Unofficial Minecraft Lab for Kids: Family-Friendly Projects for Exploring and Teaching Math, Science, History, and Culture Through Creative Building

by John Miller, Chris Fornell Scott

Overview

Unofficial Minecraft Lab for Kids is a collection of creative, collaborative projects that connect in-game challenges with hands-on activities that are both fun and educational.

An Amazon Best Kids’ Books of 2016 pick!

Minecraft offers players an environment focused on exploration, imagination, and creation, but its nonlinear game structure can mean spending a lot of time in the game. With these labs, you can balance your child's screen time with real-life learning and interaction.

You will start the book by brushing up on some common Minecraft language and examining each of the four game modes: survival, creative, adventure, and spectator. Then, you’ll use this knowledge to venture off onto the six different quests that encourage child and adult participation. For each Lab, complete the hands-on activity in art, craft, or design, then build a related in-game project. Have fun with these creative projects and more:

• Make a Chinese finger trap from construction paper, followed by a zombie trap in Minecraft.
• Build a castle from sugar cubes, then learn to build one in Minecraft.
• Create shadow puppets to perform a scene from your favorite story, then animate the scene using Minecraft.
• Make a bow and arrow from popsicle sticks, dental floss, and a cotton swab, then do some archery practice in Minecraft.

Sticker badges at the back of the book reward your child as they complete each quest. You'll even learn how to screencast and narrate your own videos to share with family and friends. Unofficial Minecraft Lab for Kids provides fun, educational gaming goals that you and your child can reach together!

The popular Lab for Kids series features a growing list of books that share hands-on activities and projects on a wide host of topics, including art, astronomy, clay, geology, math, and even how to create your own circus—all authored by established experts in their fields. Each lab contains a complete materials list, clear step-by-step photographs of the process, as well as finished samples. The labs can be used as singular projects or as part of a yearlong curriculum of experiential learning. The activities are open-ended, designed to be explored over and over, often with different results. Geared toward being taught or guided by adults, they are enriching for a range of ages and skill levels. Gain firsthand knowledge on your favorite topic with Lab for Kids.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781631591174
Publisher:	Quarry Books
Publication date:	06/01/2016
Series:	Lab for Kids Series , #7
Pages:	144
Sales rank:	940,039
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

John Miller is an instructional coach and former middle school science and history teacher with 30 years’ experience. He holds a master’s degree in educational technology and instructional design from San Diego State University. He has been recognized as a Google Innovator, Microsoft curriculum developer, Minecraft Education lesson designer, and as a finalist for California Teacher of the Year. In 2017, John was granted a Fulbright Teaching Award, which provided an opportunity for him to work with the Ministry of Education in Singapore to explore the effectiveness of game-based learning in the classroom. He is the co-author of Unofficial Minecraft Lab for Kids and Unofficial Minecraft STEM Lab for Kids. John lives in Paso Robles, California.

Chris Fornell Scott is the executive director of Woven Learning and Technology, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers engaging, hands-on workshops for underserved youth. Passionate about empowering young minds, Chris is dedicated to inspiring a love for learning and providing opportunities for kids from diverse backgrounds. Outside of his professional role, Chris is a loving husband and proud father of three teenage boys. He loves the ocean and is always eager to learn new things, continually seeking ways to grow and expand his horizons. He is the co-author of Unofficial Minecraft Lab for Kids and Unofficial Minecraft STEM Lab for Kids. He lives in Tustin, California.

Table of Contents

Introduction
What Can Minecraft Teach?
Minecraft in Schools
Gamification
How to Use This Book
Minecraft Basics
Sharing Labs and Quests
 
Quest 1: Using Your Inventory
Lab 1 Do You Mine?
Lab 2 It’s Electric!
Lab 3 Setting a Trap
Lab 4 Fire When Ready!
 
Quest 2: Textures, Patterns, and Landscapes
Lab 5 Please Be Seated
Lab 6 Banner Play
Lab 7 Cookies!
Lab 8 Garden
 
Quest 3: Timeless Architecture
Lab 9 When in Rome
Lab 10 Flying Machine
Lab 11 The Architect
Lab 12 Scale
 
Quest 4: The Arts
Lab 13 Michelangelo
Lab 14 Beethoven
Lab 15 Shakespeare
Lab 16 Picasso
 
Quest 5: Game Design
Lab 17 Fire Away
Lab 18 Be Careful Where You Step
Lab 19 Abandon Ship!
Lab 20 Across the Finish Line
 
Quest 6: Future Thinking
Lab 21 City Planning
Lab 22 Culture
Lab 23 Fun and Games
Lab 24 Mushroom Stew
 
Resources
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
Index
 
Bonus: Sticker Badges
 

Editorial Reviews

"The greatest strength of this volume is that Miller and Scott have found a way to combine skills in Minecraft with real-life experiences." - Booklist Online

From the Publisher