Christmas is Cancelled - ESCAPE ROOM: Problem Solving, Cooperative learning, Math, Vocabulary

Using an Escape Room to develop curriculum knowledge is an exciting activity that will inspire learners from 3rd Grade to 6th Grade. To celebrate Christmas is even better!

In this Escape Room, Christmas threatens to be cancelled as Santa has overslept and is not prepared for delivering presents throughout the world. Only the participants in the Escape Room can help him!

The curriculum content of this Escape Room is linked to:

• Christmas
• Problem Solving
• Math (Multiplication, Time, Sequencing)
• Word Skills (Language Problem solving)
• Geography (World Locations)

The aim of the Escape Room is to provide jeopardy for the children to work under pressure to solve 9 clues to save them being trapped in the Escape Room.

Before beginning, you will need to prepare the following:

• A copy of the Pupil Workbook for each group
• A set of table activities for every group – prepared beforehand and given to each group after they have all completed each Code Key activity
• IT sources and research materials
• Initial Starting Script sharing the problem to the children
• Completion Script celebrating the completion of the challenge

Children do not need prior knowledge of the topic to complete this Escape Room, however, a calculator and world map would be handy. Internet or non-fiction (fiction) sources could also be provided to ensure the children can find the names of Santa’s reindeers. This Escape Room is designed to be fun, and a clear celebration of Christmas. It is ideal from children from Grades 3 to 6.

The activity begins by the teacher reader the Initial Message received which informs the children that Christmas is cancelled as Santa has overslept. The only way Christmas can be saved is if the children help Santa with getting himself, the reindeer and the presents organised and deliver them in the time he has left.

What follows are 9 activities which focus on getting Santa up, ready and delivering, using a range of curriculum skills, as well as cooperative learning. Once each Challenge is completed, a Code Key is revealed in their answer. The children must find all 9 Code Keys to save Christmas.

The 9 activities are based on the following outcomes:

• Wakey Wakey Santa – identifying the ringing alarm clocks
• Find Santa’s Clothes – Word Search and a secret is revealed
• Present sorting - 2D and 3D shape sort using shape properties
• Reindeer Sort – Anagrams and a secret is revealed
• Feeding the reindeers – Identifying what reindeers eat
• 36 Hours – Time related math questions (long multiplication)
• More Food and Drink - Sequencing
• Around the World – Ordering countries and continents to get Santa around the world in the right order
• And finally, one long sleep – Math questions with four operations

When all 9 activities are completed, and the children have gained the correct Code Keys from each activity, the teacher can read the final communication detailing how the children have been successful, Christmas has not been cancelled and they can therefore leave the Escape Room.

Setting up the Escape Room

1. Children should be split into groups of no more than four and be placed in their own work space.

2. Access to IT, World Maps and research materials should be provided to encourage children to research answers to questions if they need them and review their own knowledge, as well as checking answers.

3. Each group should have a Code Key Booklet and decide on a team name

4. Read the Initial Message to the children to set the challenge in context. Discuss what this means, and what the activity entails. Children will be told that Christmas is to be cancelled unless they can sort out Santa and help him deliver the presents in time. Only they can help him and save Christmas!

5. Each group starts on one of the 9 tables with one of the 9 Challenges. Determine a time limit with your children – during that time, the children must try and complete the challenge to reveal a Code Key. All answers can be found in the Teacher Answer Booklet.

6. At the end of the time, children should have filled in the Code Key in their booklet. At this point, the groups move to the next Challenge sequentially. For example, if they were working on Challenge 5, they would then move to Challenge 6, then 7, 8, 9, 1 and so on until all 9 were completed.

7. The same time limit should be applied to all Challenges to ensure it is fair for all groups. Some Challenges will be faster than others!

8. For those groups who have been successful, they are then able to read the completed statement where they find out if they have escaped the Escape Room and saved Christmas!

The Escape Room should last for 2 hours – but more time can be given if your children require it - this is completely flexible for you and your children.

We hope that your children enjoy this Escape Room.

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Best wishes

INSPIReducation