The first week of school is a great way to establish what your classroom will be for the rest of the year. Therefore it felt important to provide these components into the room.
Makerspace Morning
To teach the importance of taking care of the materials in the room, work collaboratively and commit to an assignment and see it through to the end, I had the students complete a jigsaw puzzle.
Musical Kinesthetic Learning
Not only does this song from Lodge McCmmon teach the properties of matter, this Discovery Education SOS strategy teaches students movement and music are components to a well rounded learning experience. Plus, it builds relationships with the students and creates a sense of accomplishment seeing themselves practice and perform in such a short amount of time.
Discovery Education SOS Strategy - Paper Slide Videos
One of the many great educational resources DE has to offer are their Spotlight on Strategies (SOS) lessons to teach any content. Paper Slides is a quick and innovative way for students and teachers to show what they know with just paper and a recording device. In this activity, students had to select five attributes from a list to describe themselves.
I have created several escape rooms/breakout games based on content yet this is the first time I used one of their created games. "Oh The Places You Will Go" Dr. Seuss theme, designed by Patti Harju. A breakout game specifically designed for the first week of elementary school.
I made some small changes. Instead of hanging items to easily view, everything each team needed was locked inside its individual box. Therefore they would first focus on one of the locked boxes by deciphering the first clue. I also added a 5th puzzle to have five teams of students. As with all my escape games, the focus is for all the teams to unlock their final lock along with everyone else's so it is a collaborative whole group accomplishment.
It was a great week thanks to the DEN, and Cooper.
This breakout theme was Joy along with highlighting Discovery Education material. Click to access all the materials in Google Drive.
My intent is to modify this game to be used during the third Discovery Ambassador Session.
Therefore, portions have to be modified such as the previous DEN Events word cloud images and the names on the double puzzle worksheet.
As with all my games, content can be easily replaced to support your needs. For example, the clue following the Google Form was to find an image depicting a past Discovery Event. Remove the Discovery Event with a topic and the images can be replaced with word clouds summarizing them such as Wordle.
THE GAME
Thanks to DENnis Grice for his intro to get the game started.
1. Jigsaw Puzzle - solve the puzzle and turn over to reveal the secret message to find a particular board from Discovery Education.
2. I used Board Builder on Discovery Education to be the hub of the breakout. It contains the next clue, a hidden hyperlink to a Google Form. The hyperlink can be hidden by changing the font to match the rest of the text so it is invisible unless you hover over it. It also contains information to solve the last clue inside the balloons. That was done so if anyone skipped steps, they would still have to backtrack to the beginning and complete the entire game to breakout. I included as many tags on the board included as many hints to the puzzle clue to ensure participants found the correct board.
3. The Google Form's last question had three choices. All three led to a particular visual word cloud based upon the topic that was selected that I hung on the wall.
4. I have Who Has cards were inside an envelope behind the images. Organize the cards correctly will display the Google Voice phone number.
5. Google Voice is a great tool for breakouts, as messages pertaining to particular games can be saved and switched when needed. The message hinted "Have you ever wanted to see what made your favorite DEN Guru's tick by looking inside their minds? Here is your chance, select one Guru and operate on him to find your next clue."
6. Using Makey Makey and Scratch, I built three operation games out of snack boxes. There are many websites sharing how to design them and the program to go with it. I modified the sprites (images) and sounds to match my particular game, but I followed their instructions. I used glue stick caps to hid the pieces of the next clue inside the game.
7. The three pieces hidden inside the operation game have the message "under a desk" written. I just cut the message into three pieces for the players to assemble quickly to decipher.
8. Under desks were envelops with the character Joy from "Inside Out" and inside were double puzzle worksheets I created using Puzzle Maker from Discovery Education.
For DENSI, I just used well known DEN members names to rearrange in an anagram. To be used for Discovery Ambassador program, I would replace the names with contact persons and departments depicting different components of DE that a person may need. The rearranged words spell out "find the correct box with the numbers ...." spelled out in word form.
9. Inside the room are locked boxes with a three combination code which you receive from the double puzzle worksheet.
10. Inside each box are Nerf guns I bought at a Dollar Store with the message "to release your joy, you must aim high."
11. The hint was for persons to shoot down a balloon placed high in the classroom.
12. Inside the balloons are rolled up index cards with the final clue. Each message said "How would spread joy by speaking....." Each note listed three unique languages ex: French, Italian, Spanish.
13. The final puzzle requires you to return to the Board on Discovery Education and find the list "Nine Ways to Say Joy to the World." In order are nine Joy's from nine different languages. By looking at your three languages compared to this list, you will determine the three numbers to open your lock. ex: French could be the third number and Italian the sixth on the list and Spanish being the first. Which would be the lock combination 3,6,1 and open the lock.
Again, this breakout is designed to modify to your Discovery Ambassador meeting or within your classroom modifying the content using these basic clues. Hope to inspire, assist, and motivate.
The purpose of this activity was to create a kinesthetic lesson based upon all of the 5th grade essential standards with a minimal understanding of escape rooms. This breakout was designed for all users; therefore all the clues are easily duplicated for any person to easily and quickly recreate for their individual classroom. The breakout should last around 35-45 minutes.
Materials Needed: A box that can be locked, at least 3 locks, 6 shoeboxes, sheet protectors, chromebook/ipad, envelopes/folders, construction paper, 3 baggies, index cards, sharpie, some decorated containers: folders, boxes, envelopes to place clues in around the room, Wayne’s Intro video Setup:
Set the locks to the following combinations: 7,3,58,1,46,4,2 tape sheet protectors to the top of the shoeboxes (allows interchangeable text/images to be placed on top.
- to replace the images and keep the boxes for other games
Print all materials: Double Puzzle, Forces Visual Boxes, I have Who has? (6 sets), Matter Number Sort, etc
Using index cards spell out “anemometer”, “wind vane”, and “barometer”. Write one letter one each card for the students to sort the cards to spell out their weather instrument. - Place in small baggies
Slide Forces Graphs in the sheet protectors on top of the 6 boxes
Cut out “I have, Who has” into squares and place them in each box Cut out the QR codes and place on a wall Place Double Puzzle sheets in envelopes/folders - label the area “BODY SYSTEMS” Place the Matter Number sort in separate envelopes or folders - labeled “WAYNE IS HAVING SUM FUN” Place/Tape the challenge baggies on or near the Wayne’s Tools of SCIENCE for students to easily pick up Place the “Tools of Science” labels on one side of colored construction paper and the vocabulary match on the other. Place the challenge cards in a place where the challenge card label can be seen and somewhere they are not easily obtainable since it is the last clue for the game. **The FIRST THREE matter match are the correct ones - THEY MUST BE BEHIND “air pressure, wind speed, and wind direction” in order for the game to work. Place the clues all over the classroom to setup your Wayne’s World Lab. Label or identify the areas for students to easily find. Any folder/box you are using can be dead ends with messages “try again”
Resources: Discovery Education Puzzlemaker, Google Sheets, Google Forms, Puppet Pals 2, QR stuff.com, youtube, plus worksheet and game ideas
The Breakout Game:Place all your students into three / five groups
Play the youtube video of Wayne introducing the breakout and explain all three teams need to work collaboratively within their own group along with all three groups working together to open the three locks to end the game. The video keeps the theme of the game, plus its a timer. Clue 1: Wayne’s favorite pastime: Students complete the wordsearch to determine what their next clue is: “SUM”. Students will have to find the station labeled “WAYNE IS HAVING SUM FUN”. Clue 2: Matter Number Sort: There are 6 different sheets, have students randomly select one and complete. Each of the 6 examples has the same correct number: 37. However each leads to a different body system. Clue 3: Double Puzzle Body Systems: Students sort the terms located within that system to generate the next clue. Hardest component is certain numbers are used repeatedly due to the same letter being used to spell out the clue. Each clue will lead to a different QR code. Clue 4: QR Winds: Students match the term from double body systems to the definition located below a QR code. **Monitor students closely to determine they are selecting the correct QR code for their term. Reason all QR codes lead to a video and may will progress through the game even with a correct matching term. Clue 5: Wayne Youtube / Visual Box: Students watch a short youtube video to identify what type of graph they need to find located on top of one of the 6 boxes. **Monitor students closely to determine they are selecting the correct graph/box. As above, the group can progress even though they may have selected the wrong graph. Clue 6: I have Who Has Cards: Students find cards to line up according to I have, Who has to spell out a google Form. **Students will have the most difficult with transference since the URL has to be spelled EXACTLY. It is case sensitive and the symbols need to be included.
Clue 7: Google Form Science Review: The Google Form contains several questions from Weather, Forces and Matter. Students have multiple choices, if they get their answers correct, they progress to the clue very quickly. However, if they answer incorrectly, they will be given more questions and will take longer to obtain the clue. **If students SUBMIT form, they will not see what the next clue is and would have to repeat the entire process over again.
The clue reads: You will need the best tools for the job. Select one bag to spell out your next clue
Clue 8: Anagram Sort: Students select ONE of the three bags and sort the words of a weather instrument and match the definition to determine which challenge card to select Clue 9: Vocabulary Match Tools of Science: Students select the correct card. Behind the Tools card are terms which correlate to selecting the three numbers to unlock one of the locks. Numbers on the lock work from top to bottom. Only three cards work. The others are dead ends. Once a team opens a lock, they can help support the other two teams complete theirs. If all 3 teams open the three locks within the set time they win and earn 5’s on their challenge.
This game was run to review all 5th grade science concepts for their end of grade assessment. Below are the steps of the game followed by all that you need to recreate the game.
The Breakout Game
Clue 1: Intro Video - setup theme, provides first clue by playing songs from Moby
Clue 2: Makey Makey Operation Game - students retrieve one of the many messages inside the operation game. Some say try again. 5 have (3 for now) westerlies, jet stream, gulf stream, el nino, trade winds
Clue 3: Passing Wind - Find the correct description of a global wind written on a cloud envelope for next clue inside. They include the 5 mentioned plus Coriolis Effect as a dead end.
Clue 4: Word Bank - use all of the words in the word bank to complete the sentences, the four remaining words first letters spell out the next clue Insulation, Precipitation, Acceleration, Decomposer - IPAD
Clue 5: Locks App (numbers lock) - attached to each ipad is a clues sheet to answer several math related science questions, answer all of them and then calculate the sum to enter into the locks app to receive your next clue 1) 40 2) .25 3) 6.5 4) 20 5) 13.25 TOTAL: 80 (locks app)
Clue 6: Clouds - locks app reveals an image of a cumulus cloud. Clear baggies hanging from the ceiling containing cotton balls to simulate clouds possess the next clue. Students need to figure out what to do next and then devise a way to get one of them down.
Clue 7: I have Who Has - Inside the cloud is a baggie containing I Have Who Has cards to sort. Lining them up leads to a Bitly http://goo.gl/forms/NytDLOZuiCvrY7KV2
Clue 8: Google Form - Complete the answers to lead to the next clue: Incorrect answers lead students into more questions. The clue reads: “Go to the cooler and use the best method of heat transfer to thaw out your next clue.”
Clue 9: Heat Transfer: - Frozen in airtight containers is the next clue. Provided with materials: plastic, metal, wood, etc. students are encouraged to use them to thaw their next clue as quickly as they can. Have students justify why they chose the material they did. Metal is the fastest. CLUES: see image box document for images to be placed on boxes and the corresponding messages in the bottles
Clue 10: Image Boxes: Thawed were situations that needed to be matched to the appropriate graph found on top of the boxes. Inside is the Food Web Final Clue
Clue 11: Final Clue:Complete the Food Web Inside the images boxes contains a food web where images need to be placed in its correct niche. Numbers appear on each of the animals in the food web. Directions ask students to determine the sum for the primary consumers, secondary consumers and the tertiary consumers. Knowing how many animals for each trophic level is essential otherwise the numbers will be incorrect.
Roll up the clues including dead ends and misleading clues into the glue stick caps. To create your own Makey Makey Operation game, I used this link. You will need cereal boxes, conductive tape, and tweezers to make them.
Puzzle 3: Passing Wind - Label a container such as a large manilla envelope, box, folder “Passing Wind.”
Inside will be mailing envelopes for each of the global winds. Write each definition/explanation on a separate envelope: coriolis effect, el nino, la nina, prevailing westerlies, jet stream, trade winds, gulf stream. Some will contain “whoops try again” and the rest will have a copy of the next clue.
Puzzle 4: Word Bank - Print copies of the word bank and place inside the envelopes which in turn is placed in the “Passing Wind” container.
Puzzle 5: Breakoutedu locks app: I created a number lock on the app with a image of cumulus clouds as the next clue. The answer that needs to be entered is 80. Only concern for the app is you need a hotspot to run the app in a classroom. I used my iphone to share my data to the three ipads I used. One for each team. Plus to ensure the students didn’t get lost on the devices, I used guided access to keep the app on the forefront of the ipads and turned off the Auto-lock.
Puzzle 6: Clouds: Using zip lock bags, fill them with cotton balls and print the I have Who has cards on cardstock and place them in a smaller zip lock bag inside the cloud bag. Using duct tape and string, I hung them from the ceiling. When I first ran the game, the class noticed the bags when they walked in but did not understand until they played the game and quickly made the connection they were clouds on their own.
Puzzle 7: I have who has - As mentioned in puzzle 6, the cards are printed on cardstock and placed in small ziplock bags inside the cloud ziplock bags hung on the ceiling. Depending on the number of teams, the number of clouds and “I have” cards will be needed.
Puzzle 8: Google Form - Students need a device for each team to complete the Google Form.
**Puzzle: 9: Heat Transfer - A cooler is needed with lots of ice to keep everything frozen. Print the graphs and the clues and separate the clues and graphs by cutting them. I used airtight containers to place the clues for the graphs inside the containers and placed each of them in a ziplock bag filled with water. I placed them in the freezer overnight to freeze and they were placed in a portable cooler for the game. Also at the station are materials that are good/poor conductors for the students to thaw out the clue: wool, plastic, wood, and metal. Students are encouraged to explain their choices on what materials they need to thaw out their cannister.
Puzzle 10: Image Boxes - I used cigar boxes I covered with colored butcher paper to make them decorative. I cut and taped sheet protectors on top of the boxes to reuse the image on top of the boxes for whatever game I am playing. This game as previously mentioned in Puzzle 9, place the cut graphs and place them on top of each box. There are more boxes than games (9) or so to create dead ends. You can leave them empty or write “try again” if wanted.
Puzzle 11: Inside each puzzle box is the printed final clue food web. You will need to print the blank food web, the animal sheet and cut them into separate pieces plus the instructions for the final clue.
One of the units in 5th grade science is teaching human body systems. Students would learn about the inter-dependency of several systems including: skeletal, muscular, cardiovascular, digestive, respiratory, and the nervous systems. I use Discovery Education Science and Science Techbook for most of the instruction.
For a cumulative activity I had students trace themselves on 6 large butcher paper sheets to create the 6 systems and to explain their function to the body and identify components of each system and their uses. We would hang them up to review each system and its components. The activity alone seemed to be lacking something.
I added a new component one year by using the same student to be able to overlap the charts and tape them to a large classroom window to show how they relate. In theory it is feasible yet, I needed to do something more.
This year, instead of a student, we used our classroom teddy bear so it would be the same body type for each of the 6 systems using less paper.
The purpose was to place all 6 systems in a circular pattern and create a concept map that connects all the 6 systems with lines and content where students discuss how each system is interdependent with each other. Such as the muscles are attached to bones to allow the body movement and oxygen entering the body is moved to the rest of the body through the cardiovascular system.
This extra concept is more aligned to what is required of the students. Having students explain how the different systems work co-dependently with each other doubles the instructional value of the project.
This year, our Black History Month project was to decorate our door based on an era in time. 5th grade was given the 1950's. A large aspect of this project was for the students to have a large amount of independence. First, students investigated accomplished persons of that era they were interested in. Next, using Google Classroom, students researched the persons and supplied information on each. Some chose to contribute to all of them, others just collected information one or two. Using the information, the class worked in groups and wrote a summary of each.
Once completed, students presented their summary with any technology tool they wished: a Greenscreen video using Doink, Chatterpix, Ifunface, and Split Lens 2. Next, they augmented the images of their selected person using Aurasma to launch their project.
Follow the link or QR code to follow the channel to view their project.
I always loved mini golf courses as a kid and I thought it would be a great idea for the students to create their own.
During our 5th grade force and motion unit, students learn the concepts and they design a simple course to demonstrate each concept in isolation. The purpose is for the students to create a working model that best explains what they learned about Newton's Laws.
At the end of each week, students get into small groups and in one a class period, they are to design and create something they learned from the lessons. Through trial and error with various materials including different types of paper and tape, I concluded that cardboard and hot glue worked the best.
Some of the concepts to create include: Potential/Kinetic Energy, Inertia, Force, Friction, Velocity, Slopes, Mass/Acceleration and Action/Reaction.
Once completed, they demonstrated their design using the appropriate terms and justifying their product with learned content.
At the completion of the unit, we have a running course for each lesson, students get into groups of their choosing and they can create a course of their own design.
There are some stipulations for the project:
They must be able to explain the physics of their project using the correct terms
Commit to their project and problem solve while working collaboratively
It has to be a game to be played (mini golf format, one group did skee ball). Players will use a golf club to hit the ball in attempts to obtain a hole in one. So include a level of difficulty or amazement for entertainment. some have alternate routes the ball can travel including traps, while others earn points when reaching a certain destination within the course.
What makes this project such a huge success is students whom are not usually academically strong perform very well on their End of Grade State Assessments in Science by learning through hands-on projects.
I always wanted to create my own breakout / escape room for months and we decided to create one for math and science night.
The event was from 6:00 to 7:30 so the sessions had to be very quick to get as many students involved so we created a 20 minute game.
The game was based on math concepts which included: number sense, order of operations and geometry.
Successful breakout rooms have a theme that carries the story of the room so myself and Mr. Blackwood the music teacher generated ours around two evil scientists testing students to become our minions.
First, we created a teaser video to for teachers to play to their classes to encourage them to attend the event and more importantly, to come to our room :)
Three stations were created for the maximum amount of participants to work collaboratively in order to escape.
Their mission was each team to unlock their own combination lock to the box which contains the secrets to becoming an evil minion like us.
To maintain on task behavior, all of the clues lead to the next clue. However, ONLY three lead to the correct combination to the locks to ensure they cannot randomly select items and escape on luck. They had to work on their math skills correctly.
The session started and followed a 18 minute video on the projector of us in costume setting up the scenario along with the rules and hints to the first clue. It continued to play as it also served as a countdown timer of 15 minutes to escape which also had some silly moments of us in front of the green screen.
Each table had the following items: white board and marker for computations, ipad, and the evil scientist photo album.
The video plays the first clue "Come Sail Away" and the progress through to escape.
BELOW THE TWO VIDEOS WALK THROUGH ALL THE STEPS TO THE GAME
PART II
The grand prize to receive when they opened the box was to become full fledged minions like us.
We had an overwhelming amount of people in our room and it was very successful. Hope to create another one soon.
UNCC STEM Conference in January, I presented how students can share what they have learned in some innovative ways that I have learned through Discovery Education.
The first is Paper Slide Videos, a method I learned from Dr. Lodge McCammon. It is one of many Spotlight on Strategies (SOS) you can find in Discovery Education. Paper Slides is a quick and easy method for students to share content in a collaborative group for all grade levels.
Another favorite of mine is using Augmented Reality. Augmented Reality is a hidden QR code inside images/drawings that can launch most anything including images, videos, websites, using either a tablet or smart phone. It is a great way for students to generate a writing piece that is augmented to support their learning through digital media.
In class, we created interactive word walls, timelines, student biographies, study guides and more.
Aurasma is a popular choice for many educators due to its ease of use and it being free.
Below are videos to create your own. For the full experience, create your account FIRST in Aurasma Studio and login to that account in your phone/tablet. That way you do not need to bother with creating channels and whatever you create either through your device or studio will be in the same channel.
