Movies 'n Builds, Take 1 - Minecraft Builders Challenge FLEX Class

Minecraft Builders that take any of my FLEX classes will also be invited to join my LIVE monthly club and BUILD REVEALS group!  
*First month is FREE with FLEX class enrollment.  Offer available for new enrollments.*
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↪This FLEX class is part of my "MINECRAFT BUILDERS CHALLENGE FLEX CLASS" series.
↪An EXCLUSIVE INVITE to my "Build Reveals LIVE CLUB - Minecraft Builders Challenge FLEX Class LIVE Meetups" is included with this FLEX class enrollment.  Please note - there is an additional fee for the Build Reveals LIVE CLUB enrollment.

Do you like to watch movies?
Do you LOVE to build creatively in Minecraft?
Are you interested in building a movie world in Minecraft?
Are you interested in enrolling in one of my Minecraft Builders Challenge FLEX classes?
If you answered yes to these, keep reading!

FOR THIS CLASS, THE MOVIE SPOTLIGHT GOES TO -
CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS (2009 Sony Pictures Animation)

During this 4-week course, students will build the movie world for CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS in Minecraft.  This class is taking my Minecraft Builders Challenge Club up a notch!  Not only will Minecraft building go down one block at a time, BUT a movie will need to be watched for ALL the build inspiration.  Cinema talk and enrichment activities, including a scavenger hunt and a food wars poll, will help to keep the inspiration flowing as students take on this challenge.  Students will only have 4 weeks to complete their "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" movie world build.  That's only one month to build the most epic movie world ever!  That might sound like a lot of time, but any Minecraft builder knows that it will be a challenge to fit all those little *tasty* details in within that time frame.  *Warning*-this class might make you hungry.  Because with *meatballs* in this movie title, you better believe food talk will go down in the classroom forum.  

Through videos, posts, and discussion inside the classroom I will prepare the students for each week's tasks.  To kick off the start of this epic movie building experience, students will be presented with a scavenger hunt to help enrich the viewing of this silly movie.  LOTS of Minecraft build time will take place, as students will start construction the first week.  Through weekly activities and an optional "extra" build challenge students will be able to dig a little deeper into their imaginations during this class's movie build, as the food keeps pouring down.

This is a "flexible schedule" class.  That means there will be NO LIVE MEETINGS for this class.  Everything will take place inside the classroom forum.  This class is great for students that can't enroll in my live ongoing Minecraft Builders Challenge Club, but are SUPER EAGER to take on a huge creative build challenge!  It's also perfect for those that just want MORE Minecraft creative time in their lives!  Students will be able to let their imaginations explode onto the screen!   

**IMPORTANT-Each student will NEED their own copy of the movie.  This movie will NOT be shown during this flexible schedule class.  Students will need to watch the movie on their own, outside of class.  Students will be gathering Minecraft build inspiration from the viewing of this movie.  Please, plan accordingly and make sure this movie is available to the student upon enrollment in this class.

Because there will be NO LIVE MEETINGS, the following elements will help keep this FLEX class on track:
• Recorded videos, discussion, and feedback between the teacher and students.  (Students will need to post comments in specific threads, and will have the option to record videos directly into the classroom forum.)
• Weekly Minecraft building.
• Uploaded screenshot pictures for sharing, viewing, and commenting purposes.  (Students will be guided on how to do this through posts and videos the teacher includes inside the classroom forum.)  
• Enrichment activities - including a movie scavenger hunt, a brainstorming collaboration activity, a FOOD WARS poll, and some movie trivia.

Interested in my other MINECRAFT BUILDERS CHALLENGE FLEX CLASSES for ages 9-13!
Check out the following classes inside my profile:
• Movies 'n Builds, Take 2
• Books 'n Builds, Page 1
• Books 'n Builds, Page 2
• Games 'n Builds, Box 1
• Field Trip Construction
• A Winter Wonderland
(More classes to come!  Check back soon.)

Continue reading for ALL the class details.

WHAT'S THE CLASS ABOUT?
After watching the movie, students will build the world on their own platform of Minecraft.  Each student will build independently in their own world, and upload screenshot pictures to share with the class.  Students will need to be familiar with Minecraft, and know how to navigate the platform they choose to build on.  IMPORTANT-This class does NOT use a server, students will be building independently on their own Minecraft platform.  

Once enrolled students will need to check the classroom forum welcome post.  (The classroom forum can be accessed through the learner's schedule, on your Outschool homepage.)  This post will include a welcome video explaining how the class will work.  Once the class starts, students will be encouraged to record a short video introducing themselves to the class, using the classroom recording feature.  Each student will have their own thread to upload their movie world build pictures to.  My videos will explain how to navigate the Outschool classroom and upload these pictures.  There is a lot to navigate through while taking a FLEX class, and I want my students to walk away from my FLEX classes feeling confident in knowing their way around the Outschool classroom forum.  Discussion will be sparked through questions I ask during my videos and posts I add to the classroom, and I look forward to hearing back from the students. 

This class is designed for students with Minecraft knowledge.  But ALL SKILL LEVELS are welcome!  There will be no lessons on how to use Minecraft.  This class is all about designing and sharing the movie worlds built in Minecraft.  How each student interprets this challenge is up to them.  Each build should spotlight the student's architectural style and Minecraft expertise.  This movie world build challenge is designed to let creativity run wild.  The screenshot pictures uploaded will need to include each aspect of the build, with the goal being to let the class see the detail and hard work put into each build.  This class relies on each and every builder's interaction in the form of participation in the movie enrichment activities, brainstorming, uploaded pictures, and comments/recorded videos posted in each thread of the classroom forum.  This class is designed to help broaden and inspire each Minecraft builder.  Being able to see each and every unique design, through the uploaded pictures and video walkthroughs, is what I look forward to most in my Minecraft Builders Challenge FLEX classes.  Let's unite creative Minecraft builders.

WHAT ARE THE FLEX CLASS BENEFITS?  AND, WHY DO THEY START ON SUNDAYS?
I schedule my FLEX class start dates to begin on Sundays, and this particular class run for 4 weeks.  Students are able to build and upload their movie world pictures at their own leisure, due to the "flexible" schedule a FLEX class allows.  As students finish parts of their movie world build they will need to upload their screenshot pictures to the classroom forum.  Students will also have the option to record a short video explaining their uploaded pictures to the class.  (Recorded videos help give the class a more personalized tour of the builder's accomplishments.)  This will give the class an opportunity to check out all the creativity going into each movie build element.  Through my videos I will discuss how to critique student's work in a positive way, and will encourage the class to be open-minded as they leave comments and questions for the builders.  Weekly enrichment activities will be included to help students stay on track.

WHEN WILL CLASS INFORMATION BE POSTED?
Each Monday morning, Mountain Time, information for that week's enrichment activity and movie discussion will be posted in a new WEEKLY TO-DOS thread.  These will need to be completed no later than Friday of each week.  I will include the food wars poll answers and movie trivia winner stats in my final post, at the end of the 4-week class.  Students personal build threads will be posted at the start of the second week of class.

Each Friday evening, Mountain Time, a WEEKLY WRAP-UP post will be sent out.

The videos I post in the classroom will not include any Minecraft building tutorials.  The design will be up to each individual student to determine on their own.  All Minecraft build skill levels are welcome!

*photo courtesy of my own build creations in Minecraft