Generic Escape Room 2!

Got 8 problems?  Then you can ESCAPE with this generic escape room! And it is made for the whole class to do!

WiFi connection and bar code scanner are necessary as you need to be able to QR Code scan and access Google Docs as well as Google for trivia.

Last year, I shared a generic escape room template and how to easily set it up yourself.  I included the needed items as well.  See original post here.

This year, I wanted to change it up a bit since I have quite a few repeaters so I used the exact same concept but changed the 'Clues'. One clue is shown below.  Last time, I had science clues so mixed it up a little to bring in come other subjects. A little cross curricular action here!

I also discovered they needed a 'master' clue sheet to keep record on and created the following Class Clue Sheet.  There is also one in the original escape room folder.

As last time, each group gets a clue and I adjust based on the number of groups. I make sure I do small lock clue then large lock clue so they have to wait until all groups finish to open both locks.

I found this super cute detective border at pageborders.org if you want to find something to theme around. The unique font I used was KG Broken Vessels Sketch and you can download from dafont.com for free here! 

These clues will remain in place as long as I have this Google account so you may have your kids use them.  REMEMBER.... if you copy them it will change all the QR Codes so you will need to recreate everything (I think!)

Everything you need to escape any assignment AGAIN can be found here for FREE!!  

Enjoy!
Lisa

Generic Escape Room Template!

Previously, I had posted about trying to create an escape room!  You can read about it here.  It was very overwhelming and I usually end up going way overboard and making things more complicated than necessary.  My first escape room was actually not the case but creating an interactive 'escape box' was not simple.  When I went to use it this year, I of course had to 'fancy' it up!

Last summer, I spent some time getting to try out and develop escape rooms.  This year, when redesigning, I found it simpler and discovered I could make a generic one to share with my Systems Maps.  

I was blessed with a Breakout EDU kit through Donors Choose but you can do it without!

All you need is (some items have examples pictured):
-Some problems to solve or questions to answer!  
-2 locks with changeable combinations (so you can set them to my answers)
       -1 3-digit combination lock
       -1 4-digit combination lock 

-a hasp (to use the 2 locks to secure the treasure)

-a lockable box (I chose one big enough to put 'treasure' in 

        Dollar Stores have lockable tool boxes you could easily use

Optional:
- I created QR codes for the students to receive when they solved/answered their problem to get the clue so you will need a QR code reader for this.  You could also just print the clues but I wanted to integrate some technology into our Scavenger Hunt Escape Box!  I also wanted a little something extra instead of just handing them a number to the combination.
-treasures 😏

Basically, I am doing my Systems activity I linked earlier but each time they come back, they get a QR code now.  

It will link them to clues that provide numbers.  The numbers will be arranged or used to find the combination for each lock.  The 4th clue for each lock will be how to arrange the previous 3 clues.

I named them small and large lock because I was using these locks from my Breakout EDU kit.  You could label each one if yours are the same.

There are 8 clues but you could easily adapt it to less, just give multiple clues to some groups.

I also made a class sheet for them to keep track of their clues on, also, if it lasted longer than a class period, I had the info so they could pick up where they left off.

We will be 'escaping' the last week of November and I will update you further.  

These clues will remain in place as long as I have this Google account so you may have your kids use them.  REMEMBER.... if you copy them it will change all the QR Codes so you will need to recreate everything (I think!)

Everything you need to escape any assignment can be found here for FREE!!  

Enjoy!
Lisa

Build Me a Castle Review

How do you get your classes to finish 1,217 problems in 2 days? Give them a cup after each one!! Build me a Castle Review, SUCCESS! Crazy busy but so worth it!

A while back I saw a post online that someone did a review where after each problem, they received a cup to stack.  So simple and sooooooo engaging... so I thought!  Not so simple really.  It was fast.  It was furious.  It was rigorous.

Of course we couldn't just stack cups right?  We needed a theme!  The student above, Anosha and I came up with Build Me A Castle!  We ordered tiaras and even dressed princess themed the first day.  I didn't get a picture because we were going crazy.  This is not a review for the weak.

First, I laminated and used a bunch of task cards I had.  I even made one for standard to slope-intercept form.  Most of mine came from Algebra Accents on Teachers Pay Teachers.  I purchased her whole curriculum several years ago and it has been one of my best investments ever!  The ones I used will be listed below if you are interested.

Really, any matching game can be used.  I'll include my slope matching game that you could just use the graphs for.

To say the students loved it would be an understatement. They did not stop. We did it for 2 solid days and they answered non-stop. I threw out easy and hard. Order of ops to exponential functions. It was a great spiral for the semester exam as I did it just before the end of the year.

I gave each student a wipe board to show their answer on. Each day I had about 5 task card stacks. Each group got one from each stack to start regardless of how many group members they had. It is easiest for you if each card stack is a different color. As each student solved, they came up to the teacher to check answers. If correct, they took a cup and a different problem. If wrong, you could have them correct of offer instruction.

I was surprised that as fast as it was moving, we were able to differentiate pretty good and make sure students were doing a variety of problems. At the end of the day, we took a cup count and let them start with that the next day. Another option is castle height or design.

The above were our winning group with 120 cups. I had them compete within the class then across my classes. Either way, they loved it and every group was able to spiral review.

It was a great activity I will use several times each year. I think my favorite thing was a way to use all those task cards again!!! I needed about 300 cups as an FYI.

Get a couple of my task cards for FREE here.  I will add any other task cards I create in the same folder so you can check back throughout the school year.  The ones I included right now are:

Slope Matching Activity with these graph cards:

Standard to Slope-Intercept Form

The Algebra Accents ones I used and were worth every penny (I think most are $3) were:

Translating Verbal Equations Notes and Task Cards

Exponential Growth and Decay Word Problem Task Cards

Solving One Step Equation Task Cards

Finding the Slope of a Line from Graphs Task Cards

Solving Two Step Equation Task Cards

Solving Multi Step Equation Task Cards

Enjoy!

Lisa