Our Escape Room Experience

Today I'm excited because spring has sprung.

We got these treasures into the ground a few days ago

and we've been enjoying some incredibly beautiful weather

that's sure to make them super happy and promote their growth.

In school, we're working on growth as well. A seed for an Escape Room experience for our learners was planted some time ago, so when my friend Laurel posted about her superheroes in Iowa and their Escape Room escapades, I knew I had to give it a try. I searched Teachers Pay Teachers and ended up with this; click the image to purchase the file for less than $5.

So we start the class with our Toucan puppet named Rainbow,

who tells the kids he's actually a Toucan't, because he can't fly.

We discuss the Henry Ford quote: 

Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right.

Then the students brainstorm ways in which Rainbow could experience flight even though he has no wings. Such great ideas and so much power in collaboration as we help Rainbow unlock his fixed mindset thoughts. We discuss how we are all a hybrid of both fixed and growth mindset thoughts and how important mindset, attitude and effort are in our personal growth and development. One of our fourth-grade boys had this insight: Fixed mindset is like a traffic jam in your brain. Boom!

I explain that we've got four challenges today,

one for each of the letters in the word GROW.

Students will be working in duos or trios

to escape their fixed mindsets by completing the challenges.

Each puzzle completed correctly earns them a key, or a letter, 

until they spell out the word G-R-O-W.

As a bonus, if they still have time, they get to attempt a bonus Scramble Squares puzzle or enjoy some time learning a new song in the ukulele lab, like these aspiring fifth-grade uke players are.

My only clue for them is to really follow directions carefully.

Because they will buy themselves time if they follow directions.

Really carefully.

Here's the first puzzle they attempt with a follow-up reflection:

Look at this group's answer; isn't it hilarious?

Okay, so maybe we have some more growth-mindset work to do.

Anyway, we're having great fun learning and growing together; making today's lesson an Escape Room event added a super cool twist. It's said that life is made up of many memorable moments; I'm so grateful to my cyberspace collaborators for helping make this a lesson my students won't quickly forget.