Math problems should always be this fun to solve.
Fifth-graders in Emily Drewery’s classroom at Thomas J. Rusk Elementary put their math principles to work to resolve an escape room problem.
From the beginning of the exercise, students advance past each step by deciphering math problems. From there, problems must be worked out to reach the end of the exercise. The first team to solve is the winner.
Drewery used a $250 mini-grant received this month from Nacogdoches ISD Education Foundation to purchase materials for the exercise. The mini grant provided funds for Drewery to purchase new locking plastic toolboxes, letter-word locks that are resettable, 24 mini locks with keys, 30 three-digit resettable locks, steel padlock hasps, 16 blank puzzles that she is able to print problems onto, one set of acrylic password puzzle pieces, and 12 tangram puzzles.
“I am overwhelmingly grateful to NEF for their support through this mini grant,” Drewery said. “The mini grant provided me with everything needed to complete this specific escape classroom as well as supplies that can be used in countless other escape classrooms.”
The students in Drewery’s class huddle together while a clock counted down on the screen at the front of the room. Fifth-graders were sharing hunches with teammates, and scribbling answers to math problems, hoping to be the first to solve the escape room puzzle. An exclamation of “Yes!” is heard as the first group enters the correct code to open a locked box and access more clues.
“Students are given real world problems to practice the skills we are currently working on mastering in class,” said Drewery. “As they answer questions, their answers either unlock boxes or lead them to search for another clue around the room. Clues can be found under desks, hidden in pictures around the room, or inside another envelope/box that they are required to unlock.
“On average, students answer roughly 20 questions before the final challenge allows them to open the key chest (prize box).”
The escape room project is more than just fun, Drewery said. It hews closely to the math curriculum Texas fifth-graders are expected to master by year’s end.
“Because the environment is so engaging, I am able to up the rigor of the questions that the students are solving,” she said. “The problems progressively increase in difficulty as the challenge continues. At the beginning of the challenge, students are faced with computation problems and by the end of the challenge, students are solving multi-step STAAR formatted problems.”
Once the exercise begins at the start of class, students are assigned to teams and work together to reach the solution. The partnership and coordination among the students are also significant.
“I love the collaboration that occurs during an escape room,” said Drewery. The group aspect is a crucial part of the escape classroom because there is a magical element that happens when the students begin to trust each other enough to begin brainstorming through the clues.
“It is risky to trust someone with your thoughts and ideas as you are trying to work through a very challenging situation, especially when the reward is great, but when students reach this level of trust with their peers, a small thought or idea might just lead to discovering the next clue needed to escape. And when a student is right about their hunch, the victory is so sweet because it is quickly celebrated by the whole group.”
Erin Windham, Executive Director of NISD’s Education Foundation, said Drewery’s project reaffirms everything her board of directors wants to accomplish with classroom grants.
“Seeing Ms. Drewery’s class in action reaffirmed everything we want to do with the Foundation,” said Windham. “I was so proud to see what was going on in the class, and just how much the students were enjoying themselves.
“Ms. Drewery has done an outstanding job with this project, and I’m glad we were able to make a small difference with our contribution.”