Hour of Code: Inclusion
Use block-based or Python code to bring two villages together. Students also explore themes of empathy, diversity, inclusion, and cooperation.
Open in MinecraftUpdated: June 19, 2024
Learning objectives
Understand the importance and benefits of diversity, including the role of diversity and inclusion in a community
Understand bias and recognize how it may cause harm
Create coding solutions that include sequences, iteration, and loops
Decompose (break down) the steps needed to solve a problem into a precise sequence of instructions
Iterate on coding solutions to complete a task
Teacher prep and notes
Install Minecraft: Education Edition by visiting https://aka.ms/HourofCode2020
Watch the intro video to get acquainted with this Hour of Code theme
Watch the walkthrough video to get a better understanding of how to start the lesson and navigate the world
Open the world and play through
Download a copy of the answer key
Have additional questions? Check out our FAQ.
Guiding ideas
For centuries, the Villagers and Illagers shared the same space but seldom interacted with each other. Now you can use the power of code to bring the two villages together. Players will experience empathy and compassion for their neighbors, learn cooperation and inclusion, and embrace the diversity that makes us all uniquely special.
This year’s lesson is offered in both Blocks and Python.
Student activities
CODING ACTIVITIES: 30-40 minutes
Students start their coding journey at the castle with two onboarding coding challenges. These challenges will allow them to decide if they want to code in MakeCode Blocks or in Python. We recommend beginner coders start with Blocks.
ONBOARDING CODING CHALLENGES
Challenge 1: Agent Move. Move your Agent forward so that it stands on the gold block.
Challenge 2: Plant a Sapling. Receive a gift from the Agent and plant it in the center of the castle.
VILLAGER CODING CHALLENGES
Challenge 1: Build a dock. Fishing is something Villagers have never been good at. The Illagers from the next town over offered to help them learn, but they recommended building a dock first. Use your Agent to build a dock at the edge of the shore. It should be 4 blocks wide and 6 blocks long.
Challenge 2: Introduce the ravager to the Villagers. Ravagers are misunderstood creatures. Everyone in town is afraid of them, but one Villager has learned that they're friendly! Use your Agent to introduce the ravager to the three Villagers standing near their houses so they can see how gentle these creatures really are.
Challenge 3: Protect the beet farm. Something keeps tearing up Villagers’ beet farm and they think it's due to the ravagers that the Illagers keep as pets. The Illagers say it wasn’t the ravagers, but who else could it be? Use your Agent to build a protective fence around the farm to keep out whatever is stealing the beets.
ILLAGER CODING CHALLENGES
Challenge 4: Prepare the field for farming. Illagers don't have much farmland and don't know how to farm. The Villagers offered to help teach them, but first the Illagers need help tilling the soil. Use your Agent to teach them how to till this block of land.
Challenge 5: Help the kids get their ball. A group of Illager children have lost their ball on the roof of a Villager’s home and are afraid to go get it. The children don’t know much about the Villager, but they’ve have heard that it might be a witch. Use your Agent to move up wall and press the buttons along the way to get the Villager’s elevator working so it can bring down the ball.
Challenge 6: Build a motorized railway. The Illagers host a fair for the two towns to gather and trade, but the Villagers have stopped coming. The Illagers think that the Villagers don’t like them, but the Villagers say it’s too hard to get their goods up the hill. Use your Agent to build a motorized railway so that Villagers can go up the hill to participate in the fair.
Performance expectations
Lesson Conclusion: 5 minutes
Consider the following questions and/or facilitate student group discussions:
- Why is it important to recognize and understand the importance of diversity?
- How might the CALM (Challenge, Adjust, Learn, Mix it up) method work in your daily life?
- Why is it important to be inclusive of all kinds of people regardless of their gender, race, socio-economic background, etc?
- What are the ways in which we may benefit from diversity and inclusion?
External reference
Skills
- Character
- Collaboration
- Critical thinking
Estimated time
1 hour