Escape Room Meets Mathematics

In class we had the privilege to participate in an activity that Jenna led us through. It was the most engaging and exciting math activity that I have ever used and I can definitely see students really enjoying it in a real classroom. Jenna split the class into four groups and each group was provided with a toolbox that had many locks on it. We were provided with a crossword puzzle to start off and there were a couple other clues that were available to be retrieved from different compartments on the box. As a group we had to work together to solve the puzzle, complete math problems, and figure out lock combinations to open up our box. It was so fun to see what each clue would reveal and to figure out each step of the puzzle. Racing against our classmates provided an extra sense of challenge and determination which only added to the fun. My group came in a close second, which we were very proud of. The prize at the end was opening up a bag of chocolates to share among our group.

This activity is so versatile and can be changed to fit any class, course, or subject material. Fore example, Jenna had previously used this activity in a science class to review an astronomy unit, but during this class we focused on material from Grade 12 Data Management. Since the puzzles and math problems can be changed to fit the classes needs, this activity can be used many times in many classes.

I can see myself using this activity in my future classroom and although it would be expensive to set up, it would be a great investment both in terms of the versatility of it and the way in which it would engage students in the classroom.

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