Minecraft Redstone course lesson ideas and planners

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Course idea 1 : Getting to know and understand what redstone is

objectives:

- Learn how the redstone dust works
- learn all the different add-on aspects of redstone
    Pistons, Doors, trapdoors, Repeaters, Comparators, Trip-wires, Dropper, Dispenser, note-block, daylight-sensor, fence-gates, pressure-plates, buttons, trapped chest, lamps, redstone blocks, torches
- learn what each redstone add-on does, and how it can be used
- learn the physics of redston
    (length of redstone power, repeater ticks, comparator nodes, etc..)
- start to introduce all the concepts and things redstone can be used for
- lead into next lesson by starting to talk about basic redstone contraptions


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Course idea 2 : intro to redstone nodus

objectives:

- demonstraight an "And - Or" gate
#An AND Gate is on only if all of its inputs are on, unless an or function is active
- demonstraight a "if - else" gate (NAND NOR)
- demonstraight a "if - elseif" gate (XAND XOR)
- demonstraight a redstone inverter
- demonstraight a redstone clock
- demonstraight a "logic" gate (IMPLIES)
- demonstraight a "not" gate (NAND)
#A NOT Gate (aka "inverter") is on if its input is off.
- demonstraight an "or" gate
#An OR Gate is on if any of its inputs are on.
- demonstraight a "nor" gate
#A NOR Gate is on only if none of its inputs are on
- demonstraight a "nand" gate
#A NAND Gate is on if any of its inputs are off.
- demonstraight a "xor" gate
#An XOR Gate is on if its inputs are different.
- demonstraight a "xnor" gate
#An XNOR Gate is on if its inputs are equal.
- demonstraight an "implies" gate
#An IMPLIES Gate is on unless the first input is on and the second input is off.

**//** I would trim down the amount of gates to the more commonly used ones and task them with building simple devices that use each type of gate, don't just demonstrate the whole time


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Course idea 3 : intro to redstone pulses

objectives :

- identify and use a "pulse generator"
#A pulse generator produces a pulse of a specific duration.
- identify and use a "pulse limiter"
#A pulse limiter (aka pulse shortener) reduces the duration of pulses which are too long.
- identify and use a "pulse extender"
#A pulse extender (aka pulse sustainer, pulse lengthener) increases the duration of pulses which are too short.
- identify and use a "pulse multiplier"
#A pulse multiplier outputs multiple pulses for every input pulse (it multiplies the number of pulses).
- identify and use a "pulse divider"
#A pulse divider (aka pulse counter) only outputs a signal after a certain number of pulses have been detected through the input (the number of pulses is indicative of the number of loops).
- identify and ise an "edge detector"
#An edge detector reacts to either a signal changing from OFF to ON (a "rising edge" detector) or from ON to OFF (a "falling edge" detector), or both (a "dual edge" detector).
- identify and use a "pulse length detector"
#A pulse length detector reacts only to pulses in a certain range of durations (often only to pulses of one specific duration).

**//** Make sure students are able to build their own examples after learning about each. Remove pulse types if necessary.
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Course idea 4 : intro to redstone clock circuits

objectives:

- build an "observer clock"
#A repeating clock made with Observers and Pistons (an Observer looking at a piston)
- build a "repeater clock"
#A repeater clock consists of a loop of repeaters (usually either redstone repeaters or redstone torches) with occasional dust or blocks to draw off the appropriate pulses.
- build a "hopper clock"
#A hopper clock produces timed pulses by moving items around between hoppers and drawing signals off with redstone comparators.
- build a "piston clock"
#A piston clock produces a loop of pulses by passing a block back and forth (or around, with many pistons) and drawing off a pulse when the block is in a certain location.
#Clocks can also be built using daylight sensors, minecarts, boats, water flow, item despawn, etc.


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Course idea 5 : into to memory circuits

objectives:

- build and use an "RS latch"
#An RS latch has two inputs, one to set the output on and another to reset the output back to off. An RS latch built from NOR gates is known as an "RS NOR Latch", which is the oldest and most common memory circuit in Minecraft.
- build and use a "T- flip flop"
#A T flip-flop is used to toggle a signal (like a lever). It has one input which toggles the output between on and off.\
- build and use a "gated D-latch"
#A Gated D Latch has a "data" input and a "clock" input. When the clock input turns on, it sets the output to equal its data input. Not to be confused with a D flip-flop, which only sets the output equal to its data input on a clock rising transition.
- build and use a "JK latch"
#A JK latch has two inputs, one to set the output on and another to reset the output back to off (like an RS latch), but when both turn on simultaneously it toggles the output between on and off (like a T flip-flop).
- build and use a "counter"
#Unlike T Flip-Flops and RS Latches which can only hold two states (ON or OFF), a counter can be designed to hold a greater number of states.
#Many other memory circuits are possible.\


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Course idea 6 : other useful complex circuits

objectives:

- understand how to use a "Multiplexers and Relay"
#A multiplexer is an advanced form of logic gate which chooses which of two inputs to let through as output based on an additional input (for example, if input A is ON then output input B, otherwise output input C). The reverse of this is a relay, which copies a data input to one of two outputs, depending on whether the additional input is ON or OFF.
- understand how to use a "randomizer"
#A randomizer produces output signals unpredictably. Randomizers can be designed to produce a pulse at random intervals, or to randomize which of multiple outputs are turned ON (such as random number generators, or RNGs). Some randomizers use the random nature of Minecraft (such as cactus growth or dispenser slot selection), while others produce pseudo-randomness algorithmically.
- understand how to use a "Multi-bit circuit"
#Multi-bit circuits treat their input lines as a single multi-bit value (something other than zero and one) and perform an operation on them all at once. With such circuits, possibly combined with arrays of memory circuits, it's possible to build calculators, digital clocks, and even basic computers inside Minecraft.
- understand how to use a "Block Update Detector"
#A block update detector (BUD, or BUD Switch) is a circuit which "reacts" to a block changing its state (for example, stone being mined, water changing to ice, a pumpkin growing next to a pumpkin stem, etc.). BUDs react by producing a pulse, while T-BUDs (Toggleable BUDs) react by toggling their output state. These are generally based on subtle quirks or glitches in device behavior; current
#circuits most often depend on pistons. As of Update Ver. 1.11, many of the functions of BUDs were condensed into the highly demanded Observer Block. The addition of this was made in order to move toward feature parity with Minecraft Pocket Edition versions. Note that as of current, this is only a feature of PC and PE versions, and has yet to be ported to Console Editions of Minecraft.