Engineering in Minecraft: Build Electrical Inventions Using Redstone!

This 4-session course introduces students to Minecraft circuit-building and engineering concepts! "Redstone" is a type of building material in Minecraft that can be used to create electrical circuits and inventions within the Minecraft world. It is included in all versions of Minecraft. We will learn how to use this Redstone material in the course!

We'll build a remote-controlled trap door, piston devices, a roller coaster that you can ride, a TNT cannon and various other electricity-powered Minecraft creations. The course will be held in Creative Mode, and each student will be working within their own self-created world. This course encourages the development of creative problem solving, planning and visualization skills. Through fun hands-on activities in Minecraft, students learn concepts related to electrical engineering and designing circuits. 

We'll be covering the fundamentals of Redstone engineering in this course. While this course assumes no prior experience with Redstone, basic knowledge of building, crafting and accessing the inventory in Creative Mode is required. (Please note that this is not a starter course on "how to play Minecraft" - students should already feel comfortable playing Minecraft on their own.) Any versions of Minecraft can be used for this course (including Java Edition, Bedrock Edition, iPad, Windows 10, Education Edition, Nintendo Switch, etc.) There are some minor differences between how Redstone functions in Java Edition vs. Bedrock Edition, which we will cover as well. Students will need to be able to access Zoom and Minecraft simultaneously, either by utilizing a second device, or by having both Zoom and Minecraft windows visible on the same screen. 

The course will teach the following topics:
Session 1: 
- What is Redstone? It's electricity in Minecraft! Redstone engineering consists of a power source, a transmission material, and a wide range of components that react to the current. 
- Comparison with real-life power sources, conductive materials and electrical components
- Building powered redstone lamps with redstone dust. Using different power sources to turn on the lamps (redstone torch, lever, button, pressure plate)
- Understanding the distance that the power can travel (in blocks)
- Understanding how Redstone power is distributed 
- Build a light-up dance floor with Redstone lamps and pressure plates
- Build a lamp post that lights up automatically at night using an inverted Daylight Detector

Session 2: 
- Using power sources: redstone block, target
- Building powered door, bell, fence gate and trap door
- Build a cannon powered by TNT, that fires a block of TNT
- Build an archery skills challenge course that triggers different Redstone contraptions

Session 3:
- How to hide Redstone Circuits
- Using transmission material: redstone repeater
- Building constructions with a piston and sticky piston
- Build a hidden staircase using pistons

Session 4:
- Building constructions with powered rail and activator rail
- Adding minecarts
- Building a powered roller coaster
- Build an amusement park featuring different Redstone-powered activities

Image Source: Screenshot from the Minecraft game