Advance coding capabilities with Python Island 7 and the Reference Guide
The Python reference guide is designed to use alongside Python Island 7 to teach students to find solutions for themselves.
The Python content scaffolds the experience to allow students to get more comfortable and confident over time, starting with Seymour Islands, then onto Python 101, and finally becoming more complex and challenging with Python Islands. Students need multiple opportunities to practice and build out their skill sets. The reference guide takes this one step further by getting students thinking like software developers by using a real software library reference guide to complete a series of tasks. In the real-world, software developers use reference documentation daily to complete their workload.
The reference guide covers all the Minecraft Python commands available for students to use. This is all the Python commands that can be used when coding Python within Minecraft.
The introduction page explains to students how the reference guide is to be used. Tabs along the top split the Python commands into categories making it easy for students to find the part of the guide they need to complete the challenge.
This video gives you an overview of the Python tutorials, Python Playground, and the Reference Guide.
Python Island 7 is a standalone island in the series, put together to encourage students to explore and research solutions to more complex and open-ended coding tasks, using the reference guide and Python in Minecraft.
The reference notebook is accessed in Island 7 by talking to the Mayor. The six tasks on the Island are signposted for students to complete.
Similar to other Python notebook experiences, when students start a task, they're greeted with a notebook explaining what the task is and are provided an area to complete the code. They're also directed to the command or part of the reference notebook they need to successfully complete the task.
The Python Island 7 tasks can also be used in any world, just like the Python tutorials tasks, as they're accessed from the Python homepage in the code editor. You can use these tasks with any world or template.
Reflection
- How could you create a lesson plan with the reference guide for your classroom?
- When would you start using the Python reference guide with students?
- How would the skills students learn from using the reference guide help students with Python outside Minecraft?