Use these tips to help you facilitate a successful Minecraft class.
The original article was a co-creation of Jim Pike and Mylo Lam.
Minecraft has become an extremely popular game for kids and adults all across the world since its full release in 2011. At its core, Minecraft is a world-building game in which users build things using blocks, go on adventures, and engage in simulated survival. Imagine programmable digital Legos—the possibilities are limited only by one's imagination.
The original Minecraft game isn't commonly integrated in classrooms, however. Luckily for educators, a dedicated education edition has enabled teachers to incorporate the game into classrooms in a more structured way. Be aware: Minecraft for Education is licensed software that ends up costing roughly $5 per user in school districts, though a free trial is available.
For teachers who are willing to dive into game-based learning, we've created this primer with some strategies and resources to help you get started
Orient yourself
As with most tech or internet-based tools in the classroom, it's important to familiarize yourself with the platform and how it works. The Minecraft: Education Edition has introductory video tutorials that will provide an overview of basic game mechanics, navigation, and controls, among other features. Like with many edtech or internet-based learning applications, you don't have to be an expert. Chances are, some of your students will be familiar with basic functions and gameplay. Don't be afraid to ask students to help you (and to let them assist classmates)! In addition, knowing how to manage the various tech issues in your class will make things run smoothly, giving you more time to focus on the learning.
Determine your purpose, explore possibilities
As with any lesson or classroom activity, start with the end goal in mind. What do you want your students to accomplish by using Minecraft? Because of the variety of ways you can deploy the software, there are plenty of possibilities:
Single Academic Lessons: Using this version of the game provides a more structured environment for learning, as over 500 standards-based lessons allow you save time while planning to deploy the game (see further below!). If you want to test out Minecraft but are a little hesitant about how it works, it would be smart to follow this route. Benefits include clear learning outcomes and the ability to supplement existing lessons or units.
Build Challenges: This is another pathway for teachers who want to test out Minecraft, but with creativity and play in mind. Minecraft for Education provides numerous build challenges, which are ready-made worlds that come with a prompt for students. Examples include designing your own school, creating dioramas for museums, and choosing a stadium to modify playing surfaces. These challenges do have academic components, but they tend to lead with creativity and collaboration in mind. You may want to include rubrics or opportunities for student reflection while employing the challenges.
Original Minecraft Play: If you decide to delve into the original Minecraft version, you'll be challenging students to engage in open-ended and game-based learning. Choosing this route should allow you to leverage the software to your advantage—it can be fun, engaging, and collaborative, but you also need to be comfortable with more unstructured learning environments. Having greater familiarity with gameplay functions and features is recommended because almost anything is possible in this version of Minecraft. Clearly defining student expectations is key.
Lesson Examples
One of the most fun challenges for a Minecraft teacher is finding the proper balance between being academic and fun. As noted above, the Minecraft for Education website contains a comprehensive library of ready-to-use lesson plans, ranging from core subjects to social and emotional learning, digital citizenship, and more. Check out these examples to get a sense of the possibilities:
- Science, Technology, and STEAM (Age 6–13): The James Webb Space Telescope Challenge prompts students to explore the universe, craft constellations, and create a solar system.
- History (Age 8–18): Meet and Greet! challenges students to research real historical characters, then recreate that person on a 3D virtual timeline accessible to the whole class.
- Literacy/Language Arts (Age 8–10): In Shipwreck Narrative, students imagine a world where pirates roamed the seven seas, then write a narrative about a mysterious shipwreck.
- Computer Science (Age 14–18): Cyber Expert: Cryptic Ciphers was developed in partnership with Florida International University and provides three lessons on cybersecurity.
Additional Links and Resources for Exploration
By its nature, Minecraft contains nearly endless possibilities, especially for teachers who are comfortable with the platform and able to craft their own worlds, lessons, challenges, and games for students. Check these out to continue exploration:
- There's a Minecraft for Education forum, which contains support for technical issues and teacher wish lists. And here's a teacher Facebook group.
- Check out the Minecraft and Minecraft for Education reviews for teachers from Common Sense Education.
- The Minecraft for Education YouTube page contains recorded workshops, demonstrations, tutorials, and classroom stories.
- Minecraft for Education's blog is regularly updated with news and stories from the community.
Jim Pike is a fifth-grade teacher at Albert Einstein Academy of Beverly Hills and the director of game-based learning at CodeREV Kids Learning Centers. He has written the Common Core math curriculum "MathCraft" and is one of the founders of the MathCraftPLC. Jim's two dreams in life are to build a school so amazing it has an ice rink and to own a Japanese baseball team. Jim can be reached on Twitter @joakleyiii.
Mylo Lam has an Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education with a concentration in technology, innovation, and education. He received his bachelor's from UCLA in communication studies and theater. Mylo is interested in people (of all ages!) who use different technologies to create, express, play, and learn. When he's not developing curricula, Mylo loves playing video games and acting.
