Title: Survivor Island: Creative Writing in Minecraft

Overview: Students play singleplayer Minecraft and write a diary about their experience.

Objective:  The main objective is to use a game to enhance students' creative writing skills adhering to the Six Traits of Writing.  Students write a diary detailing the events happening in their game.  They are to develop the scenario that places them in the environment (plane crash, boat sinking, etc.)  They need to write about their experience as if they were in a "real" environment.  Students need to describe their experience in terms what would occur in the real world  (e.g. zombies may be hostile natives of the area,  skeletons maybe strange native animals,  dying and respawning can be explained as being knocked out and awakening, etc.).

     Gameplay Guidelines:

• they are to stay close to a body of fresh water like a stream, river or lake (even though the game does not require it)
• create some kind of SOS signal so rescuers could find them
• make their shelters comparable to what they could build in real life
• if they were killed either by falling, drowning or hostile mobs, they are to note the incident they were knocked out so they could continue to play and write
• write about the monster mobs, not as skeletons, zombies or enderman, but as strange natives or creatures
• remember to follow the Six Traits of Writing when writing in their journals

Lesson Plan:

• Pre-game play preparation: Students are introduced to the game via introduction video which outlines basic game moves and tips.  Students will be given a "survival guide" detailing crafting basics that they can refer to during game play.  Certain additional requirements are given that are not part of the normal game play (i.e. students must find a fresh water source and build their shelter close to it).
• Day 1: Guide students through creating and naming their world.  Give them the choice of choosing game play mode (peaceful, easy, or normal).  Student will not be allowed to talk to one another during class time to create the atmosphere of being isolated in their environment.
• Day 2: Students continue to play game and write in their journals for homework.
• Day 3: Students continue to play game and write in their journals for homework.
• Day 4: Students complete their game play and will need to create a ending scenario in their journals detailing how or if they were rescued.  They are to take a screenshot of their shelter and of their SOS signal.

Credits:

Game: Mojang Minecraft

Introduction Video: Vareide's  YouTube Video: "Minecraft Fanmade Trailer v2"

Instructional Video:  Bob Mills' YouTube Video "Minecraft Short and Sweet Redux (1.4.2) - An orientation film by mmillss"

Survival Guide (Pictures and Information from Minecraftwiki)

Handouts:

Survival Guide

Minecraft Rubric

Future Options:

• Have students blog their journals rather than turn in typed journals so teacher and classmates can read.  This would also make it easier to share the pictures of their shelters and rescue signals.

Examples of Journals: 

• 2017 Student Example 1
• 2017 Student Example 2
• 2017 Student Example 3 
• 2016 Student Example 1 
• 2016 Student Example 2
• 2016 Student Example 3 
• 2016 Student Example 4  
• 2014 Student Example 1
• 2014 Student Example 2
• 2014 Student Example 3
• 2014 Student Example 4 
• 2012 Student Example 1 (written entirely in pirate speak!)
• 2012 Student Example 2 (diary)