Geography lessons go virtual: Danish government creates Minecraft version of ENTIRE country to aid teachers The mapping department of the government recreated the entire nation Teachers can also use the Minecraft lesson plans to make education more accessible. Published at 18:06 EDT on 25 April 2014 10 The Danish government has recreated the entire country using the popular computer game Minecraft. The government hopes that it will make learning more enjoyable for students by becoming the first nation to be fully integrated into the massive Minecraft games. It has even created several lesson plans for teachers that guide them through the virtual version of their country. Denmark's Ministry of the Environment has created a large-scale model of Denmark in Minecraft for players to explore. The downloadable model is made up of 4 billion blocks. It requires 1 Terabyte of storage space. WHAT IS MINECRAFT? Minecraft was created in 2009. When you start the game, players are placed in a 'virtually endless game world.' They can then walk around various terrains, including mountains, forests and caves. Players can also fly up in the air for an aerial view of the scenery. To build towns and cities players are given blocks and tools. As a player progresses they can earn advanced tools and building blocks from various materials. The game was initially made for the PC but there are now Xbox 360 and mobile versions available. The model is comprised of approximately 4000 billion bricks. It takes up around 1TB (1000 gigabytes) to download the entire country. We have built Denmark online in Minecraft to allow young people can plant their own forest and create riding school, a lake biogas plant, wind turbine and more,' said Kirsten Brosbol, Danish Minister for the Environment. Kirsten Brosbol, Danish Minister for the Environment. Due to their higher standards of living Girls are able to thrive in street gangs. Your dog really DOES love you: Researchers find 'love... 'The imagination is the only the limit. This is our way to connect the digital and natural worlds. It was created by Simon Kokkendorf, Thor Bjorn Nielsen and Geodatastyrelsen (the Danish mapping arm of the government), They used publically available data about the country including elevation models and information on roads and buildings, and 'translated it into Minecraft's distinctive bricks. The navigation system was developed by the couple to allow visitors to locate their own area within the model. They will also have the opportunity to observe nature and landscapes in their natural habitat. You can take a walk' in the countryside everywhere in Denmark, and you can look at any location in Denmark roughly in the same way as with Google Street View,' the Agency said. Orestad school in Copenhagen has been testing the system to teach students maths and geography. Katrin Kristensen, a teacher at the Orestad school, said that in the past, the teacher would lay out an outline of Denmark in the classroom and let the students scribble the names of the various regions. In the near future, Danish school children and others will be able record in the game plants and animals they have seen or found in nature. Now Denmark is accessible right now on the children's computers or tablets, underpinning the concept of using digital tools in the classroom. Game servers We have had positive experiences using Minecraft in teaching maths, for example. We can enhance learning with the'real Denmark now available as an online game called Minecraft World. Pupils have more fun to work on their own home, street and so forth. However the developers have made a modification to the game - removing the ability to use dynamite to blast up areas.
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