Friday, May 22, 2020

Crafts: I is for Iron

text: Crafts: I is for Iron; background picture of Minecraft scene; logo of A Mom's Quest to Teach

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What exactly makes Minecraft such an intriguing game to both children and adults? I don't know if I have the perfect answer. The fact that the game allows for such creativity may be one of the reasons. It also inspires our children outside the actual game. They love when I create Minecraft-themed crafts for them to complete such as E for Enderman and R for Redstone. It even encourages trips to sites where people can learn more about mining like Eckley Miners' Village.

Iron Ore


Iron ore is an important mineral block found in Minecraft. When smelted, it becomes an iron ingot which can be used to craft tools and armor. In the real world, iron ore or iron minerals range from dark grey, bright yellow, a deep purple to red. None of them actually have the beige color of iron ore in Minecraft.
Text: I is for Iron A Mom's Quest to Teach; letter I craft with toy Iron Golem and Minecraft iron ore blocks
There are four main types of iron ore deposits:

  • magnetite deposits 
  • titanomagnetite deposits 
  • massive hematite deposits 
  • pisolitic ironstone deposits 
While iron ore is used directly to make items in Minecraft, in the real world the majority of iron produced is used to make steel. (In some modpacks for Minecraft, players will use iron to produce steel.) 

And just what is steel used for? An excellent question to ask your children. Perhaps this will even develop into a great research project! Some of the many uses of steel include the building of automobiles, locomotives, beams for buildings, paper clips, tools, and more. 

box of gems and precious stones
This lesson lends itself to examining rocks and identifying gems and precious stones.

How to Make an 'I is for Iron' Craft


Materials 

Steps 


1. Gather all your materials.

scissors; letter I; construction paper; glue stick

2. Trace a large letter I. If your children are ready, have them cut out the letter on their own.

3. Glue the letter I onto the large construction paper.

gluing on letter I onto construction paper

4. Cut out small beige colored squares.

5. Glue the beige colored squares onto the letter I to create iron ore from Minecraft.

gluing squares onto letter I construction paper

6. After your project is dry, display proudly in your home.

Letter I craft with Iron Golem and Iron Ore Minecraft toys


8 comments:

  1. My 7 year old loves Minecraft! I have never thought about making a Minecraft learning activity, but this is a great idea.

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  2. This is so fun! My kids enjoy playing Minecraft.

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  3. We have 3 separate Minecraft accounts at our house 🤦‍♀️😬😆🤷‍♀️

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Only our teen has a computer account but everyone in the house (parents included) have Minecraft characters on the Xbox.

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  4. What neat ideas! My younger brother loves Minecraft!

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