Minecraft EDU – Extending the learning in Junior School
When the Year 5 boys hear that they are going to be using Minecraft in class, their eyes light up with thoughts of playing games during class time. What they come to learn over the year is that Minecraft EDU (the customized, educational modification of Minecraft) is an amazing virtual learning environment, which enhances creativity and facilitates learning through discovery.
Minecraft EDU encompasses many areas of the curriculum; Mathematics, English, Science and the units of inquiry. It also addresses the domains of digital citizenship and critical literacies and has provided the boys the opportunity for creative work, teamwork and cooperation.
As part of their Sharing the Planet unit of inquiry, the Year 5 boys worked in groups to research a particular biome. From their research they had to create their biome in Minecraft EDU – either the tundra, rainforest, savannah, shrub and scrubland, grassland or marine biome were created. The boys had to video a ‘walk through’ describing the key components of the biomes; these videos captured a much higher level of understanding of the biomes’ features than in previous years where alternate assessments were used.
In Mathematics, the Year 5 boys use Minecraft to create patterns involving fractions and whole numbers, and then videoed their work using QuickTime. Some of the patterns included cubic numbers, squared numbers, the Fibonacci sequence, doubling, halving etc.
Learning times tables was another area in Mathematics where the Year 5 boys created factors and arrays to help cement their understanding. Boys who had previously struggled to remember the more difficult times tables visulised their Minecraft arrays they had built and were able to recall those time tables with ease.
Just recently the boys have used Minecraft to look at area and perimeter. They measured the perimeter and area of their house and then used those dimensions to build ‘Scotch Street’: a street that has virtually all the houses of the Year 5 boys on it.
Minecraft EDU was also used to simulate what it was like when landing on an unknown land. The boys had to forage and find food, had to learn how to work together as a team to survive, had to find minerals to build resources and create their own city. Students had to then build homes to protect themselves at night and during the rain. They also needed to identify minerals/resources to put together to make weapons/implements that enabled them to hunt.
Year 5 boys were also motivated to work during their lunch break and create stories in Minecraft – the pick your own adventure type stories with paths.
Minecraft EDU has been incorporated as one of the many Year 5 teaching tools over the last year and has been very successful in motivating boys to create some fantastic work. The Year 5 boys will also tell you Minecraft EDU is fun!
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