Fun fact: Billund, the town where Ole started making toys, is home to the first LEGOland theme park. It opened in 1968 and is still very popular!
SHUTTERSTOCK
Minecraft and LEGO History
Two articles tell the surprising stories behind Minecraft and LEGO bricks.
Learning Objective: Students will learn about the history of Minecraft and LEGO bricks as they compare and contrast these popular playthings.
Lexiles: 380L, 490L, 910L
Guided Reading Level: P
DRA Level: 38
Featured Skill:
Compare and Contrast,
Topic:
History,
Common Core Standards
TEKS Standards
video
(1)
Activities
(4)
Download All Quizzes and Activities
Reading Kit
Skills Activities
Quizzes
(1)
Can’t-Miss Teaching Extras
Fun Fact
How is LEGO made?
Want your kids to see exactly how Legos are made? This fun, 5-minute clip takes you through the elaborate production process in the Denmark factory.
Minecraft-facts
Fun Minecraft facts: Markus Persson created the first version of the game in six days—and called it “Cave Game”—and then spent the next two years perfecting it.
More About the Article
Content-Area Connections
Social studies: inventors, world cultures
Science: technology
Key Skills
compare and contrast, vocabulary, close reading, inference, informational writing, key details
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
1. PREPARING TO READ
Explore Text Features/ Set a Purpose for Reading (10 minutes)
• Have students look at the spreads on pages 16-17 and 18-19.
• Direct students to the labels in the upper left corner of page 16 that say “Paired Texts” and “One topic, two stories.” Ask students what the one topic is. (popular things to play with)
• Ask students: What do you think Minecraft and LEGO bricks might have in common? Have them name some similarities and differences between the two.
• Every story in the magazine has a Think and Read box at the beginning. It gives students a question or an idea to focus on as they read. Call on a volunteer to read the Think and Read box on page 17 for the class.
Preview Vocabulary (15 minutes)
• Project or distribute the first page of our vocabulary activity to preview the terms in bold in the feature. Complete the “before reading” section as a class or in small groups. Have students complete the second section after they’ve read the article.
• Highlighted words: mined, instructions, struggling, bleak, succeeded, vision
2. CLOSE READING
Reading and Unpacking the Text
• First read: Students should read the articles through one time for general comprehension.
• Second read: Distribute the close-reading and critical-thinking questions. Preview them as a class.
• Have students read the story again, as a class or in small groups, pausing to answer the questions.
“The History of Minecraft” Close-Reading Questions (15 minutes)
• How is Minecraft different from other video games? (compare and contrast) Minecraft is simpler than most popular video games. It has no special effects or instructions. It was created by just one person rather than a whole team of people.
• What does the last paragraph tell you about how Minecraft might be similar to LEGO bricks? (compare and contrast) The last paragraph says that Minecraft is more like a toy than a video game. It’s like building blocks, and LEGO bricks actually are building blocks.
“The LEGO Story” Close-Reading Questions (15 minutes)
• Why do you think the author tells you about Ole’s children in the first paragraph? (inference) The author tells us about Ole’s kids to show that he and his family are having a hard time because there are so many children to take care of.
• In what way was Ole rich? (key details) He had plenty of wood from the trees around his village.
• The last paragraph tells you that the name LEGO comes from a word meaning “play well.” What does this tell you about the company’s vision? (inference) The company’s vision is to create toys that kids can play with and enjoy.
Critical-Thinking Questions (10 minutes)
• What are two ways in which LEGO bricks and Minecraft are similar? (compare and contrast) Both were created by individuals rather than big companies. They both started off small and became very successful. Both are used by children to build and be creative.
• What are two ways in which Minecraft and LEGO bricks are different? (compare and contrast) Minecraft is played on a computer and LEGO bricks are played with in real life. LEGO bricks were created many decades ago and Minecraft was created seven years ago.
3. SKILL BUILDING
Compare and Contrast
• Distribute our compare/contrast activity. On your whiteboard or chart paper, make a chart like the one in our activity.
• Fill in the chart as a class, working cooperatively. Have students raise their hands to suggest additions to the chart, or have them come up and fill it in.
• As a class, discuss the finished product to see if students would add or change anything.
• Have students complete the task in the Think and Write box on page 19 in class or as homework.
Differentiate and Customize
For Independent Readers
• Follow step 1 of the lesson plan: Preparing to Read.
• Let students read the article on their own, pausing to circle (or mark with a sticky note) anything they find confusing or interesting.
• Put students in pairs to discuss what they each marked as confusing or interesting.
• Assign the close-reading and critical-thinking questions as homework.
For Guided Reading Groups
• Follow step 1 of the lesson plan: Preparing to Read.
• Take turns reading the article aloud, paragraph by paragraph. Take note of the pronunciations in the LEGO story. Pause to discuss anything students are finding confusing.
• Work through the close-reading and critical-thinking questions together as a group.
For Struggling Readers
Read the articles aloud as students follow along in their magazines. Pause at the end of each paragraph to confirm comprehension. Have students go through the articles a second time, underlining information they think is important for answering the Think and Write question.
For Advanced Readers
After reading the articles, have students brainstorm and research other building toys. Have them create a timeline of building toys throughout history, including toys that were created before, after, and between LEGO bricks and Minecraft.
Text-to-Speech