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Escape Rooms and Scavenger Hunt activities are an excellent way for students to review material, use problem solving skills, and can replace more typical worksheet-style learning.
Escape Rooms and Scavenger Hunt activities are an excellent way for students to review material, use problem solving skills, and can replace more typical worksheet-style learning.
These activities are actually very easy to create once you know how and you don't have to be super tech-savvy to use them in your classroom. The following are the steps I follow when creating an activity:
These activities are actually very easy to create once you know how and you don't have to be super tech-savvy to use them in your classroom. The following are the steps I follow when creating an activity:
Step 1: Figure out the purpose of the activity. Do you want to review a particular math concept or stretch their learning about a particular concept? Do you want to review the content of a science or social studies chapter? Do you want students to work on making inferences based on text? Do you want students to learn how to work collaboratively with each other?
Step 1: Figure out the purpose of the activity. Do you want to review a particular math concept or stretch their learning about a particular concept? Do you want to review the content of a science or social studies chapter? Do you want students to work on making inferences based on text? Do you want students to learn how to work collaboratively with each other?
Once you have decided the purpose, write down the main concepts you want the tasks to cover. If you want students to be able to identify a complete circuit in a science unit, or practice multiplying fractions, have a good idea (or even write down) the tasks you want students to complete so you can make sure you hit them when creating your activity.
Step 2: Decide the theme of your activity. Think of what your students are interested in and what will serve as an engaging topic for them. Is there a specific holiday coming up that you could tie the activity in with? Is there a particular book or TV series your students love that you could use the characters from? Is there a topic in science or social studies that students are learning about that you could tie in?
Step 2: Decide the theme of your activity. Think of what your students are interested in and what will serve as an engaging topic for them. Is there a specific holiday coming up that you could tie the activity in with? Is there a particular book or TV series your students love that you could use the characters from? Is there a topic in science or social studies that students are learning about that you could tie in?
Step 3: Think of a task or problem related to your theme that the students will be able to solve by completing the steps in the activity. Your actual learning activities will be the individual problems or tasks that students need to complete. This is more of an overarching story that ties all the tasks together.
Step 3: Think of a task or problem related to your theme that the students will be able to solve by completing the steps in the activity. Your actual learning activities will be the individual problems or tasks that students need to complete. This is more of an overarching story that ties all the tasks together.
Some Escape Rooms ideas I have used or seen in the past:
- Escape from the Jungle (or any biome)
- Escape from Space
- Escape from Antarctica (or any continent)
- Escape from a Time Period (the 80s, the 1860s, etc)
- Escape from Rockefeller Plaza in December
- Holiday Themed Escapes where the students need to get back in time for the holiday
Some Scavenger Hunt/Problem Solving tasks I have used in the past:
- The Case of the Missing Broom (Harry Potter)
- The Case of the Mystery Chest (Harry Potter)
- The Case of the Missing Football (or missing anything!)
- Washington D.C. Scavenger Hunt (or any city you choose)
- Hersheypark Scavenger Hunt (you can focus on different attractions in an amusement park or theme park)
- A Holiday Themed Scavenger Hunt in your School
Step 4: Write a short letter to students explaining the problem.
Step 4: Write a short letter to students explaining the problem.
See below for some examples of opening statements to students.
Step 5: Decide what you want students to "collect" as they progress through the activity. Do you want students to collect clues or eliminate options as they go? Do you want them to collect secret numbers that they submit in the final task?
Step 5: Decide what you want students to "collect" as they progress through the activity. Do you want students to collect clues or eliminate options as they go? Do you want them to collect secret numbers that they submit in the final task?
This isn't only a fun part, it actually ensures that students are getting the correct answers as they progress through the activity. If students get a correct answer, they are automatically given for example a secret number. If they get the answer incorrect, they need to revise their answer before they are able to move on with the activity.
Step 6: Start creating your tasks and a student work handout!
Step 6: Start creating your tasks and a student work handout!
There are many different options for you when you start this. You can:
- Create your tasks in Google Slides and use one Google Form and one QR code that students scan at the beginning or end of the activity or put a QR code on each task that students submit when they finish the task
- See the page Using Google Slides to Create Task Cards and Handouts for Students for tips on how to create task cards or handouts for students
- Convey your tasks in any way you wish! Is there a short activity that you've already created that could be one of your tasks? Just make a copy of it and have it be one of the tasks necessary to complete the activity. As long as you tie it into your theme somehow, why reinvent the wheel? For example, if it was a Harry Potter theme you could have a printout saying "Ron really needs help with completing this vocabulary match-up handout. Complete it and then enter your answers in the Google Form."
- You can create a Google Site for a more digital experience for students. Read the post How to Use Google Sites to Create a Digital Escape Room or Scavenger Hunt for detailed directions on how to do this.
Regardless of the option you choose, I suggest creating a student work handout so students can organize their answers. This is also a great place for them to write down whatever they are "collecting" after each activity. Click here to go to the post explaining how to use Google Slides to create task cards and handouts for students. If you scroll to the bottom I show an example of a student work handout.
Step 7: Create a Google Form for students to check their work. While this isn't completely necessary and you could check student work as they progress through the tasks, it allows students to check their work automatically, incorporates technology which is naturally engaging for students, and allows you to facilitate the activity and help students rather than checking answers the whole time.
Step 7: Create a Google Form for students to check their work. While this isn't completely necessary and you could check student work as they progress through the tasks, it allows students to check their work automatically, incorporates technology which is naturally engaging for students, and allows you to facilitate the activity and help students rather than checking answers the whole time.
Think back to what you wanted students to "collect" during the activities as you create your Google Forms! Students should "collect" a clue, number, or whatever you chose each time they submit a correct answer.
For detailed information on how to create a Google Form that automatically checks student work click here.
You can either create individual Google Forms for each of the tasks, which means the tasks can be completed in any order, or you can create one Google Form in which students can submit all of their answers. They would either have to do the problems in order to do this or just use the Google Form at the end of the activity if you choose this option. To see how to create QR codes for your Google Forms click here.
I suggest putting the QR code for the Google Form directly on the student work handout if you are using only one QR code. I have tried printing it on one piece of paper, but it was more chaotic for students to scan and start the activity when I did this.
Step 8: Print and Go!
Step 8: Print and Go!
If you're using task cards, I suggest laminating them so you have them for future use.
Hope you have fun with this- I know your students will!
Please let me know if you have any questions by reaching out to me at my school email or caitlindankanich@yahoo.com
Thanks!
Caitlin
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