Context 1: Games
Earth Science student population
In my Advanced Earth Science classes, I predominantly have 9th-graders. Each class ranges from 16 to 24 students. The students represent the students who were in the upper 50th percentile from 8th-grade science. The students are expected to take the Earth Science SOL state test at the end of the semester.
Minecraft – the geologist’s game!
Minecraft can be used to help Earth Science students learn and collaborate in many interesting ways. Since the “bedrock” of the Minecraft world is based on mining gems and ores, there is an ability to start with the foundational learning objectives which are learning about minerals as the building blocks of the Earth. Linkages between the value of materials and their rarity can be used to discuss gemstones and valuable ore minerals. The mining component can be highly leveraged to illustrate the variation in surface and subsurface mining techniques. Another concept in Earth Science that fits perfectly in Minecraft would be the construction of volcanoes from lava occur.
Learners will be expected to utilize specific components of the game to build a reference set of mining scenarios and techniques that correspond to materials like diamonds, coal, iron ore, etc. The learners will be grouped with specific instructions on their individual and group deliverables. I have some students who experience high anxiety with regard to group projects. I would alleviate that by scoring the projects on a dual set of criteria that doesn’t let some students get by with little to no effort.
I would like for my students to start collectively building a world in which we select areas to focus on each of our 10 units: Minerals, Rocks, Plate Tectonics, Geologic Time/ fossils, Energy, Weathering/ water/ soil, Oceanography, Atmosphere, Climate/ weather, and Space. I will have to research more about the game and how to build out a world in order to refine these ideas but I think each of these topics is doable inside Minecraft.
Academic skills you are targeting with your examples.
If we can use Minecraft all semester as a tool to create and visualize each topic then we will be able to apply most of the Virginia SOLs for Earth Science:
ES.4 The student will investigate and understand that there are major rock-forming and ore minerals.
ES.5 The student will investigate and understand that igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks can transform. Key ideas include
a) Earth materials are finite and are transformed over time;
b) the rock cycle models the transformation of rocks;
c) layers of Earth have rocks with specific chemical and physical properties; and
d) plate tectonic and surface processes transform Earth materials.
ES.6 The student will investigate and understand that resource use is complex.
Resources needed to ensure my plan is successful.
For this project to be successful, I would need permission to obtain a Minecraft license, training on the implementation of Minecraft as an educational tool, an educational version license of Minecraft for each student to download on their Chromebook, and lots of time to prepare!
List of the non-academic skills profiled in the Framework for 21st Century Skills :
In my Advanced Earth Science classes, I predominantly have 9th-graders. Each class ranges from 16 to 24 students. The students represent the students who were in the upper 50th percentile from 8th-grade science. The students are expected to take the Earth Science SOL state test at the end of the semester.
Minecraft – the geologist’s game!
Minecraft can be used to help Earth Science students learn and collaborate in many interesting ways. Since the “bedrock” of the Minecraft world is based on mining gems and ores, there is an ability to start with the foundational learning objectives which are learning about minerals as the building blocks of the Earth. Linkages between the value of materials and their rarity can be used to discuss gemstones and valuable ore minerals. The mining component can be highly leveraged to illustrate the variation in surface and subsurface mining techniques. Another concept in Earth Science that fits perfectly in Minecraft would be the construction of volcanoes from lava occur.
Learners will be expected to utilize specific components of the game to build a reference set of mining scenarios and techniques that correspond to materials like diamonds, coal, iron ore, etc. The learners will be grouped with specific instructions on their individual and group deliverables. I have some students who experience high anxiety with regard to group projects. I would alleviate that by scoring the projects on a dual set of criteria that doesn’t let some students get by with little to no effort.
I would like for my students to start collectively building a world in which we select areas to focus on each of our 10 units: Minerals, Rocks, Plate Tectonics, Geologic Time/ fossils, Energy, Weathering/ water/ soil, Oceanography, Atmosphere, Climate/ weather, and Space. I will have to research more about the game and how to build out a world in order to refine these ideas but I think each of these topics is doable inside Minecraft.
Academic skills you are targeting with your examples.
If we can use Minecraft all semester as a tool to create and visualize each topic then we will be able to apply most of the Virginia SOLs for Earth Science:
ES.4 The student will investigate and understand that there are major rock-forming and ore minerals.
ES.5 The student will investigate and understand that igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks can transform. Key ideas include
a) Earth materials are finite and are transformed over time;
b) the rock cycle models the transformation of rocks;
c) layers of Earth have rocks with specific chemical and physical properties; and
d) plate tectonic and surface processes transform Earth materials.
ES.6 The student will investigate and understand that resource use is complex.
Resources needed to ensure my plan is successful.
For this project to be successful, I would need permission to obtain a Minecraft license, training on the implementation of Minecraft as an educational tool, an educational version license of Minecraft for each student to download on their Chromebook, and lots of time to prepare!
List of the non-academic skills profiled in the Framework for 21st Century Skills :
- Collaboration
- Creativity
- Critical Thinking
- Technical Skills
Reflection (Part 1)
1. Describe your general attitudes toward the value of gaming BEFORE watching the video.
I have a 14-year-old son who loves games. He has been playing Minecraft and Fortnite for many years. I have played along with him to a degree in an attempt to understand a bit of what his lived experience is like. I realized that games had the potential to aid in classroom learning but have not had the time to delve into their usage in my classes. Games like Minecraft allow for what I consider to be a different form of imagination and creativity than what I experienced growing up. I have seen my son come home from World History class and challenge his friends to build Mesopotamian cities with hanging gardens as well as Viking villages. He takes what he learned and turns it into a “real” imagined world that he gets to experience, combining history and his imagination.
2. What is your overall impression of the points Dr. McGonigal tried to make in her presentation?
I enjoyed her presentation and think that her ideas are a fresh way to analyze the power of video games. I already thought that this is the world in which this generation is growing up, why are we fighting to mold them into our modes of learning and perspectives on the world? Issues like climate change are going to take new and innovative perspectives from the gaming generation. I want to help them grow their critical thinking and collaboration skills in order to facilitate the role they are growing into. As a scientist, I appreciated that she had data to back her ideas. I
3. Did the presentation change your attitude about the value of gaming? If so, how?
My overall attitude did not change but my feelings of guilt that I have “bought into” gaming were alleviated. I was happy to see that there are ways to legitimately use gaming in the classroom. I was just exposed to Gimkit by a student and have quickly adopted it as a way to review for our unit tests. I am excited to implement Minecraft in my classes next semester.
Reflection (Part 1)
1. Describe your general attitudes toward the value of gaming BEFORE watching the video.
I have a 14-year-old son who loves games. He has been playing Minecraft and Fortnite for many years. I have played along with him to a degree in an attempt to understand a bit of what his lived experience is like. I realized that games had the potential to aid in classroom learning but have not had the time to delve into their usage in my classes. Games like Minecraft allow for what I consider to be a different form of imagination and creativity than what I experienced growing up. I have seen my son come home from World History class and challenge his friends to build Mesopotamian cities with hanging gardens as well as Viking villages. He takes what he learned and turns it into a “real” imagined world that he gets to experience, combining history and his imagination.
2. What is your overall impression of the points Dr. McGonigal tried to make in her presentation?
I enjoyed her presentation and think that her ideas are a fresh way to analyze the power of video games. I already thought that this is the world in which this generation is growing up, why are we fighting to mold them into our modes of learning and perspectives on the world? Issues like climate change are going to take new and innovative perspectives from the gaming generation. I want to help them grow their critical thinking and collaboration skills in order to facilitate the role they are growing into. As a scientist, I appreciated that she had data to back her ideas. I
3. Did the presentation change your attitude about the value of gaming? If so, how?
My overall attitude did not change but my feelings of guilt that I have “bought into” gaming were alleviated. I was happy to see that there are ways to legitimately use gaming in the classroom. I was just exposed to Gimkit by a student and have quickly adopted it as a way to review for our unit tests. I am excited to implement Minecraft in my classes next semester.
Reflection (Part 2)
See Project Context Reflection page
See Project Context Reflection page