Minecraft version of historic New Zealand farm being used as educational tool

Mātiki Minecraft, set at Totara Estate in Ōamaru, is an educational tool for students to learn about the primary sector.

By Gianina Schwanecke of RNZ

A Minecraft version of a historic New Zealand farm is helping agriculture and horticulture students learn more about the industry.

Sow the Seed and Agribusiness in Schools have developed Mātiki Minecraft with support from Museograph.

Set at Totara Estate in Ōamaru, the farm where the first shipment of frozen lamb originated from in 1882, the computer game acts as an educational tool for students to learn about the primary sector.

Students can explore early farming practices, as well as the more modern primary sector landscape and career opportunities.

Sow the Seed subject adviser Suzy Newman said it complemented the new study units they created for Year 7-10 students’ science and agricultural curriculum.

“They’re bringing what they’re learning and being able to create in the world.”

She said teachers could set challenges where students can innovate or create their own farming solutions to be showcased in their Minecraft world.

Examples included setting up a modern dairy plant with robotic milking, creating virtual fencing or using drones.

“I see Minecraft as that exploration.

“We’ve got areas on fertiliser and genetics; they can shear the sheep.”

There was also a knowledge hub in the game where students could learn more about career opportunities in the seven key primary industries - Beef, Sheep, Kiwifruit, Arable, Dairy, Pipfruit, and Forestry.

“We’ve aligned those with our Agribusiness in Schools (AiS) partners and are supporting that.”

Newman said it was about connecting with industry and making resources to take back into the classroom.

She said the variety of subjects it touched on made it suitable for students in agricultural and horticultural science, agribusiness, and science classes, as well as social sciences.

Anthony Breese from Museograph, a former primary school teacher turned educational technical specialist, was tasked with building the online farm world.

To create acres of online farmland, topography data was put through graphic and building software before being imported and rebuilt in Minecraft, he explained.

Breese said each Minecraft block was about a metre in real life, with Totara Estate’s historic men’s quarters and cookhouse recreated in the game.

The kiwifruit block was also thought to be a first for Minecraft.

The education tool was showcased at the recent Horticultural & Agricultural Teachers Association (HATA) conference in Methven and will also feature at the Hawke’s Bay and Waikato Career Expos and New Zealand National Fieldays.

- RNZ