Minecraft Strengthens Math, Programming and Designing Skills

Are you one of those parents wondering what in the world your kids are doing with those pixilated building blocks in Minecraft? You’ve probably heard your child talking about mobs and mods and not quite sure what it even means. The game Minecraft has recently become a phenomenon. There’s a reason why so many children (and even adults) enjoy playing the game and there are plenty of educational benefits that come from it.

In Minecraft, users create structures in a 3D environment (think of it as virtual Lego). Minecraft differs from other modern video games not only because of its simple, pixilated appearance, but also because its objective is to design and construct, rather than destroy.

So what makes Minecraft so particularly suited to educational use? The program can help teach numerous skills and subjects, including building, designing, math and programming. Learning in Minecraft can actually be faster than traditional methods of education, as children are often far more motivated because they enjoy working in the program, and feel that what they are learning is useful.

Even open play on Minecraft can improve visual-spatial skills since users are working with objects in space to create structures. And if the users are working together to build structures, they learn how to collaborate.

Small Factory offers several programs and classes involving Minecraft throughout the year. Every Sunday from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. is Minecraft Mania, where kids play in creative mode while our instructor gives tips and strategies. This summer we’ll be offering a Programming & Open Play for Minecraft Summer Camp. We’ve also previously offered a Minecraft and 3D Printing Class and will do so again sometime in the future.

In the Programming & Open Play for Minecraft Summer Camp, children ages 6 to 9 will learn the basics of programming using Minecraft as a foundation to build upon. They will be introduced to programming in the language LUA, a basic programming language.

Using a computer mod for Minecraft, students will learn to make their own programs and machines called “Turtles” inside the game. Using input and output, the students will talk to the Turtles to make the game of Minecraft work for them and complete tasks. Some of the tasks will include cutting and planting trees, building staircases, digging tunnels, building houses and structures, and farming crops so they’ll never run out of food.

Students will go home with directions on how to download and install the computer mod for Minecraft so they can use what they learned at home. The Programming & Open Play for Minecraft Summer Camp encompasses math, programming, building, and designing. In the computer mod for Minecraft, the students will need to use math to program the size and area of space they’d like the Turtle to cover, otherwise it will keep moving forever in free space. They’ll also need to count how many blocks it goes up and down.

This camp is offered during the following weeks of Summer Camp:

Week 1: June 15th– 19th
Week 2: June 22nd – 26th
Week 3: June 29th – July 3rd
Week 9: August 10th – 14th

Visit this link for more information on scheduling and pricing.

In our Minecraft and 3D Printing class, students use the online app Tinkercad to build 3D objects they can print out on our 3D printer. They are also able to export their designs from Tinkercad into Minecraft and build them with blocks. The app is easy to learn, and has a very simple and intuitive way to make operations between objects.

This class encompasses math and designing. The students need to make their objects certain shapes and sizes to be proportionate so everything prints smoothly. When exporting to Minecraft, in order to define the size, Tinkercad gives a reference based on mm (which is the unit used in Tinkercad’s grid). Let’s say you are building a castle –if you want to keep the level of detail on the battlements, the size in mm can’t be more than 2mm per Minecraft block. The lower this number, the higher the resolution and the higher the size inside Minecraft.

Parents – if you’re new to Minecraft and not quite sure what your child is referring to when talking about the program (it can seem like an alien language!), here’s a glossary of some of the most common terms from the game. Impress your kids with your Minecraft vocabulary!

Biome. Biomes are regions in the Minecraft world, such as jungles, forests, and deserts.

Creative/survival. Creative and survival are two of the main game modes of Minecraft. Creative mode lets players build anything they want. Survival mode is the standard game mode wherein players have to collect resources, fight mobs, and explore.

Creeper. One of the most recognizable monsters in Minecraft. Creepers are an aggressive mob that try their best to sneak up on a player before exploding.

Mob. A mob is any living creature in the game. Some mobs are passive, such as horses and chickens, whereas others can be very hostile, such as Creepers.

Mod. Mod is short for “modification” and is essentially anything that changes the content of the game. It can refer to anything from adding new materials to adjusting design elements in creative mode to adding difficulty levels.

Pickaxe. Pickaxes are one of the standard Minecraft tools that are used to mine bricks for important materials.

Sandbox. Sandbox is a type of video game with an “open world” design wherein players have the option to modify the game world as well as explore without restrictions or limitations.

Server. A Minecraft server lets players engage in multiplayer games online.

Skin. A skin is any texture placed on an avatar or mob that allows players to further customize the game.

About Small Factory Productions

Small Factory Productions, located at 560 River Road, Suite C in Fair Haven, NJ, helps to build innovative young minds through its children’s arts and technology programs. Small Factory’s instructors have created exciting art programs that meet NJ and NY Core Content Standards for Language Arts, Literacy and Visual and Performing Arts. Students in classes at Small Factory’s production studio and at more than 30 public and private schools across New York and New Jersey have improved, both academically and socially, thanks to Small Factory’s unique curriculum. http://www.smallfactory.com