Minecraft EducationEdition FamilyHistory Scavenger Hunt

If you have access to Minecraft's Education Edition, then use NPCs to create a scavenger hunt of your family and ancestors.
Instruction on how to customize NPCs are available on my previous post. 

Preparation

1. Designate the area where they will be found. Use a fence or an island, coloured ground, etc.
2. Hide NPCs in the designated area. 
3. Create an item that identifies who they are. If they were born in the Netherlands then a windmill.
4. Change the appearance of each NPC to look like an ancestor. 
5. Build a house near the NPC that looks like their house or like one they would have lived in. 
6. Give them a name [optional] Another part of the game might be for them to guess who this ancestor is based on their clothes, the item with them and/or their house. 

I believe the preparation of this game will be just as much fun as playing it, maybe even more.

Playing
Player walks around designated area looking for their relatives portrayed by NPCs.

NPC found
Once the player finds a NPC they record in their notebook [part of the Education version] one or all of the following:

• What they are wearing or their appearance
• What item is nearby. 
• What website the URL took them to, or what they learned from the website listed in their description
• What type of house do they live in. 
• What did they do when the player right clicked on the NPC.
• One or each character could give a clue on where to find their spouse, parent or child.

Multiplayer
If the game is on a server, home or Minecraft, then multiple people could play at the same time. It could be a race to see who finds everyone the fastest.
If not on a server, use a timer to see who finds everyone the fastest.



Finished Locating
Once the player has visited each ancestor and recorded the clues, the player goes to a location where they have to report what they found. A jewel or rock could be at each person's location that they need to collect and bring back.

Options
Have each child and parent create a character and each family members find everyone else's characters.

Advanced Game
Have interaction items to answer questions when they get back to the start. Right click's on right answers, and some programming would make the ending a little harder for older players.

Screenshots!!
If you make this game for your family, I would love to see it.
What options did you do? What were the rules? What did they have to find?
Please take a screenshot [snipping tool] and add below!! I would love to see them.
Or Tweet the pic and include me @liannekruger

Life History: Minecraft Pedigree Chart using Education version

Minecraft Education Edition

If you have access to the education version then make a pedigree chart using the NPCs. 

Look at the pedigree chart [to the right] to see how to make one. Father’s go on the left.

Note:
When deciding where each person will be placed you will need room to add the next generation. Design the layout before starting to add the NPC.
You might want to colour the squares before added the NPCs so you know you have enough room.

You can add levels as well. They don’t all have to be on the same ground level.

Once you have designed the layout:

1. Create a NPC for you.
2. Add your name and a description of yourself. See below for information on how to customize the NPC.

3. Now add your parents. Choose a NPC that looks a little like your parents. Again, name them and add a description including birthdate and location (city/town province/state) and some fun facts about them. 

4. Now add your grandparents. Label them as well with a description.

Customization
Name
Text Limit is 32 characters. Put in your name or the name of an ancestor.
Colour of name text can be changed



Appearance
Select from the NPCs under Appearance.
Check out the Advanced Settings as well. 

Edit Dialog
Add the information about this person.
Text limit is 256 characters.



Options

Change the colour of the path between each NPC to illustrate the connection between you and each parent 

Use the colour of the ground to show the connections. 

URL
You can add a hyperlink button. This would allow you to link to a website with more information about that ancestor!!

Command
You can add a command to the NPC that will be activated when right clicked on or a button.

Screenshots!!
Please take a screenshot [snipping tool] and add below!! I would love to see them.
Or Tweet the pic and include me @liannekruger

This is a bird's eye view because when you look at the chart from the ground all you see is yellow letters.









I have created this pedigree on the side of the mountain to alleviate the problem. Looks better.

I will now rename each NPC as the appropriate ancestor and give them a description about themselves.

Next Minecraft post on using NPCs and a scavenger hunt.

Source: Minecraft Wiki

Life History: Minecraft Make a Home

Minecraft Family History activity

In Minecraft, make your house as it is now.
Or make a previous house you have lived in.
Add the address out front.
Don’t forget to include your backyard.
Add your whole neighbourhood if you want.

Or:  Ask your parents about their home growing up. Outline it on graph paper before beginning.

Or: If you have lived in many homes, make a neighbourhood of your homes.

Add photos of your home or a link to it below. Excited to see what you make!

#LifeHistoryFun

Minecraft old houses

The title might sound strange if you don't know what Minecraft is so I am going to begin by describing Minecraft and then how I will apply it to Family History.

Minecraft is a game, a very cool game where the player mines and builds. A lot of earth is moved in Minecraft while you make buildings and landscapes and look for minerals. You can build big huge buildings or small cabins; whatever you want to build in a variety of material.

I am going to build the houses I have lived in so that my kids/grandkids can get an idea of what it looked like. I could do this on paper, or LEGO would also be fun, but this way they can walk through the houses. And I don't have to find a place to store the LEGO houses.

If you don't know how to use Minecraft you could have your grandchildren do it for you. A work together project.

Check back here for results. This takes time.
Post: I would love to hear and see one of your houses in Minecraft. Please post below!