Building Classroom Community Using Escape Rooms

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The Importance of Community

Building a strong sense of community within your classroom is an important factor in your students’ SEL development and learning. It is valuable for students to have the opportunity to celebrate the successes of their classmates, to practice doing the right thing, and to build general teamwork skills. All of this can be accomplished with a fun Escape Room Challenge! (Get it free here.)

By participating in this activity, students will practice cooperative learning skills that they will then be able to transfer over to other group projects and assignments. Students will naturally take on team roles and form surprising friendships in the class as they notice strengths in their teammates and have fun working with students that they normally would not have the change to get to know.

How It Works

Students will work in teams to solve a series of three reading and problem solving challenges. The challenges revolve around themes of morality, citizenship, and responsibility to further encourage team and community building. Each challenge will reveal an “emoji code” or pattern that the entire team will need to check with the “Head Pineapple”, also know as you, the teacher. As each team completes a challenge, they will answer a follow up question verbally with you before receiving the next challenge. The first team to complete all three challenges and find the hidden Escape Letter wins the game!

Learn more about how classroom escapes work, and see another escape room in action in a 4th grade classroom.

How to Use Escape Rooms to Build Community in Your Classroom

• First, download the free resource and spend a few minutes familiarizing yourself with it.
• Thoughtfully place your students into groups. I do not recommend allowing students to choose their own groups because they may unintentionally exclude someone, or gravitate towards their friends.
• Prepare the materials by making copies and prepping the envelopes and badges. (All of this is explained in greater detail in the pdf, by the way.)
• On the day of the challenge, spend plenty of time explaining the directions and setting expectations for behavior and participation as needed.
• Enjoy the game!

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