EASTER ESCAPE ROOM: Where's my Easter Egg (Science) 9 Challenges, Resources and Answer Key

Using an Escape Room to develop curriculum knowledge is an exciting activity that will inspire learners from 3rd Grade to 6th Grade.

The curriculum content of this Escape Room is linked to:

• Easter
• Problem Solving
• Green Plants and their Life Cycles and Growing Conditions

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 above to complete this Escape Room, as the research will support the answers and each Code Key is supported with several clues. This Escape Room is ideal as a review of learning.

The activity begins by the teacher reader the Initial Message received. It clearly tells the children that they need to solve each challenge within the Escape Room to collect the Code Key to move onto the next challenge. Only when they complete the challenge can they move on.

What follows are 9 activities which focus on the knowledge of chemical and physical changes in materials.

The 9 activities are based on the following outcomes:

• Math Problem Solving – finding 5 ways to make 12 using limited digits and operations
• Solving a secret message using a Coded Alphabet
• Anagrams
• Word Search
• Linking Easter Bunnies to a delivery address – follow the trail
• Parts of a plant
• Lifecycle of a plant
• Conditions required for plants to grow
• Visual Math Problem Solving (algebra)

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 and 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 and research materials should be provided to allow 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 all a whole harvest of Cocoa Beans have gone missing, and if they are not found – Easter Eggs cannot be made and Easter celebrations, the symbol of new life – will be ruined. Only they can save Easter!

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. In setting the Escape Room up, you may also decide to run it using an alternative method, where the children all complete the same Challenge at the same time – and then move onto the next one. We have found that this is easier to run and really sets the competitive nature of each of the groups to solve the Challenges first. It also makes checking the answers easier, and keeping subsequent challenges a surprise!

8. 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!

9. 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 Easter!

The Escape Room should last for 2 hours.

We hope that your children enjoy this Escape Room.

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INSPIReducation