History and Vision
ScienceCraft started as a program run in middle schools teaching basic physics directly in a student-to-student environment. However, when COVID-19 hit, the program was adapted to utilize Minecraft and maintain the student-to-student teaching.
Following the end of that program, we reached out to more than 60 students who participated in Minecraft Physics Camp, our pilot program for ScienceCraft. This program ran throughout July every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Students played Minecraft, and expressed their excitement over learning new topics and applying them there. We thought it was only natural to expand it and create an all-round more impactful, inclusive experience.
During the program in July, we were really shocked to see what had developed. This was no longer just a summer program giving students something to do -- it was a community full of students excited to learn new things. Students are not motivated to seek out the wealth of resources out there because they miss out on the live experience. However, in ScienceCraft, students are found actively engaging with fellow students creates friendships and motivation to actually succeed in class. We are not trying to infringe upon our current educational institutions, rather, we are trying to foster a community of students willing to enrich themselves and supplement their existing learning. Especially during quarantine, so many young, bright students find solace in video games. They can work towards a virtual goal with their friends and do something from the comfort of their home. But of course, video games are not super productive. We determined that if we replicate this community in ScienceCraft, students will make better use of their time while still having fun.
The second vision of ScienceCraft is to open up new windows for students to look through. Our curriculum puts an emphasis on topics that students don’t learn in a traditional middle school environment, like physics or environmental science. These classes are typically only offered senior year of high school, and students have to explicitly decide that they are interested in the subject before even getting the opportunity to learn about it. We hope to teach the fundamentals of subjects like these so that students know their STEM interests prior to high school, assisting them with class choices and extracurriculars, planting seeds for future growth.
Class Structure
Learn
Students are split into predetermined groups, where teams of two teachers teach in smaller classes. The lecture consists of a slideshow presentation with plenty of opportunities for student interaction. All lectures are color coded, simple, fun, and themed consistently. After a lecture has been completed, teachers will run a short 5 question Kahoot. This Kahoot reviews key concepts from the lecture. Our teachers are capable of answering any questions that come their way, and the curriculum itself is teacher-reviewed to ensure that we are teaching correctly and effectively.
Build
Build challenges are the way we challenge students to really use their potential. We give them open ended challenges and they have some time to build something with it. They are encouraged to really think about the science concepts at play, and this enables the program to become something beyond just a recitation of facts - students process the idea and make it their own. Once they build, they are tasked with explaining how they have demonstrated the concepts.
To tailor to less Minecraft-savvy students, we post tutorials on YouTube, and we also offer end-of-program rewards to students who perform well over time.
Have Fun
Classes end with a short 15 - 20 minute period where we have fun with the students and play arcade games on Minecraft. These can include anything from parkour games to survival mode or player-versus-player combat. These activities are designed to encourage students to engage with one another and make new friends, turning the program into a community