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:
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:
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.
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.
