Minecraft Math?!

Much to my surprise, the boys are learning more
from Minecraft than I ever could have predicted.

It can be a little strange to work so hard to prepare an excellent lesson only to discover the boys already learned the concepts from Minecraft!

I recently spent a great deal of time studying Time Travel Math, which introduced Leonardo DaVinci's ratio concepts that he used for accurate drawing.  I also prepared a kitchen experiment using ratios.  

I invited the boys to prepare rice-- 1:2 ratio of rice to water.  They always enjoy measuring and pouring.  We then used a measuring tape to explore DaVinci's rule that (in general) the length of one's arms is about the same as one's height (1:1 ratio) and the length of one's lower leg is about the same length as twice your foot length (1:2).  We also tested whether one's arm length was the same as four faces (1:4).

The boys enjoyed making rice and comparing measurements.  They took notes and I was feeling good about their grasp of ratios. Then Spencer humbled me.

"Yeah, that's pretty easy because I use ratios all the time in Minecraft.  One coal can cook eight items.  So that's 1:8."

"Yeah, and 1 stick can cook half an item.  So you need two sticks for each item.  2:1," Denver chimed in.

Denver and Spencer enjoyed
the new Fernbank exhibit yesterday.
Truly engaged learning appears effortless.

"Well, that's great.  I'm glad you're learning so much," I said, laughing to myself "from Minecraft," I might have added.