Two beloved learning games are coming together. Microsoft has partnered with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, the company that owns the rights to The Oregon Trail, to bring the classic historical simulation game into Minecraft: Education Edition.
The new Oregon Trail Experience inside Minecraft: Education Edition will let students take a trip across North America while learning about the “wonders and challenges that pioneers encountered on this famous journey,” Houghton Mifflin Harcourt SVP Caroline Fraser said in a statement.
This new experience offers the “complete storyline of The Oregon Trail from Missouri to the Pacific Coast … reimagined in the open world of Minecraft,” according to Microsoft.
During their virtual journey, students will encounter more than 15 different educational lessons covering everything from history and geography to math, science, government, and language arts. Students will “think through the ratios of supplies needed, strategize on crossing rivers, and learn how the postal service relied on military outposts before the days of email,” Microsoft said.
Other lessons will challenge students to craft a short Public Service Announcement as they learn about the dangers of the Oregon Trail, solve math problems as they begin to understand how long and challenging the trail was, research fur trading companies to learn about economic concepts of monopolies and supply and demand, and more.
Students will also have the opportunity to “create their own 19th century communities along the journey,” the companies wrote.
Head here to download the new Oregon Trail experience.