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

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.

Author: John Miller,Chris Fornell Scott
Publisher: Quarry Books
Published: 06/01/2016
Pages: 144
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.05lbs
Size: 8.50h x 8.40w x 0.50d
ISBN: 9781631591174
Audience: 06 - 14

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.