The challenge of an escape room became the perfect exercise in math concepts for grade 6 students in Jamie Mercier’s class. Students were faced with challenges set up in their room and had to solve four codes in order to “escape.”
Although it may have looked like students were playing a game, Mercier says there was a lot of learning going on.
“All four puzzles involved evaluating expressions and using their answers to decipher the codes,” said Mercier.” They were given just two hint cards that they could use to ask me a question; otherwise they had to problem solve with their groups.”
The result was students tried multiple strategies before asking for a hint.
Student Eva W. thought it was a great way to cement what they have been learning in class.
“I practiced sorting and solving questions,” Eva said. “I told my mom that math was really fun today because we got to work together and move around.”
Classmate Lucas R. agrees.
“It’s a lot more fun than just sitting at your desk,” Lucas said. “ We practiced math and got to work as a team.”
It was fun for Mercier, too. “Their faces, when they finally realized they needed to open up the mini-fridge to find the last clue, were priceless.”
