.  Hopefully my assignment will go better.