Minecraft Education is a tool for K-12 students. Minecraft Education Edition is the classroom version of Minecraft. Teachers can use ready made lesson plans and worlds to make learning more engaging for students of all ages.
Build with Bees Introduction Video
Minecraft Education Edition (MEE) is a subscription based education version of the popular game. Teachers can use the Minecraft platform to teach everything from social emotional wellness to chemistry expiriments. The resources on this page are based on content from a variety of sources including the Minecraft Education Edition Youtube playlist, the Minecraft in Education page from Microsoft and the Microsoft Learn Educator Community.
Minecraft provides a safe environment for students to experience natural consequences while developing problem solving skills and creative thinking in a low stakes environment.
Install Directions for Teacher Device
Navigate to education.minecraft.net
Click the Windows download button.
Follow the prompts to install the program on your device.
When opening the app, sign in with CMCSS credentials.
(Account is Work or School created by IT Department)
Access Directions for Students
Classroom Mode is an additional download that allows teachers to have additional controls in a hosted Minecraft world. The videos below show how to connect using Classroom Mode and provide ideas for using this feature with students.
Click the link to open the article with additional information about Classroom Mode, including the download.
Connecting Classroom Mode to a Hosted World
Classroom Mode Usage Ideas
Keyboard Controls
W-Walk Forward
S-Walk Backward
A-Turn Left
D-Turn Right
Space Bar - Jump
Space BarX2 - Fly
E - Display Inventory
Shift - Sneak
Q - Drop
ESC - Exit Game
NPC or Non-Player Character - Character in the game that does not move but can be used to communicate important information to players such as directions, questions or hints.
Mobs - Creatures that move in the game. (mobile) ex: horses, sheep, chickens, etc.
Spawn - Create more of a Mob
Camera - Used to take snapshots of items in a world (pairs with book and quill)
Book & Quill - Used like a journal to write about world experiences. Can be exported as a PDF.
Portfolio -Used as a portfolio to show pictures of work taken with the camera. Can be exported as a PDF.
Place - Right-click to build with whatever is currently selected in the Hotbar
Mine - Left-click to destroy a block that is indicated in the crosshairs
Board, Poster, Slate - used to deliver messages that can be read aloud
Commands allow players to do things like teleport to another location in the world. There are many different commands available. To use a command, type a / while in a world, and the command window will appear.
Watch the video to learn more about how to use commands. Then click the link to visit the Minecraft Blog Post about Commands.
Common Commands Teachers Use
World Builder Command - /wb
Allows teachers to edit the world with custom blocks, posters, slates, and NPCs.
Teleport - /tp or /teleport
Instantly move from one location in a world to another with a set of three coordinates separated by spaces.
Give - /give
Use this command followed by @s and the name of the item to give an item without going into inventory.
Targeting Players
@a means all players
@e means all entities
@p means the nearest player
@r means a random player
@s means yourself
Example: /give @s torch This command will give you a torch.
How a player interacts with a world is controlled in the settings. Worlds can be shared from the Minecraft library or edited to meet the teacher's needs. Settings are one way a teacher can customize the world to get the desired outcome. Worlds that have been altered must be exported to be shared with students as a Minecraft file. Students can then import the file into their own Minecraft library.
Screenshot of Classroom Setting Page for a Minecraft World
List of Classroom Settings Explained
Allow Commands - players can use slash commands to navigate in world
Code Builder - players can activate and use their agent to build using code
Always Day - the sun will never set
Perfect Weather - it will always be sunny and clear
Keep Inventory - unlimited supplies
Allow Mobs - moving entities will be in the game
Allow Destructive Items - tnt and other items that destroy will work
Player Damage - players can be injured
Player vs. Play Damage - players can injure each other
Immutable World - mining and building is turned off
Show Border Effect - any barriers created by border blocks can be seen
Resource Link - give the ability to share a link to another resource like a Flipgrid or a Google Form. Paste the URL and then name the button.
Minecraft worlds can be adjusted by the teacher to give or remove certain permissions to participants. This video details what each user type can do and how to control or change permissions in-game.
User Types
Visitor - Can explore the world but no interaction is possible
Member - Can interact in the world, build, mine, etc.
Operator - Can interact and use slash commands (cheats) and change settings including other player permissions
World hosts can change player permissions or remove them.
The "View My Worlds" area is like a file navigator in Minecraft Education Edition. Just like a computer has files stored and organized for access, so does the Minecraft App on a computer. This area is dedicated to holding all of the worlds opened and saved while using the app. It is important to note that world files are stored locally on a device. The only way to use world files from a different device is by exporting the file, moving it to cloud-based storage or a jump drive, then importing the world file to another new device.
Step 1
Select the World Tile from the list of worlds.
Step 2
Select Manage from the World options shown.
Step 3
Click Export from the Manage options.
From the "Play" window in Minecraft, select "Import" from the options shown in the image. Use the file navigator to locate the desired world file. This will add the world to the "View My Worlds" area of the Minecraft app.
To open the imported world, select "View My Worlds" and click the tile for the newly imported world.
Note: World files can also be opened by double-clicking the file name or icon.
One of the most powerful elements of Minecraft Education Edition is the ability for multiple players to engage with each other in the same world. When a world is shared it is called 'Hosting." Once a world is "Hosted," a code is generated that can be shared with others. In the Education Edition, worlds can only be joined by people using the same version of Minecraft so it is very important to make sure all updates are run on each device prior to hosting.
Codes are a combination of 4 blocks as shown in the image. Participants click the "Join World" option from the "Play" area to get the window shown here. The three dots in the lower right allows users to join using an IP Address.
Note: Hosts can control participant permissions and remove them if necessary.
Subject kits are Minecraft worlds that are sorted into categories based on the lessons attached to them. Worlds can be used as-is or edited to match specific classroom needs. New worlds and lessons are added often so check this area regularly. A good way to stay in the know about new worlds is to join a Minecraft educator community. Always check out the 'Additional Lessons' in each content area as there are often more worlds there than on the main page.
Screenshot of part of the Subject Kits page. Each tile has many lesson worlds.
Science
Math
Computer Science
Equity & Inclusion
History & Culture
Social-Emotional
Art & Design
Digital Citizenship
Literacy & Language
ESports
Climate & Sustainability
Screenshot of part of the Additional Lessons found in Science Subject Kits.
Currently, there are 54 Monthly Build Challenges available in Minecraft. They cover many different topics and are appropriate for a variety of ages and content areas. New challenges are added regularly so check this area often for new content. Below is a list of some of the build challenges.
Build Your Emotion
League of Literacy
Agent to the Rescue
Architecture
Area and Volume
Bee Creative
Block Biography
Book Covers
Build a Better Bedroom
Build a Mars Rover
Build a Treehouse
Build a Campsite
Build a Moat
Build a Simple House
Build a Spaceship
Building Systems
Character Study
Coding Coral
Color Wheel
Comic Books
Community Landmark
Creative Classrooms
Desert Island
Global Build Championship
Gone Fishing
Green Building
Harvest Time
Indigenous Stories
International Space Station
Mapping Our World
Minecraft Instruction Book
Minecraft Micro Models
Modeling Gratitude
Monster Mashup
Museum of Me
My Machine
Starter worlds are designed as a blank canvas for editing. Biomes like Badlands, Basalt, Blocks of Grass, Desert, Forest, Jungle, and more allow teachers and students the ability to start with a defined environment and add elements as needed. Build Plates are the other option in the Starter World area. Included in this section are Blocks of Grass, Digital Classroom, Hundred Chart, and Starter Town.
The How to Play section provides tutorials for users who are new to Minecraft and may need help learning to navigate in-world before tackling bigger projects that are content-specific. Tutorial Worlds include: Movement, Place and Break, Interact, Camera and Portfolio, Chalkboards, and NPC. The Additional Tutorials option includes the Chemistry and Code Builder worlds.
Its helpful to think of a Minecraft World as a file to be shared with students. Once the world is set up as desired, see information below on settings and more, it can be exported and shared as a file with each student getting their own copy. It can also be assigned directly through Google Classroom or Teams or shared as a link. Worlds can also be shared with groups of students to interact in together. This is called HOSTING a world. In order for hosting to work properly, all users must be on the same wifi network and must be using the same version of M:EE. Users can identify the version running from the launch window in the lower right corner.
Before sharing a world with students, customize the settings in the world to control how the world works. This video shows where to find settings and explains how to adjust them.
Scroll to the bottom of the page for a printable guide to settings.
Customize content inside a world by using slates, boards, and posters as well as NPCs (non-player characters). This tutorial shows how to access and add these elements to worlds.
Share a Customized World
Open the Minecraft app.
Select a world from the Play area.
Customize the world by adding content and/or changing settings.
Save and exit the world.
Navigate to "View My Worlds" in the Minecraft app.
Click on the world tile and select 'Manage' world.
Export the world and name it.
Share the world file using a preferred LMS.
Share a World from the Library
Find a world from the Minecraft Library.
Click on the world tile.
Select Assign or Share from the options shown.
Use the preferred method to share the world: Google Classroom, Teams, or share with a link.
Students will click the link provided in the platform used to share and the world will automatically open in the Minecraft app.
Classroom Teachers
Teach about Area and Volume using a monthly build challenge.
Have an element scavenger hunt. (Build Challenges)
Take a brain break and 'Go Fishing' in the Gone Fishing Challenge.
Teach steps in a process using the Instruction Book Challenge.
Celebrate the arrival of Fall by carving a pumpkin in the Pumpkin Carving Challenge.
Enrich learning about the seasons using the Signifying Seasons challenge.
Art Teachers
Teach about pixels using the Pixel Portrait Challenge.
Teach students about the color wheel using the Color Wheel Challenge.
Librarians
Have a virtual book walk using the Book Cover Challenge.
Teach about Graphic Novels and Comics using the Comic Books World.
Use any world to teach story elements.
Counselors
Share worlds with students who are in counseling groups to build relationships.
Use Minecraft as a way to build confidence with students who may struggle to communicate.
Search the MEC and Minecraft lessons for themes relating to counseling topics.
Use the Museum of Me challenge as a getting to know you activity.
Use the Museum of Me challenge as a portfolio for the end of year celebration.
Build a Better Bedroom challenge for spacial awareness.
Use the Agent to teach coding and speed up builds.
Share worlds with groups of students to build community and work on social skills.
Teach how biodiversity is important for the survival of species.
Use Minecraft to characterize elements and develop a deeper understanding.
Safely conduct science experiments in a lab like setting.
Learning Paths at the Microsoft Learn Educator Center guide teachers through the many courses that are available. Three Learning paths exist for Minecraft: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. Each path is divided into several learning modules that are listed below. Courses in each path may be taken in any order, however, they are designed to be most helpful when taken in the recommended order. Click to go directly to the Minecraft Education Edition Teacher Academy.
Introduction to Game-Based Learning
Placing Your First Blocks
Worlds and Game Management
Lesson Simulation
Collaborative Gameplay
Classroom Readiness
Intro to Coding
Chemistry
Redstone and Engineering
This video tutorial from Minecraft Education Edition shows how to use Structure blocks to select items in a Minecraft world for export as a GLB file which can then be printed in 3D.
To learn more about 3D printing visit the 3D Printing page on this site.
#1 – Create a list of Classroom Community Guidelines with your students.
Inspired by the Minecraft group’s Jokaydia Community Charter Mentor, Trish Cloud, created the expectations below with her club. Providing students with the opportunity to understand and practice classroom community norms and help create those guidelines is a powerful way to set a good foundation when using digital tools. Additionally, your norms for players in a Minecraft world should mirror your norms for students in the classroom. The disconnect may cause unnecessary confusion for students.
#2 – Take the time to prepare your world before you use it with your students.
Mentor Brett Smith, recommends preparing your worlds before students connect. For his science classes he adjusts the game settings, plans how he wants his students to work, establishes working spaces for them, and prepares his class groups offline. Think clearly about what you want your students to achieve and how the Minecraft world you will use serves this purpose. For additional settings consider using Minecraft: Education Edition’s Classroom Mode.
#3 – Support your online work with offline documentation/instructions and tasks.
Mentor Michele McColgan suggests having a paper copy of the activity instructions, math problems, questions, or prompts that students can use as an offline record to show their work. This helps in connecting the IRL classroom to the Minecraft Classroom. Another idea to reduce frustration and encourages collaboration is take a break every 30 minutes and ask students to share with the class one example of how they’re successfully completing the task and/or where they are struggling.
#4 – Build unstructured time into your lesson.
A number of mentors found that allowing students to have a portion of the class period just to play significantly reduces or eliminates negative behaviors during the lesson. These 5 to 10 minutes might also be rich with opportunities for teachable moments. An example of how to this could be a build challenge to unleash creativity in your students. Need some ideas? Check out our activities of the week.
#5 – Teach students how to play.
Just like with other learning activities, if a student does not know how to use the tools required to complete the learning task, then that student is more likely to misbehave and distract other students. Spending some time to make sure every student acquires the skills necessary to succeed will pay off, just like teaching students classroom routines. Mentor, Kristine Holloway recommends pairing novice players with experienced players to facilitate collaboration.
#6 – Create alternative assignments.
One way to reduce misbehavior is to develop assignments that accomplish the same learning goal but do not require Minecraft. This strategy is useful as a consequence for students who misbehave in the game, but it is also a useful tool for differentiation. Some students may not want to play Minecraft, so students can be offered a choice which will subsequently limit misbehavior.
#7 – Balance structured activities with choice.
Mentor, Mike Johnston notes that when working with a tool like Minecraft, it is important to let the game be a game to retain student engagement while maximizing the potential of the tool. This moves Minecraft from a gimmick to a legitimately enjoyable learning experience. However, there are times that teachers may want to assign a strict step-by-step process or place the students in a pre-built map. Balancing these activities with those in which students are offered more in-game choices and control over the learning experience will do wonders for student learning.
#8 – Use Classroom Mode.
Mentor Andrea Tolley suggests trying the companion application to M:EE. Classroom Mode offers teachers tools essential to managing a digital Minecraft class. Features include an overhead map of student locations, settings to adjust player damage, use of TNT, the cycle day and night, and changes to the game’s difficulty settings.
#9 – Try, Reflect, Reset.
These tips may or may not work for your classroom. Be open to trying different strategies for management and eventually you’ll find what works for you and your students. Just like teaching anything else, it may take some trial and error before you find the solutions that work best for you and your students.
Updated: 4/16/25 PA