American Revolution Escape Room: Escape from King George!

Can you solve the puzzles in time and escape from the clutches of King George? On this road to rebellion, students will read articles, solve hands-on puzzles, and find codes that will unlock pages in an Escape From King George! Google Form. This Escape from King George! Escape Room is immersive and informative. Teach the build-up to the American Revolution by immersing your students in the Colonial Rebellion!

(The Escape Room is entirely physical/hands-on. The digital component refers to the Google Form used to input the codes to unlock each level. There is NOT a digital version of the entire Escape Room!)

Each of the seven (7!) puzzles in this Escape Room comes with an accompanying article covering a different aspect of the American Revolution. 

• The Stamp Act
• The Boston Massacre
• The Boston Tea Party
• The Intolerable Acts
• The First Continental Congress
• The Battles of Lexington & Concord, plus Thomas Paine's Common Sense
• The Declaration of Independence  

** Because the codes all unlock in a Google Form, internet access is required for this Escape Room! **

 Besides the seven articles and puzzles, this activity comes with a 4-page review packet that reinforces the key concepts of the articles. 

The review asks such questions as:

• Why did the Stamp Act anger the American colonists?
• What does it mean to "quarter" troops?
• How many delegates came to the First Continental Congress?
• Why was signing the Declaration of Independence considered so dangerous?

Plus, the review includes a short essay response prompt:

• Using details from the material you have read today, describe why it was so important for the American colonists to "escape" from King George. 

To give you an idea of what all is included in this Escape (the PDF is 66 pages long!), let me explain the puzzles:

1. Puzzle # 1: The Stamp Act. This article introduces the French and Indian War and the Stamp Act of 1764. The puzzle includes several stamped items (a newspaper, a land deed, a pack of playing cards, and an almanac) with numbers hidden on them. Students read a scenario (an American colonist purchasing items now newly taxed) to figure out the code. 
2. Puzzle #2: The Boston Massacre. This article details the Boston Massacre, and students piece together a "torn-up" copy of Paul Revere's engraving in order to discover the hidden code. 
3. Puzzle #3: The Boston Tea Party. The article explains the Tea Act and the Sons of Liberty's response. In the puzzle, students "throw" barrels of tea into Boston Harbor and search for a code amongst the waves.
4. Puzzle #4: The Intolerable Acts. King George's reaction to the Boston Tea Party wasn't exactly low-key. The article explains the Intolerable Acts, and in the puzzle students use a logic puzzle to determine where they can quarter British troops in their town.
5. Puzzle #5: The First Continental Congress. The article involves the First Continental Congress, and the puzzle has students piece together Patrick Henry's famous quote, "Give me liberty or give me death!" as they search for a hidden word.
6. Puzzle #6: The First Battles of the Revolution. The Shot Heard Round the World has fired! The article details the Battles of Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill, as well as Thomas Paine's pamphlet Common Sense. Students search for the next code amongst a map of the first Revolutionary War battles and an excerpt from Common Sense.
7. Puzzle #7: The Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson has finally picked up his quill! This last article teaches students about the Second Continental Congress and the circumstances leading to Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence. Students are then asked to read the Declaration of Independence closely -- a message hides inside! 
8. (There are two options for Puzzle #7. You can create the code in invisible ink (I provide a link to Invisible Ink Pens with U.V. Lights), or use the provided alternate Declaration, which has the code hidden in tiny numbers around John Hancock's signature.

The Escape Room also includes a celebratory "WE ESCAPED FROM KING GEORGE!" poster you can have kids hold up if you want to take some victory pictures for the winners!

Aligned to the 2019 Florida State Standards for Middle School Civics: SS.7.C.1.3 The Road to Independence & SS.7.C.1.4 Declaration of Independence, I use this Escape Room in my 7th Grade Civics class, but it is challenging and complex enough, plus in-depth enough, to be used in any middle or high school Civics, Government, or American History classroom!

This resource comes as a PDF and includes a link to a Google Form.  

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