Minecraft Ed Edition Releases Free Hour of Code Lesson

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 11/16/21

Minecraft Education Edition has released a new, free Hour of Code. "Timecraft" lets students learn basic coding concepts while correcting "mysterious mishaps" throughout history. Players connect with great innovators and inventors in science, architecture, music, engineering and other disciplines, exploring major moments in human achievement, while using coding to save the future!

Students can work with code blocks or Python to complete their mission.

The learning objectives cover:

  • Understanding the importance and benefits of computer science;

  • Analyzing and problem-solving using algorithmic thinking and problem decomposition;

  • Practicing CS concepts such as sequences, events, loops and debugging;

  • Creating coding solutions to complete a task or solve a problem; and

  • Recognizing various careers that CS offers.

Educator resources include an introductory video, an educator guide, student-facing presentation slides, coding solutions, extension activities for integrated CS lesson plans and Kahoot quizzes.

The lesson is available in three different modes: one for in-class with a teacher facilitator, another for in-class as a self-guided experience, and a third for virtual learning. Each mode requires different levels of teacher support and modification for student success and participation.

The latest hour of code lesson is available on the Minecraft Education Edition website.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • tutors helping young students with laptops against a vibrant abstract background

    K12 Tutoring Earns ESSA Level II Validation

    Online tutoring service K12 Tutoring recently announced that it has received Level II validation underneath the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The independently validated study provides evidence of K12 Tutoring's role in creating positive student outcomes through effective academic intervention and research-based solutions.

  • elementary school boy using a laptop with a glowing digital brain above his head and circuit lines extending outward

    The Brain Drain: How Overreliance on AI May Erode Creativity and Critical Thinking

    Just as sedentary lifestyles have reshaped our physical health, our dependence on AI, algorithms, and digital tools is reshaping how we think, and the effects aren't always positive.

  • student reading a book with a brain, a protective hand, a computer monitor showing education icons, gears, and leaves

    4 Steps to Responsible AI Implementation in Education

    Researchers at the University of Kansas Center for Innovation, Design & Digital Learning (CIDDL) have published a new framework for the responsible implementation of artificial intelligence at all levels of education, from preschool through higher education.

  • a cloud, an AI chip, and a padlock interconnected by circuit-like lines

    CrowdStrike Report: Attackers Increasingly Targeting Cloud, AI Systems

    According to the 2025 Threat Hunting Report from CrowdStrike, adversaries are not just using AI to supercharge attacks — they are actively targeting the AI systems organizations deploy in production. Combined with a surge in cloud exploitation, this shift marks a significant change in the threat landscape for enterprises.