Minecraft Goes to School

important skills. Kids often
work on Minecraft projects in
groups, so they practice
teamwork. They encounter
challenges as they play, so they
build problem-solving skills.
Teachers also say that the game
gets students excited to learn.
Joel Solomon, a teacher at
Village East, says his students
think Minecraft lessons are fun.
“Shouldn’t that be what
learning is all about?” he asks.
Too M u c h S c re e n T im e ?
Not everyone thinks playing
Minecraft in school deserves an
A, though. Some critics argue
that kids already spend too
much time playing video games.
They don’t think schools should
encourage more screen time.
Dr. Victoria Dunckley is a
mental health doctor. She treats
kids in Los Angeles, California.
Dunckley believes that some
kids are addicted to the game.
“On the surface, it seems
harmless. The child is building
This is Steve,
th e m ain
character
in Minecraft.
things and gets to be creative,”
she says. “But the child gets so
e n g a g e d in the game that it’s
hard to focus on the natural
world afterwards.”
Is there a way to use
Minecraft in school without
kids overdoing it? Like many
teachers, John Grube at the Lay
School thinks so. When he’s
using the game to teach about
Mars exploration, he also has
students read about Mars, write
in journals, and discuss the
topic in class.
“It’s important to find a
balance,” he says.
—by Karen Kellaher
Minecraft
B asics
To le a rn a b o u t Minecraft,
w e w e n t to a n e x p e r t: a
k id ! H e re 's a q u ic k g u id e fro m
1 2 -y e a r -o ld Jack K e lla h e r.
H e 's t h e s o n o f t h e r e p o r te r
w h o w r o te t h e a r tic le .
Minecraft is lik e a
v irtu a l LEGO® s e t
w ith an en d less
n u m b e r o f
b u ild in g b lo cks.
You can use y o u r
im a g in a tio n to
b u ild ju s t a b o u t
a n y th in g y o u w a n t. O n e o f th e
c o o le s t th in g s I'v e b u ilt is a
ro lle rc o a s te r.
A ll p la y e rs s ta rt o u t as a
c h a ra c te r n a m e d S te v e . B ut
m a n y p la y e rs c h a n g e S te v e
to a c h a ra c te r w h o b e tte r
re p re s e n ts th e m . I m a d e m in e
lo o k like a s h ark!
O n e e x c itin g p a rt o f
Minecraft is all th e c re a tu re s
y o u e n c o u n te r. T h e y 're c a lle d
m o b s. T h e y in c lu d e v illa g e rs
and a n im a ls lik e c h ic k e n s a n d
p ig s. S o m e m o b s a r e n 't
frie n d ly . C re e p e rs a re th e o n es
you re a lly h a v e to w a tc h o u t
for. T h e y e x p lo d e w h e n th e y
g e t clo se to yo u !
F in d o u t
o n o u r c o v e r a t:
www.scholastic.com/sn4