Minecraft: how can a game (and now a movie) inspire children to pursue Earth sciences and engineering?

April 7, 2025

Ator principal do filme Minecraft com alguns animais

When we hear about geology, metallurgy or engineering, it's common to imagine technical terms, complex formulas or professions that are far removed from children's reality. But what if this first contact with these areas came from a digital game - or even a film?

With Minecraft, this is already happening. The game, which has become a phenomenon among young audiences, and the film, out now in 2025, have shown that learning about the natural world and how to transform it can be fun, accessible and inspiring.

In this article, we'll show you how Minecraft can awaken interest in Earth sciences, industrial processes and engineering, creating bridges between playing and learning.

Minecraft and Geology: understanding the Earth block by block

Minecraft is, by nature, a simplified geological simulator. The game world is made up of layers of natural materials such as stone, earth, sand and ores - all representing real resources found on the planet.

Players learn that the most valuable ores, such as iron, gold and diamonds, are located in deeper layers, just like in the Earth's geological structure. By exploring caves, digging tunnels and building with different types of rock, they come into contact with concepts such as:

Formation and classification of rocks (igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic)
Distribution of minerals in the subsoil
Dynamics of erosion, sedimentation and natural transformation

The film Minecraft 2025 reinforces these themes by visually depicting underground structures and putting the characters through challenges that involve conscious exploration of the natural environment. The plot helps the audience understand how geological resources sustain the built world - both in the game and in real life.

Metallurgy in Minecraft: from ore to processed material

It's not enough to find ores: in Minecraft, as in real life, you have to transform them so that they become useful. This is where metallurgy comes into play.

In the game, the player uses furnaces to smelt iron, gold and copper ores and create tools, armour, rails and other objects. This logic is close to real metallurgical processes, which involve:

Extracting ores from nature
Thermal processes to separate impurities
Metal bonding and the creation of new materials
Industrial application of molten metals

In the film, we see the characters putting this knowledge into practice to solve problems and build solutions. This shows children - in a subtle way - that transforming raw materials into tools is a process that requires technical knowledge, planning and creativity.

Engineering: design, build, solve

Visualização do inventário no Minecraft - Materiais naturais

Minecraft is also an engineering laboratory par excellence. With each building, bridge, mechanism or redstone system, players apply fundamentals that dialogue with civil, electrical and mechanical engineering.

The game allows players to:

Plan stable and functional structures
Calculate the layout and strength of blocks
Create circuits and mechanisms with conditional logic (using redstone)
Simulate hydraulic, energy and transport systems

In the film 2025, conflicts are resolved precisely by applying creative solutions, often based on structures, planning and collaboration - core elements of engineering practice. Children watch the characters building passageways, bridges and tools to overcome challenges, which encourages spatial reasoning and team problem-solving.

Education beyond entertainment

It's no wonder that schools all over the world are already using Minecraft: Education Edition as a teaching tool. With it, teachers can bring students closer to complex subjects in a practical and fun way.

Combining geology, metallurgy and engineering, the game (and now the film) allows students to:

Explore Earth science and industry concepts
Develop logical and strategic thinking
Create projects with purpose and impact
Work in teams to achieve common goals

Why encourage games and movies like Minecraft in the education of young people?

Early exposure to geoscience, metallurgy and engineering concepts can not only awaken vocations, but also prepare a new generation to deal with the challenges of the future - especially in areas such as sustainability, urbanisation and technological innovation.

Minecraft, whether on the computer screen or in the cinema, develops:

Scientific curiosity
Applied creativity
Logical and mathematical reasoning
Notions of environmental responsibility
A spirit of collaboration and problem-solving

Minecraft shows that by uniting geology, metallurgy and engineering in an interactive and accessible experience, it transforms entertainment into a real gateway to knowledge.

If you also believe that education and fun should go hand in hand, keep following our blog. Here, we believe that the future of science and technology begins with blocks, ideas and a lot of imagination.

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