So why am I talking about dioramas? Last week my teammates and I were discussing our homework plans for the following week. We had planned on a diorama project. The objective was to read a familiar book several times and determine the setting of the story. Identifying the setting was just step one, then students need to recreate that setting in the form of a diorama. In discussing this project we
1. Could not figure out why we assigned this project (it was brought over from last year's calendar)
2. We just asked parents for shoeboxes for Valentine's Day and soon for Earth Day
3. The parents at the table discussed their personal loathe of their own kids creating projects at home.
Nevertheless the conclusion was that we would be assigning the diorama project the following week with the exception that it did not need to be in a cardboard box, it could be on a piece of cardboard, a cereal box, etc.
So naturally, I had to find a way to make this project more engaging for some of my less than enthusiastic students. That's when it happened! Friday at snack time one student was discussing with another student their newest Minecraft creation. Then more students started joining the conversation. Minecraft is a buzz in my room and yet I'm not entirely sure everything about it. So I asked the students to tell me about it. They explained how you use blocks to build and you try to keep your guy safe by making these buildings. That made sense because I had seen the advertisement and I had seen a video of a guy wielding a sword through a castle. But then I got an idea! So what you are saying is that you are building places for this guy to live in and hide out in from other people. The students replied "Well yes, but it depends on what one you have and where you want to go." They peaked my interest and I had to know more. I pulled up the Minecraft.net website and looked at the selling points. The site read:
Minecraft is a game about breaking and placing blocks. At first, people built structures to protect against nocturnal monsters, but as the game grew players worked together to create wonderful, imaginative things.
It can also be about adventuring with friends or watching the sun rise over a blocky ocean. It’s pretty. Brave players battle terrible things in The Nether, which is more scary than pretty. You can also visit a land of mushrooms if it sounds more like your cup of tea.
Yes, I assigned the ULTIMATE project. I opened my mouth and a world of excitement for my students. While my students were at Art I e-mailed their parents. The kids excitement led me to believe that they were not going to wait the weekend to hear more details about the project and I wanted their parents to know what the excitement was all about. The response from parents was just as excited and enamored as the kids.
Look at the AMAZING work two students did!