8-10 yrs old
Math & Economics
Students will fish, mine ores, and fight monsters. Then they will make and compare bar graphs for a scoreboard.
April 11, 2019
World File
Supporting Minecraft world file.
Common Core Standard
Engage NY Module
Related Engage NY Module link.
Rubric
Scorecard Spreadsheet
Example Fishing Bar Graph
Show some bar graphs to your students and discuss how they can be used to make comparisons and how they can also be used to show differences. Once the students have made the connection on how bar graphs help us process data, unveil the Big Idea.
Bar Graphs Help Us Process Data
Fishing
Start by dividing the students into five teams and have them log-in and go on to the Survival Olympics World. Once everyone is in the World, the students will have a fishing competition with this point system:
a. Cod 1 point b. Pufferfish 2 points c. Salmon 3 points d. Tropical Fish 4 points
Set a timer for five minutes and push the “Fishing” button.
Students will be teleported to the fishing area and be given a fishing rod and a boat. They will fish until the timer stops and record their data on the spreadsheets and make a bar graph. Next they will make a bar graph for all players on their team’s total scores. Last they will make a bar graph for all the teams’ scores.
Ask questions such as:
a. What fish did you score the most points with? b. What is the difference between the highest score and the lowest score? c. How many cod and pufferfish did you catch?
Looks at the final scores for the level and ask students questions about the data.
Mining
After you have finished the discussion on the Fishing level bar graphs, let the students know that they will now have a mining competition with these point values for ores:
a. Coal 1 point b. Iron 2 points c. Gold 3 points d. Lapis 4 points e. Diamond 4 points
Set a timer for five minutes and push the “Mining” button.
Students will be teleported to the mining area and be given a diamond pickaxe, torches, and ladders. They will mine until the timer stops and record their data on the spreadsheets and make a bar graph. Next they will make a bar graph for all players on their team’s total scores, and last they will make a bar graph for all the teams’ scores.
a. What ore did you score the most points with?
b. What is the difference between the highest score and the lowest score?
c. How much coal and iron did you mine?
Fight Night
After you have finished the discussion on the Mining level bar graphs, the students will have a mob fighting competition with these point values for ores.
a. Rotten Flesh 1 point b. String 1 points c. Bones 2 points d. Gun Powder 3 points e. Glass Bottles 4 points a. Ender Pearl 4 points
Set a timer for seven minutes and push the “Fight Night” button.
Students will be teleported to the mob fighting area and be given a sword, bow, and arrows. They will fight mobs until the timer stops and record their data on the spreadsheets and make a bar graph. Next they will make a bar graph for all players on their team’s total scores, and last they will make a bar graph for all the teams’ scores.
a. What mob loot did you score the most points with? b. What is the difference between the highest score and the lowest score? c. How many 4 point items did you collect?
Crown the winning team!
Debrief
1. What did you think of the spreadsheets?
2. What are bar graphs useful?
Depth of Knowledge 4
The student did all of the following:
1. The student was able to generate bar graphs using spreadsheets. (3.MD.B.3)
2. The student was able to use bar graphs to make decisions on collected data.(3.MD.3)
3. The student was able to use bar graphs to answer how many or how many lesson questions. (3.MD.3)
4. The student was able to connect bar graphs with another skill, such as:
a. Come up with other things bar graphs would be useful for.
b. Teach bar graphs or spreadsheets to a peer.
c. Be able to write spreadsheet code.
Depth of Knowledge 3
The student did three out of four listed above.
Depth of Knowledge 2
The student did two out of four listed above.
Depth of Knowledge 1
The student did one out of four listed above.