TeacherVision advisory board member, Sara, created an exclusive St. Patrick's Day Escape Room Challenge just for you. Use this activity to support students to problem-solve, collaborate, and think critically.
If you haven’t heard about escape room challenges for the classroom, and you are looking for an engaging and fun way for students to:
- Think critically
- Collaborate
- Communicate
- Get creative
- Solve problems
Then, an escape room is a new instructional approach to consider trying with your students.
TeacherVision advisory board member, Sara, has created an exclusive St. Patrick’s Day Escape Room just for TeacherVision. In this post, we break down the escape room basics so you can download, print and use this resource in your classroom.
What is an escape room challenge?
In a classroom escape room students use themed clues to reveal secret lock combinations. Students use printed materials provided by the teacher, digital files, and resources hidden and/or displayed around the room to solve the puzzles. The provided game setup, game flow chart and answer key explain how the teacher prepares the game and how the lock combinations are found.
"Escape rooms may be used to reinforce a concept, review for an assessment or as a holiday activity. Running an escape room in class is an engaging way for students to problem solve, communicate, and collaborate in any subject area."
Teaching Tips
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Choose groups of 3-4 students ahead of time, keeping in mind individual strengths and challenges.
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Groups have one hour to figure out the four lock combinations.
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For digital escape rooms each group will need a device with internet access. Instructions for how to enter the digital lock combinations are included.
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Hint tickets are included to limit the amount of assistance groups receive from the teacher – this encourages students to persevere and work with group members to find solutions.
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Remind students that they are competing with the other groups, therefore they should discuss their ideas quietly to prevent others from overhearing.
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Encourage students to move around the room – a resource may be hanging on a wall or hidden under a table.
What is the St. Patrick’s Day Escape Room challenge?
Students have one hour to catch the leprechaun and find his pot of gold.
What resources are included?
This is a comprehensive activity, and everything that you need to facilitate the escape room in your classroom is included. You will receive:
- Game Setup
- Instructions
- Clue resources list
- Game flowchart (facilitator’s guide)
- Instructions for online locks
- Answer key
- Hint tickets and instructions
- Clue resources
What do I do to facilitate this activity?
Teachers are responsible for the activity set-up.
- Print hint tickets
- Hide clues in the room
- Write on the board
- Start the game
- Observe and support students as they engage in the activity
Download and print the full instructions on St. Patrick's Day Escape Room activity resource page.
Sara McCarthy has been teaching middle and high school math and science in Nova Scotia, Canada for the past ten years. She has recently started Escape Ed, which produces educational games for math and science classes. Before becoming a teacher, Sara worked in a molecular biology lab where she honed her mad scientist skills. She spends her winter breaks on ski slopes and her summers at the beach. You can find her work on Escape Ed.
