Change display time — Currently: Central Daylight Time (CDT) (Event time)

Minecraft Education as a Frame for Learning: Artificial Intelligence Middle School CTE

,
HBGCC - 006CD

Creation Lab

ISTELive Content

Save to My Favorites

Session description

In this experience, participants will engage with lessons that use Minecraft Education as a framework for students to learn AI foundational knowledge. These lessons are a partnership between the University of Florida EQuIPD Program and Microsoft Minecraft Education team. The lessons are aligned to the new 2026 Grades 6-8 Artificial Intelligence Standards for Florida Career and Technical Education. The lessons focus on engineering design thinking to rebuild a village for the classroom which was destroyed by zombies. Students will learn about AI in context of solving engineering problems for the redesign of the village. Students are able to go into Maps made by Minecraft Education (Fantastic Fairgrounds, Sustainable City, Cyber Heros), as well as code an AI Agent in MakeCode that will create and harvest farms for them in the village. Students learn about AI in the classroom through engineering design cycles supported by game play in Minecraft.

Outline

We will do abbreviated versions of all lessons. Teachers will engage with each lesson for 5-10 minutes.

Lesson 2 – What is Sustainability? (110 minutes)
Activity 1 – Eliciting Activity (20 minutes)- Collaborative
Activity 2 – Visit to sustainability City (45-60 minutes)- Game
Activity 3 – Learn about AI and Sustainability (30 minutes)- Collaboration

The next Lesson, looks at engineering design and students have to design a new village layout that includes some of the features they learn about in the Sustainability City map.

Lesson 3 – What is Engineering Design? (90 minutes)
Activity 1 – What is Engineering Design? (30 minutes) -Collaboration
Activity 2 – Designing a Recycling or Composting Facility for the new Village (60 minutes)- Collaboration
Activity 3 - design the layout of your Village in Minecraft

Technology is integrated in the game through Minecraft. Students are learning about how AI helps to enhance engineering solutions.

More [+]

Presenters

Dr. Laylah Bulman

Senior Program Manager

Dr. Nancy Ruzycki

Instructional Professor

University of Florida

Session specifications

Topic:

Artificial Intelligence

Subject area:

Engineering, Science

Additional detail:

Student presentation

Influencer Disclosure:

This session includes a presenter that indicated a “material connection” to a brand that includes a personal, family or employment relationship, or a financial relationship. See individual speaker menu for disclosure information.