Block-Based Coding with Minecraft Education
Grades 6-12
About This Course
Starts June 11th, Wed/Fri 10am-12pm for 6 weeks
Students who are ready to take their skills to the next level will learn essential computational thinking skills in a fun and interactive manner with Minecraft Education’s unique Code Builder feature. Students will have a blast as they creatively design and build their own expansive Minecraft world using block-based coding, which is a special offering only in the Minecraft Education Edition.
While learning the essentials of computer science, they will also develop important analytical, debugging, and critical thinking skills that are valuable as students advance their programming abilities. This course will review the fundamentals of block-based coding in the immersive environment of Minecraft.
What You'll Learn
Learn conditionals, functions, coordinates and more in block-based coding with lessons designed to follow CSTA standards.
Design and implement computational solutions using Minecraft's block-based coding environment to solve problems and create interactive worlds
Apply fundamental computer science concepts including sequences, loops, conditionals, and variables within a familiar and engaging 3D environment
Develop algorithmic thinking and debugging skills while collaborating with peers on creative Minecraft programming projects
Our 6-Week Course Plan
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![Code Builder]()
Week 1 - Intro to Code Builder
Introduction to Minecraft Education interface, Code Builder, and the Agent; students will learn basic navigation and create their first sequential programs to complete simple tasks while understanding decomposition as a problem-solving strategy.
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![Minecraft character on a gold path in a village setting with grass, flowers, and wooden houses.]()
Week 2 - Event Handlers
Exploring events and event handlers; students will identify real-life events, create event handler blocks in MakeCode, and develop interactive elements that respond to player actions within Minecraft.
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![Minecraft Coordinate System]()
Week 3 - Coordinate Systems
Working with coordinate systems; students will learn the difference between relative position and world position, apply coordinates in coding, and begin designing a coordinate-based project they will continue to work on for the rest of the course.
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![Illustration of a box with text "num" labeled as Variable Name and number 5 labeled as Variable Value.]()
Week 4 - Variables
Introduction to variables and data tracking; students will explore different types of variables, implement them in their code, and start find ways to include variables into their project.
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![if-elseblocks]()
Week 5 - Conditionals
Implementing conditionals and debugging; students will create IF-THEN and IF-ELSE-THEN statements, evaluate and fix problematic code, and continue work on their own event-driven project.
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![agent]()
Week 6 - Project Refinement & Showcase
Collaborative project refinement and showcase; students will work together to debug, enhance their projects with creative elements, and prepare presentations to demonstrate their coding achievements to classmates and families.
