"Design a Zoo with Minecraft!” is a project-based learning course that incorporates science, technology applications, and mathematics while working on critical thinking skills through reading comprehension and short answer written expression. All while students build and create with Minecraft! 

During each week of the course, students have the choice of working on content at a grade 3 or grade 5 level. In this way, the course is appropriate for students in grade levels 2-6 depending on their ability. There are math quizzes written for grades 3 and grade 5.  Students will have a weekly zoo-themed article to read with four comprehension questions for 4 of the 6 weeks of the course. Students will have reading activities and a zoo-themed "webquest" to complete during 2 of the 6 weeks of the course. Students can choose to complete work at one grade level, or they can complete both grade levels. 

Mathematics topics addressed include: geometry/measurement, data analysis, use of the four operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division), and money (all money problems will use dollars and cents). 

The weekly lessons, quizzes, and links will be posted each Monday morning (Pacific time zone) in the Outschool classroom and will be accessible through Google Drive. The Outschool classroom with serve as "home base" for all communication and discussion posts for the duration of the course. The Outschool classroom does not have a grade book feature. The quizzes will all be scored automatically as you complete them. Learners can retake them if you would like. If you are concerned about "points" learners should take the quiz under the supervision of a parent and/or share their score with their parent once it is complete. 
Prerequisite Skills (anchor charts/supportive materials will be provided for mathematical problems):

At a minimum, with or without support, students should be able to: 
- solve one- and two-step word problems by adding or subtracting three-digit numbers that do not require regrouping or borrowing across zero (ex: 604 – 501 or 507 + 471).  
- use multiplication and division within 100 to solve one- and two-step word problems (ex: Nina can practice a song 5 times in an hour. If she wants to practice the song 75 times before the recital, how many hours does she need to practice? 75÷5=? Or ? X 5=75)
- solve one- and two-step word problems involving dollar bills, quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies (use addition and subtraction with decimals to the hundredths place)
- identify triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons, and cubes.  
- find areas of rectangles 
- find the perimeter of polygons (at least three straight sides) 
- understand units of time (60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day) 

Reading Comprehension and Written Expression objectives and activities include: the exploration of various zoo related articles and sites, focusing on identifying key ideas and details in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences, determining the main idea of a text and using details from the text to support the main idea, and determining the meaning of general academic words or phrases in a text relevant to our subject area. Students will interpret information presented visually or quantitatively (in charts, graphs, diagrams, and/or animations on web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text.  Students are expected to engage in discussion posts and short answer questions by writing in complete sentences with beginning capital letters, ending punctuation, using capital letters for proper nouns and the personal pronoun “I.”

Prerequisite Skills: 
At a minimum, with or without support, students should be able to: 
- read and comprehend text at a minimum of a 2nd-3rd-grade level  
- compose a sentence with a beginning capital letter, ending punctuation, and capitalize the names of proper nouns (specific people, places, or things) and the letter “i” to represent yourself.  Supportive constructive feedback will be provided for written mechanics.   

Students are provided with weekly assignments.  They may choose which grade level (3 or 5) of work to complete. Advanced students can choose to work on upper-level content, or students needing more practice can work on lower-level content. Or better yet, students can choose to do both grade levels!  

Math practice will have a strong focus on real-world, word problem application with a Minecraft or zoo theme. Why? Because the world presents math as real life not just as algorithms! These word problems are, dare I say, FUN! Students will have a weekly article to read with comprehension questions.  Minecraft builds will be focused on weekly reading and math activities. Students will engage in weekly discussion activities. Posts and sharing of Minecraft builds will be made in the discussion area of the online classroom.

On average, students will complete 2-3 hours of math, reading and written response lessons, discussions, and 1-2 hours of creating their “Zoo” with Minecraft each week.  This equates to 3-5 hours of work per week in total. 

What will students be creating in Minecraft each week?
Week 1: create zoo blueprint and entry sign
Week 2: animal exhibit 1
Week 3: animal exhibit 2
Week 4: animal exhibit 3
Week 5: animal exhibit 4
Week 6: create 2 extras and final wrap-up

This course will follow a “flexible schedule” and does not have scheduled online meetings. This flexible schedule allows students to work at any time, 24/7 for the duration of the 6-week course. Thus, keeping all students working at a similar pace but not requiring them to attend a set online class meeting time. Due to the flexible nature of the course, direct instruction via a "live class" is not provided.  Numerous resources are made available within each weekly module for students and/or families to reference in order to maintain or improve mathematics skills, to have success with the topics addressed each week, and gain access to extension activities (learn about animal habitats, virtual zoo field trips, logic activities with a zoo theme).

Each Monday morning (Pacific time zone) the tasks for the week will be posted to the Outschool classroom and available to enrolled learners. The weekly tasks include reading notes, taking quizzes, watching video lessons, creating your Minecraft builds, and posting screenshots/pictures of your Minecraft builds so your classmates and teacher can see them. The teacher will provide feedback on your weekly tasks and can always be reached via the Outschool message/email system with any questions. To stay on track, students should follow the provided pacing guide each week of which tasks should be completed each day (Mon-Fri). However, the hours of work time can be spread out over many days or condensed to fewer days depending on the students’ personal schedule. Students should be sure to complete the weekly tasks before the next week of tasks are unlocked to stay on track. 

Regarding Minecraft:
Each student will need a Minecraft account. Class participants will do all Minecraft building on their own personal device. Any version of Minecraft (PC/Mac computer, Minecraft for Windows10, Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, or other gaming consoles, Minecraft PE for iPad, Android tablets, etc.) will work for this course. The purchase of Minecraft must be made separately and prior to the start of class. Students with a few weeks of Minecraft experience through play or otherwise will have the skills needed to complete the builds in Minecraft. Minecraft is a building tool for this course (think of it as digital building blocks). The lessons and information in this course are not official Minecraft products and are not associated with Mojang.

What is NOT included:
This course will not include a group server or realm. Students can work together if their devices are compatible but partner/group projects are not required. Most learners will build in Minecraft on their own. This course will not include instructions on how to build in Minecraft. This is intentional so that learners can strengthen their creativity and exercise their minds to make their own creations.

As a "Flex" course offering, this class does not include live class meetings in Zoom but teacher-to-learner and learner-to-learner interaction are expected from course participants in the online classroom. These interactions will take place using the Outschool message delivery system so learners and the teacher can interact on a one-on-one basis for questions and feedback. Group discussions will be visible to all learners in the course and students are expected to post, share, and comment on the Minecraft creations of their classmates.  

This course will follow Outschool’s “Flexible” refund policy. For more information on the Outschool refund policy, you can view the website here:   
https://support.outschool.com/about-outschool/refund-policies-and-happiness-guarantee 

(Class photo credit to student Connor 2020)