I was contacted by Erin of Educents a while back about doing a review for the Minecraft Unit studies they have available and I jumped at the chance. I have a lad who LOVES playing minecraft. All I can say is if you have a child who enjoys minecraft, these unit studies will be eagerly received. :)
When I told my son i had some minecraft unit studies he was quiet excited. Can we do them now mom? What are they? Do you think I will like them? Which one can I do first? He was not disappointed.
We started off with Area and perimeter. He had a great deal of fun buiding different pens/fields in the game to demonstrate his understanding. I was GOING to get a picture of what he accomplished but "oops, sorry mom! I deleted it already..." What can I say.. he's learned to build TNT launch pads and he thought they'd make a great target. :)
We next moved on to the types of angles. It took a bit for for him to understand it as "Acute" angles and not A "cute" angle. :) but he got the hang of it nicely. It's good to have some motivation, and finding angles around the house was easy to do and it was great to have that hands on practice. Though I must say.... having the motivation of "if you complete your written work you can do the building on minecraft" was a huge motivator for him to focus on the material at hand. :)
We started off with Area and perimeter. He had a great deal of fun buiding different pens/fields in the game to demonstrate his understanding. I was GOING to get a picture of what he accomplished but "oops, sorry mom! I deleted it already..." What can I say.. he's learned to build TNT launch pads and he thought they'd make a great target. :)
We next moved on to the types of angles. It took a bit for for him to understand it as "Acute" angles and not A "cute" angle. :) but he got the hang of it nicely. It's good to have some motivation, and finding angles around the house was easy to do and it was great to have that hands on practice. Though I must say.... having the motivation of "if you complete your written work you can do the building on minecraft" was a huge motivator for him to focus on the material at hand. :)
designing a building with a certain number of right angles. He had fun blowing this one up too. :)
The third unit we did contained a list of ideas that students could write on. My son read over the list several times before narrowing it down to the couple he thought he wanted to do.
He decided that he would write out an instructional piece on what to do when you first start playing a new "seed". He chose not to add a lot of grammar and punctuation at this point. He is doing that in the story he is writing.
"Your first day in Minecraft you you shod mine 20 dirt than make a house than you shod mine 2 small threes than make 12 wood planks and than make crafting table than place the crafting table in the house than use the crafting table to make 4 sticks than use 2 of the sticks and 3 wood planks to make 1 wood pickaxe and mine 8 stone and go back to the house and use the crafting table to make 1 furnace place the furnace beside the crafting table than mine 1 more three put 1wood in the top and 1in the bottom wait until charcoal appears in the third slot than take the charcoal than use the crafting table to make 4 torches with 1stik and the charcoal put the torches in the house make enough wood planks to make 1 wood door place the door at the entrance to the house if you still have time make a sword and kill three Shep and make a bed than play the game."
Here is an extract from the book my son is writing on minecraft (with a touch of other elements as well).
"It all began in the small town of Mooshroom. Mooshroom was beside a small lake. The town had a library, a blacksmith, a mine, a brewing shop, a farm, a general store, a food store and a small barracks with twenty guards and a first and second command.
It was a cloudless summer day with a slight breeze, the sun was shining brightly and the birds were singing happily. The lake had little waves going from side to side of the lake, the reeds were swaying gently in the breeze as fish jumped in and out of the water.
The town was located on a small grassland in the middle of a forest with a jungle and mountains in the distance and a lake on the right side of the town. At the entrance to the town on the right beside the lake was Beatles and Brewing. It was a tall building with glass panes on the front and back of the store it had oak wood stars on the roof and three blocks up cobblestone from the ground and two oak wood support beams going from front to back and the rest of the house was oak wood as well. Beatles and Brewing sold potions and brewing ingredients of all kinds.
Justin was the owner of Beatles and Brewing. Justin was a tall man with white skin, brown hair and his eyes were blow. He normally wore pitch black robes. he had one secret he knew magic and he kept a wand in one of his pockets at all times."
He decided that he would write out an instructional piece on what to do when you first start playing a new "seed". He chose not to add a lot of grammar and punctuation at this point. He is doing that in the story he is writing.
"Your first day in Minecraft you you shod mine 20 dirt than make a house than you shod mine 2 small threes than make 12 wood planks and than make crafting table than place the crafting table in the house than use the crafting table to make 4 sticks than use 2 of the sticks and 3 wood planks to make 1 wood pickaxe and mine 8 stone and go back to the house and use the crafting table to make 1 furnace place the furnace beside the crafting table than mine 1 more three put 1wood in the top and 1in the bottom wait until charcoal appears in the third slot than take the charcoal than use the crafting table to make 4 torches with 1stik and the charcoal put the torches in the house make enough wood planks to make 1 wood door place the door at the entrance to the house if you still have time make a sword and kill three Shep and make a bed than play the game."
Here is an extract from the book my son is writing on minecraft (with a touch of other elements as well).
"It all began in the small town of Mooshroom. Mooshroom was beside a small lake. The town had a library, a blacksmith, a mine, a brewing shop, a farm, a general store, a food store and a small barracks with twenty guards and a first and second command.
It was a cloudless summer day with a slight breeze, the sun was shining brightly and the birds were singing happily. The lake had little waves going from side to side of the lake, the reeds were swaying gently in the breeze as fish jumped in and out of the water.
The town was located on a small grassland in the middle of a forest with a jungle and mountains in the distance and a lake on the right side of the town. At the entrance to the town on the right beside the lake was Beatles and Brewing. It was a tall building with glass panes on the front and back of the store it had oak wood stars on the roof and three blocks up cobblestone from the ground and two oak wood support beams going from front to back and the rest of the house was oak wood as well. Beatles and Brewing sold potions and brewing ingredients of all kinds.
Justin was the owner of Beatles and Brewing. Justin was a tall man with white skin, brown hair and his eyes were blow. He normally wore pitch black robes. he had one secret he knew magic and he kept a wand in one of his pockets at all times."
These unit studies kept my son happily engaged in learning during the early part of the holidays. it was nice to be able to gift him with totally fun homeschooling over this Christmas season. Perhaps it is something you can gift your minecraft loving children with as well?
What do you get?
Worksheets that teach the concept such as area/perimeter, types of angles, and language arts.
Practical exercises: figure out the perimeter find the angle etc
Type on Minecraft: make a building with "x" number of right angles etc.
What does it cost?
$4.99
Where can you get it?
Right here on Educents. It's on sale for the next five days. Neat eh?
Educents is a site where you can get a variety of curriculum for a discount. Go there today to get the minecraft unit studies for your children. You won't regret it. :)
What do you get?
Worksheets that teach the concept such as area/perimeter, types of angles, and language arts.
Practical exercises: figure out the perimeter find the angle etc
Type on Minecraft: make a building with "x" number of right angles etc.
What does it cost?
$4.99
Where can you get it?
Right here on Educents. It's on sale for the next five days. Neat eh?
Educents is a site where you can get a variety of curriculum for a discount. Go there today to get the minecraft unit studies for your children. You won't regret it. :)
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