MINECRAFT
How the world has fallen in love with MInecraft
CCSS ELA Review: Week 3
By Lauren Tarshis
Ten-year-old Ross admits it: He has
MInecraft mania. “My record is playing five
hours one day,” says Virginia fifth-grader,
lowering his voice so his mother won’t overheat
– she doesn’t like him playing for more than 90
minutes a day.
When Ross isn’t playing MInecraft, he is
reading about MInecraft, or watching MInecraft
with his friends.
Once he dreamed that he was inside
the MInecraft world.
“That was a good dream,” he recalls,
closing his eyes and smiling.
It might seem that Ross is unusually
obsessed with MInecraft.
Yet many boys and girls are equally
fanatical. Parents have been heard raving about
the game, and some play it themselves. Even
many teachers love MInecraft. More than 2,500
U.S. schools now use the game to build math
skills and to teach history, architecture, and
more.
Since 2009, more than 100 million
people around the globe have logged in to play.
MInecraft mania, it seems has swept
the world.
Exploring and Building
Video games are an enormous business
in America. In the second quarter of 2013 alone,
Americans spent more than $2.88 billion on
video games. The most successful games tend
to be produced by huge entertainment
companies. Creating just one hit title can cost
tens of millions of dollars and involve hundreds
of talented people. Take FIFA 14, for example,
produced by the company Electronic Arts (EA).
That company employs 9,000 people and has
offices throughout the world. Hundreds of
programmers, designers, animators, and other
experts collaborated to create FIFA’s dazzling
effects: the ultra-realistic players, the precision
shots, the perfectly pitched cheers or boos of
the crowds.
Compare that with MInecraft, which
was created by one man, Markus Persson.
Raised in a small town in Sweden, Persson, now
35, had learned basic computer programming
by the age of 8. At 13, he and his friends were
creating their own games. He didn’t finish high
school, opting instead to go directly to work as
a programmer in Sweden’s capital, Stockholm.
He began creating MInecraft in 2009, working
by himself in his small apartment.
MInecraft’s look is old-fashioned, the
colors almost drab. The blocky players look like
cousins to LEGO people. The game is so simple
that even young kids can easily get started.
Players are plopped into a digital wilderness
where trees, rocks, and dirt can be “mined” and
the “crafted” into tools and shelters. In the
game’s creative mode, players can just explore
and build. Those hungry for more danger and
excitement can play in survival mode, complete
with attacking (not-so-scary) monsters and
packs of wolves.
There are no flashy special effects, no
instructions, and no levels to beat.
“It’s just about exploring and building,”
Persson says. And perhaps that’s the secret to
MInecraft’s success.
“You can be as creative as you want,”
says Alex, a Connecticut fifth-grader. “It’s not
like you have an objective and then you’re
done. You make your own objective.”
“And as soon as you finish, you come up
with another idea,” says Oscar, a fourth-grader
from Brooklyn, New York.
“It’s really more of a toy,” says Jon-Paul
Dyson, director of the International Center for
the History of Electronic Games. Dyson believes
that MInecraft has as much in common with
classic playthings like blocks and dollhouses as
with modern video games. Each player is guided
by his or her own imagination.
“MInecraft is like the best building toy
you’ve ever had,” Dyson says. “The possibilities
are endless.”
Ross agrees. “Every time I play, I can do
something different,” he says. “That’s why I
keep playing.”
CCSS ELA Review: Week 3
INFORMATIONAL TEXT
400 Billion LEGO Bricks – and Still Counting
By Lela Nargi
1931 was not an easy year for
Ole Kirk Kristiansen, a carpenter living in
a small village in Denmark. Like many
people, Ole and his family were
suffering in the midst of a worldwide
economic disaster known as the Great
Depression. Ole had three small sons to
support, and his wife was expecting
their fourth child. The future seemed
bleak – and racked with hunger.
A Growing Business
Ole was rich in one thing,
though: wood. His village, Billund, was
surrounded by a forest with birch trees.
Ole used his wood to make ladders and
stools. He created them in miniature
first, to get their designers just right.
That’s how he hit on the idea of
building toys: Even poor farmers could
afford to few toys at Christmastime.
Ole drove from town to town
looking for buyers for his wooden trucks
and animals. Often he accepted food for
payment.
The decades passed, and his
business grew. Ole started making toys
out of plastic. It was cheap, and it didn’t
peel or chip.
Ole’s son Godtfred worked with
his father in the company. It was his
idea to create a set of plastic blocks that
an imaginative kid could use to build
and rebuild. Ole loved the idea. They
called their invention LEGO bricks.
A Flop at First
The first LEGO bricks were a flop.
They were simply hollow plastic
squares, and they came apart too easily.
What the bricks needed was “clutch
power” – the ability to cling to each
other until small hands pried them
apart. Godtfred’s solution: bricks and
studs on top and tubes underneath. In
1958, they released Town Plan, one of
the first LEGO sets. Ole died just a few
months later.
Play Well
It’s safe to say that the LEGO
brand has succeeded beyond Ole’s
wildest dreams. Over the past 56 years,
the company has produced more than
400 billion LEGO bricks – 62 for every
person on Earth. There are thousands of
different LEGO sets, LEGO them parks, a
hit movie, video games, and more.
And yet the company’s vision
remains as simple as it was when Ole
was making blocks out of birch trees
from the Danish forest.
The word lego comes from the
Danish term leg godt. It means, “play
well.”
CCSS ELA Review: Week 3
Directions: Answer the questions in the left-hand column using information from “Minecraft Mania!” and “400 Billion LEGO Bricks – and Still
Counting.” Then check the appropriate box to indicate if the answers are similar or different.
Minecraft
How many
people were
involved in the
creation?
How did the
company that
makes it get
started?
Does it require
technology?
Are there rules
for how to
play?
Is the brand
successful?
Explain.
Why do
people like it
so much?
LEGO® bricks
Similar
Different
CCSS ELA Review: Week 3
Making Inferences
Directions: The chart below list clues from “Minecraft Mania!” on the left and inferences you can make from
them on the right. Fill in the blank on the chart with clues or inferences from the article.
Clues
Consider these lines form the article:
 “Parents have been heard raving about the
game, and some play it themselves.”
 “Even many teachers love Minecraft.”
 “More than 2,500 U.S. schools now use the
game to build math skills and to teach history,
architecture, and more.”
Inferences
What can you infer is unusual about Minecraft’s
popularity?
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
Write two sentences from the article that supports
the inference on the right.
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
Consider these lines from the informational text:
 “Ole had three small sons to support, and his
wife was expecting their forth child. The
future seemed bleak – and racked with
hunger.”
 “Ole was rich in one thing, though: wood.”
Write one more line from the article that supports the
inference on the right.
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
You can infer the Minecraft is popular because it is
different from other video games.
What can you infer about how difficult circumstances
affected Ole?
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
CCSS ELA Review: Week 3
“Minecraft Mania!” Quiz
Directions: Read the paired text “Minecraft Mania!” and “400 Billion LEGO Bricks – and Still Counting. “Then
fill in the bubble next to the best answer for each question below.
1. Which of the following sentences states a
main idea of the article “Minecraft Mania!”?
a. Minecraft was created by Markus Persson.
b. Minecraft is a very popular video game.
c. The monsters in Minecraft aren’t very scary.
d. Minecraft is not for young children.
5. According to the text, schools use Minecraft to
teach –
a. architecture
b. history
c. math
d. all of the above
2. Which line from the article supports the
answer to question 1?
a. “Since 2009, more than 100 million people
around the globe have logged in to play.”
b. “Once he dreamed that he was inside the
Minecraft world.”
c. “’It’s just about exploring and building’.”
d. “’It’s really more of a toy.’”
6. What difference does the author of “Minecraft
Mania!” point out between FIFA 2014 and
Minecraft?
a. One is popular; the other is unpopular.
b. One was created by a huge company, the
other by a single person.
c. One is for adults, the other for kids.
d. One is for multiple players, the other for a
single player.
3. The article suggests that Minecraft is popular
because it –
a. has packs of wolves.
b. lets players create
c. involve LEGO® bricks
d. is funny
4. Which line from the text supports the answer
to question 3?
a. “’My record is playing five hours one day.’”
b. “’That was a good dream.’”
c. “Even many teachers love Minecraft.”
d. “’Minecraft is like the best building toy
you’ve ever had.’”
7. Which of the statements below is supported
by both articles?
a. Video games are a big business.
b. LEGO bricks have been around for more
than 100 years.
c. Minecraft has an old-fashioned look.
d. Many people enjoy playing creativity.
8. Based on “400 Billion LEGO Bricks – and Still
Counting,” Ole and Godtfred Kristiansen could
be described as –
a. generous
b. cautious
c. pushy
d. inventive
9. Most texts are written to persuade, inform, or entertain. What do you think is the purpose of “Minecraft
Mania!”?
10. In what ways is Minecraft similar to LEGO bricks?
CCSS ELA Review: Week 3
Vocabulary
drab (adjective) very dull and dreary
economic (adjective) having to do with money and
how it is earned and used
precision (noun) the quality of being very accurate or
exact
opting (verb) choosing
fanatical (adjective) wildly enthusiastic
Directions: Select the best answer to each question below.
1. Which of the following could cause a
fanatical response?
a. a sports team winning a big game
b. a famous singer releasing a new song
c. a beloved author signing books at a
local bookstore
d. all of the above
2. Select the best sentence to follow this
“Jaden knew her new school would pose
some economic challenges.”
a. “She would have to work hard to keep
her grades at a high level.”
b. “It was an expensive school, and she
didn’t know how her parents would pay
for it.”
c. “She didn’t know any of the students
and would need to work on making
friends.”
d. “She loved soccer but knew making the
team would be difficult.”
3. For which of these would drab be a good
description?
a. a field of blooming flowers
b. a polka-dot sweater
c. a highly detailed pencil sketch
d. a beige wall
4. Which of the following does NOT mean the
same as opting?
a. selecting
b. picking
c. forcing
d. electing
5. Which of the following activities most
requires precision?
a. designing a bridge
b. creating a painting
c. writing a song
d. reading a novel
6. Describe something drab. Why do you consider it drab?
7. Use two of the five vocabulary words in a sentence:
ANSWER KEY - Vocabulary
1. D
2. B
3. D
4. C
5. A
6. Answers will vary.
7. Answers will vary.
CCSS ELA Review: Week 3
ANSWER KEY - Inference
1. You can infer that Minecraft has become popular with audiences you wouldn’t expect to love a video game, including parents, teachers, and
school leaders.
2. Two sentences that support the inference are: “Minecraft’s look is old-fashioned, the colors almost drab,” and “’It’s just about exploring and
building,’ Persson says.”
3. You can infer that difficult circumstances can force people to think creatively to solve problems, making use of what is available to them.
4. Two sentences that support the inference are: “There are no flashy special effects, no instructions, no levels to beat,” and “And yet
company’s vision remains as simple as it was when Ole was making blocks out of birch trees from the Danish forest.” (Answers will vary)
ANSWER KEY - Quiz
1. B (main idea; R2)
2. A (text evidence; R1)
3. B (inference; R1)
4. D (text evidence; R1)
5. D (key detail; R2)
6. B (compare and contrast; R9)
7. D (synthesizing; R9)
8. D (character trait; R1)
9. The article’s main purpose is to inform. The author mainly explains how Minecraft was developed and why it has become such a popular
game. (author’s purpose; R6)
10. Both Minecraft and LEGO bricks are very popular. Both allow people to play creatively. Both were invented by just one or two people using
simple resources. (synthesizing/compare and contrast; R9)
CCSS ELA Review: Week 3
Directions: Answer the questions in the left-hand column using information from “Minecraft Mania!” and “400 Billion LEGO Bricks – and Still
Counting.” Then check the appropriate box to indicate if the answers are similar or different.
How many
people were
involved in the
creation?
Minecraft
One person, Markus Perrson, created it.
LEGO® bricks
Two people Ole Kirk Kristansen and his son
Godtfred, invented them.
Similar
Different
X
How did the
company that
makes it get
started?
Markus Persson was a computer programmer who
Ole Kirk Kristansen was a carpenter who made
liked creating his own games. He invented Minecraft miniature furniture as models. He decided to sell
at his kitchen table..
them as toys because his family was desperate for
money.
Does it require
technology?
Yes
X
No
X
Are there rules
for how to
play?
No
No
Is the brand
successful?
Explain.
Yes. Both kids and adults love it. More than 100
million people around the globe have played since
2009.
Yes. The LEGO company has produced more than
400 billion LEGO bricks in the past 56 years. There
are them parks, a movie, and more.
Why do
people like it
so much?
You can use your creativity to explore and build
whatever you want.
You can use the bricks to build and rebuild. They
allow you to be creative.
X
X
X