Attack on Pearl Harbor

By Megan McNeal, Madison Camp, Miranda Sanders, Emily Phillips, Josh Jeanes

Materials needed: 2 envelopes, 2 boxes that can be closed with combination locks, 1 alphabetical combination lock, 1 numerical combination lock, print outs of all primary resources included in the escape room, and a bookcase, a desk, and a clock (that are hopefully already a part of the practicing teacher's classroom).

The goal of this escape room is to guide students through the event that occurred on December 7, 1941, and how the repercussions of the attack on Pearl Harbor led the United States to enter WWII. Students will examine primary resources, solve puzzles, riddles, and clues to answer how the United States responded to the attack on Pearl Harbor.

SSUSH19 - Examine the origins, major developments, and the domestic impact of World War II, including the growth of the federal government.a. Investigate the origins of U.S. involvement in the war including Lend-lease and the Japanese attack on Pearl HarborL9-10RH2 - Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text.

Teacher Read Introduction

"A threat has been presented to the United States. As a dedicated member of the United States Federal Government (or whatever), you have been tasked with discovering what the threat that the United States is facing and the source of the peril that will soon face our country. Your actions will determine how our country responds to the challenges it faces. Your first task resides where knowledge is pursued. Godspeed."

Step 1

The teacher introduction will lead students to a “Top Secret” Envelope will be placed on the bookshelf in the classroom.

Two locked boxes (labeled Box 1 and Box 2) will also be placed in the front of the classroom. Students will use clues gathered through the escape room in order to open each box.

Clue 1

Includes: Puzzle of Oahu, Hawaii (map of Oahu cut into 8 different pieces)
Once the map is assembled, the students will uncover a message.
The message will guide students to look at the coordinates on the map---the with question--"Can you find the Star?" They will realize these coordinates match the coordinates around the classroom. (Teacher will need to pre-label the classroom with coordinates before students enter classroom)
A star has been placed on the location of Pearl Harbor on the map. Students will search for the star in the classroom using the coordinates that correspond with the coordinates within the classroom to uncover their next clue.

Box 1

Box 1 can be opened by using the 3 digit letter code of S.O.S. Students will be lead to this clue by reading the caption at the bottom of the map. As this may or may not be a term that is familiar to the students---the teacher might want to scaffold this puzzle by offering an "extra clue" by asking students is they know what the abbreviation for Save our Ships might be?

Executive Order page 1

Executive Order Page 2

Propaganda poster

Clue 2

This clue will open BOX 2
This clue will be found in a top secret envelope taped under a desk based on the coordinates found in the puzzle in CLUE 1
This clue will be a letter to the students which serves as a distractor (but also encourages them), and a copy of FDR's draft of his speech to the American people following the attack--which will reveal the quote “A date which will live in infamy” that will help them open Box 2

Letter one acts as a distractor--but also encourages students to keep investigating

To help draw students attention to the date, teachers may highlight the phrase "a day which will live in infamy"

Box 2

Box 2 can be opened with the code 120741 (the date of the Pearl Harbor Attack). Inside the box students will find an assortment of primary sources that foreshadow what is yet to come in the war. Inside the box a single piece of paper will be included stating "Time is Ticking---what will we do?" This clue will lead the student to the classroom clock that will conceal the final envelope.

Kamikaze Pilot

USA propaganda

Japanese propaganda

USA Navy WWII Destroyer

How to "Escape"

Concealed behind the classroom clock, students will find the following prompt

“How did the U.S. respond to the Japanese attack in Pearl Harbor?”

During this conclusion, students will determine what event happened, and share how it impacted the United States and Japan (this reflection may be done in small groups, or as a whole class). This will act as the “escape,” for the lesson and students will submit their written response as a formal formative assessment.

Editor's Note: As part of your reflection--be sure to include a discussion of the extraordinary loss of life that this war had on both the United States and Japan. The topic of Atomic Bombs looms just around the corner, and we do NOT want to trivialize those events.

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