Paleontology Camp in Minecraft: Digging for Prehistoric Artifacts (5-Session)
Unearth the mysteries of the past in this interactive course that dives into Earth's prehistoric organisms. Excavate dig sites, analyze fossil records, and build your own museum (Minecraft Java Edition for PC / Mac Only. NO iPad or Tablet)!
Connected Camps
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4.7
Number of reviews:(4,021)
Popular
What's included
5 live meetings
7 hrs 30 mins in-class hoursClass Experience
PLATFORM: (Minecraft Java Edition for PC / Mac Only! Not compatible with Ipads, Kindles, Tablets, Phones, and Game Consoles) SKILL LEVEL: This program is meant for Basic level players. This program requires Moderate reading comprehension, Basic proficiency with computers, and no prior experience with Minecraft. PROGRAM OVERVIEW: Come and join us in an adventure through history where you’ll walk among dinosaurs and discover how they shaped life on Earth. In this course, you’ll learn how paleontologists dig up the history of our planet. You’ll even discover fossils and artifacts of your own in a custom Minecraft experience. Like all Connected Camps programs, this class offers a project-based, exploratory classroom environment that sits at the intersection of learning and playing. After all, kids learn the most when they're having fun! As a class we will work as a team as explorers of Minecraft to create a museum of artifacts and fossils like real world paleontologists. Through our discoveries, you’ll learn about what life was like for the creatures and people of the past. During this camp, you will: — Cover the history of paleontology and stratigraphy. — Understand the impact that paleontology has on other fields of study. — Dive into four sub-categories of paleontology: micropaleontology, paleobotany, invertebrate paleontology, and vertebrate paleontology! — Engage in interactive experiences and learn about dinosaurs and their history. — Create your own museum to showcase your historical findings. This is an interactive course where you’ll learn through a combination of group discussions and personal experimentation. At the start of each session, we’ll introduce new concepts and activities for you to explore in the Minecraft world. Throughout this course, you’ll search for fossils and artifacts as we show you their relevance to modern history. By the end of this course, you’ll get to show off your findings in a custom museum filled with your discoveries! PARENTS: This program is designed for kids to connect their interests in dinosaurs and history with a game they love. Unlike traditional lessons, students will have the opportunity to participate in project-based work as paleontologists in the 3D world of Minecraft. Your child will learn the essential duties of these professions alongside the history of how human cultures and dinosaurs have changed. This is a 5-session camp that balances discussion time with plenty of hands-on experience so students can cement what they’re learning and explore the topics they're interested in. We combine Minecraft with education so your child can engage their passions as they learn in a positive, interest-driven environment. Please note that we will be asking for your camper's in-game username so that we can add them to our server's safelist.
Learning Goals
— Day 1 - Set Up and Introduction to Paleontology: Our primary goal for this day is to assist students in setting up Minecraft and to familiarize kids with our course’s objectives. To start off this course, students will first learn about the history of the Paleontologist profession and identify their first fossils.
— Day 2 - Statigraphy and the Earth's Crust: Students will learn about how we use layers of the Earth's crust to identify how old a fossil or artifact is. Students will begin their deep dive into one giant dig site to see what they can uncover!
— Day 3 - Vertebrates and Invertebrates: Today's lesson will focus on the difference between vertebrate and invertebrate animal fossils and how to figure out what kind of animal you've found in the dig site. Students will continue adding their discoveries to their own personal museum exhibits.
— Day 4 - Micropaleontology and Paleobotany: Students will extend their knowledge of the Paleontology field by studying the history of plant life and microorganisms on Earth. We'll be using a supersized microscope that allows students to build their own tiny microorganisms from their own interests and knowledge!
— Day 5 - Paleontology in the Real World: On our final day, we'll cover how modern Paleontologists approach their work. This day will focus on allowing students to put the finishing touches on their personal museum exhibits and then showcase all of their discoveries to their peers.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Some of the topics we cover in this program do not fit all points of views of our learners and parents. Our programs are secular and this course incorporates science-based information in its curriculum. Students in this class will participate in discussions and activities that revolve around the nature of evolution, genetics, and the big bang theory.
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Internet safety is a top priority for us and our goal is to create a safe, connected community of learners that is moderated by our instructors. Throughout our programs we strive to educate our learners on internet safety and best practices for connecting online.
In our programs, our learners are often making friendships and connections with others in class. While we encourage positive online friendships, we think it’s important to practice these principles of internet safety:
— Do NOT ask others to connect online outside of our programs without first confirming with your parents. Our programs are a safe, moderated space for learners to engage but we can’t moderate connections outside of our classes.
— Do NOT give away personal information which includes but is not limited to: your name, address, phone number, passwords, location, email address, and parental information.
— If an individual asks for personal information, you should inform a counselor or your parent for guidance.
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Common Sense Media Resources for Parents:
https://www.commonsense.org/education/videos/keeping-games-fun-and-friendly
Keeping Games Fun and Friendly: learn how to keep your child's experiences positive and fun when communicating in online games with others.
https://www.commonsense.org/education/video/modal/4141366#
The Power of Words: help your child learn that words exchanged online are indeed powerful, and offer strategies to use when confronted with cyberbullying.
https://www.commonsense.org/education/videos/private-and-personal-information
Private and Personal Information: learn the difference between what personal things your child can safely share online and private information that should not be shared.
Supply List
A Minecraft Java Edition account must be purchased by the learner. Participants will receive access to the Connected Camps Minecraft Server where the program will be run. To access the server, each learner will need the Java edition of Minecraft and will need to set their version release to 1.16.5. Other Minecraft versions like the "Minecraft for Windows 10 version", console editions, and pocket editions for mobile devices will not work for this course. A pair of headphones and microphone are also needed for communication with the class.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Not an official Minecraft product. Not approved or associated with Mojang.
Joined June, 2020
4.7
4021reviews
Popular
Teacher expertise and credentials
Connected Camps is a not-for-profit organization founded in 2015 with the mission to build a global online community where kids build, code, play, and learn alongside one another. Our programs are designed based on extensive research in the learning sciences. The founders and leaders of Connected Camps, Mimi Ito and Katie Salen, are professors at the University of California, Irvine, who specialize in the design of online learning experiences that are fun, social, and directly tied to academic outcomes. Learn more about the research behind Connected Camps at the Connected Learning Alliance resource site: https://clalliance.org/
One thing that makes our programs unique is our near-peer mentorship model. Our programs are led by young adults and college students, often with the help of high school volunteers. We hire counselors and coaches from top universities in computer science, game development, economics, social studies, and the arts, and train them on how to facilitate project-based learning with younger kids. Our young instructors have the same passion for technology, games, and digital making as our learners, and take on the role of instructors, as well as fellow enthusiasts and relatable role models.
The curriculum for this program was designed by Amy, who is pursuing a degree in Medical Anthropology, and Thomas, who is pursuing a degree in Evolutionary Anthropology. The learning experiences in this class are driven by their academic expertise in the field, along with their desire to share their passion for the subject with a group of excited learners. All of Connected Camps’ curricula are vetted by the organization’s Product Manager, Matthew, who possesses a Masters in Secondary Education and a deep belief in the power of collaborative virtual learning.Reviews
Live Group Class
$105
for 5 classes5x per week, 1 week
90 min
Completed by 46 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 8-13
3-10 learners per class
