MinecrAft Fall Semester Unit PlAn
Each week consists of the introduction to a new concept, a creation challenge, show and tell, and exploration.
Day 1: 30 Minutes introduction of concept / 45 Minutes Exploration
Day 2: 45 Minutes creation challenge / 30 Minutes Exploration
Day 3: 20 Minutes show and tell / Remaining time Exploration
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Concept
Game Play Tutorials
Settlements in JJ
and Lenny Servers
Biomes
Challenges
Learn the game mechanics
Complete the tutorials
Build a settlement in JJ
Build a settlement in Lenny
Explore and Explain
Minecraft World
Essential Standard (Science)
Clarifying Objectives
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6. E. 1 Understand the structure, classifications
and physical properties of matter.
6.P.2.3 Compare the physical
properties of pure substances that
are independent of the amount of
matter present including density,
melting point, boiling point, and
solubility to properties that are
dependent on the amount of matter
present to include volume, mass and
weight.
6.E.2.1 Summarize the structure of
the earth, including the layers, the
mantle and core based on the
relative position, composition and
density.
6.L.2.2 Explain how plants respond
to external stimuli (including
dormancy and forms of tropism) to
enhance survival in an environment.
6.L.2.3 Summarize how the abiotic
factors (such as temperature, water,
sunlight, and soil quality) of biomes
(freshwater, marine, forest,
grasslands, desert, Tundra) affect
the ability of organisms to grow,
survive and/or create their own food
through photosynthesis.
8.L.3.1 Explain how factors such as
food, water, shelter and space affect
populations in an ecosystem.
8.L.3.2 Summarize the relationships
among producers, consumers, and
decomposers including the positive
and negative consequences of such
interactions including:
• Coexistence and cooperation
• Competition (predator/prey)
• Parasitism
• Mutualism
6.E.2 Understand the structure of the earth and
how interactions of constructive and destructive
forces have resulted in changes in the surface of
the Earth over time and the effects of the
lithosphere on humans.
Week 4
Biomes
Photography Handbook of
Biomes
6. L.2 Understand the flow of energy through
ecosystems and the responses of populations to
the biotic and abiotic factors in their
environment.
8.L.3 Understand how organisms interact with
and respond to the biotic and abiotic
components of their environment.
Week 5
Forces And Motion
Determine the velocity and
acceleration due to gravity
within the world of
Minecraft.
7.P.1 Understand motion, the effects of forces
on motion and the graphical representations of
motion.
7.P.1.1Explain how the motion of an
object can be described by its
position, direction of motion, and
speed with respect to some other
object.
7.P.1.3 Illustrate the motion of an
object using a graph to show a
change in position over a period of
time.
Week 6
Forces and Motion
Calculate velocity for
running, walking, digging.
7.P.1 Understand motion, the effects of forces
on motion and the graphical representations of
motion.
7.P.1.4
Interpret distance versus time
graphs for constant speed and
variable motion.
Week 7
Hunger Games
N/A
N/A
Week 8
Electricity and
Redstone
Participate in Hunger
Games within Minecraft.
Create functional
machines using Redstone
7.P.2
Explain how kinetic and potential energy
contribute to the mechanical energy of an
object
7.P.2.1 Explain how kinetic and
potential energy contribute to the
mechanical energy of an object
Week 9
Redstone
Create functional
machines using Redstone
7.P.2
Explain how kinetic and potential energy
contribute to the mechanical energy of an
object
7.P.2.4 Explain how energy can be
transformed from one form to
another (specifically potential
energy and kinetic energy) using a
model or diagram of a moving object
(roller coaster, pendulum, or cars on
ramps as examples).
Week
10
Science of Roller
Coasters
Use Redstone to create a
functional Roller Coaster
7.P.2
Explain how kinetic and potential energy
contribute to the mechanical energy of an
object
7.P.2.2 Explain how energy can be
transformed from one form to
another (specifically potential
energy and kinetic energy) using a
model or diagram of a moving object
(roller coaster, pendulum, or cars on
ramps as examples).
Week
11
Roller Coaster
Tycoons
Create a Roller Coaster
with accelerators, dips,
and turns above and below
ground.
7.P.2
Explain how kinetic and potential energy
contribute to the mechanical energy of an
object
7.P.2.4 Recognize that energy can be
transferred from one system to
another when two objects push or
pull on each other over a distance
(work) and electrical circuits require
a complete loop through which an
electrical current can pass.
Week
12
Taxonomy
Identify species and
minerals in Minecraft
world.
7. L.1 Understand the processes, structures and
functions of living organisms that enable them
to survive, reproduce and carry out the basic
functions of life.
8.E.2 Understand the history of Earth and its life
forms based on evidence of change recorded in
fossil records and landforms.
7. L.1.4 Summarize the hierarchical
organization of multi-cellular
organisms from cells to tissues to
organs to systems to organisms.
8.E.2.1 Infer the age of Earth and
relative age of rocks and fossils
from index fossils and ordering
of rock layers (relative dating
and radioactive dating).
8.E.2.2 Explain the use of fossils,
ice cores, composition of
sedimentary rocks, faults, and
igneous rock formations found in
rock layers as evidence
of the history of the Earth and its
changing life forms.
Week
13
Taxonomy
Create photographic
handbook on species by
biome.
7. L. 2 Understand the relationship of the
mechanisms of cellular reproduction, patterns
of inheritance and external factors to potential
variation among offspring.
7.L.2.3 Explain the impact of the
environment and lifestyle choices on
biological inheritance (to include
common genetic diseases) and
survival.
Week
14
Chemistry
Create two functional
potions with varying
effects.
8.P.1 Explain the impact of the environment and
lifestyle choices on biological inheritance (to
include common genetic diseases) and survival.
Classify matter as elements,
compounds, or mixtures based on
how the atoms are packed together
in arrangements.
Explain how the physical properties
of elements and their reactivity have
been used to produce the current
model of the Periodic Table of
elements.
Week
15
Scientific Method
Formulate Hypotheses
regarding topic of choice.
Scientific Method
Traditional laboratory experiences
provide opportunities to
demonstrate how science is
constant, historic, probabilistic, and
replicable. Although there are no
fixed steps that all scientists follow,
scientific investigations usually
involve collections of relevant
evidence, the use of logical
reasoning, the application of
imagination to devise hypotheses,
and explanations to make sense of
collected evidence. Student
engagement in scientific
investigation provides background
for understanding the nature of
scientific inquiry. In addition, the
science process skills necessary for
inquiry are acquired through active
experience. The process skills
support development of reasoning
and problem-solving ability and are
the core of scientific methodologies.
Week
Scientific Method
Create and perform
Scientific Method
Scientific Method
16
Week
17
Week
18
Scientific Method
Final Projects and
Wrap-Up.
experiment/final project.
Create and perform
experiment/final project.
Present findings/project to
classmates.
Scientific Method
Scientific Method
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