Halloween - Escape Room: Problem Solving, Math, Language, Science

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:

• Halloween
• Problem Solving in math and language
• Green Plants and their Life Cycles and Growing Conditions (Science)

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 (for the Science link if required)
• 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. All of the Pumpkins have gone missing - meaning that without Pumpkins, Halloween and - more importantly- Trick or Treat will be cancelled. The job of the Escape Room teams is to save Halloween!

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 13 using limited digits and operations
• Solving a secret message using a Coded Alphabet
• Anagrams
• Word Search
• Linking Pumpkins 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. You can see each activity in the preview.

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. Work spaces can be labelled from Challenge 1 to Challenge 9 using the labels in the Resource Pack. Each of the 9 activities can then be placed on those work spaces.

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 - this is only required for the science activities.

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 the Pumpkins have gone missing, and if they are not found – Halloween and Trick or Treat will be cancelled. Only they can save Halloween!

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 Halloween!

The Escape Room should last for 2 hours.

We hope that your children enjoy this Escape Room.

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Best wishes

INSPIReducation