Xʂƈαρҽ EDU
Unlock Learning with REAL Activities
Xscape EDU Defined
Xscape: Noun
An educational game built by students for students.Xscape EDU: Noun
A movement involving educators who provide students with the opportunity to create an original learning activity using clues, riddles, puzzles and physical and/or digital locks.
Xscape EDU Warrior: Noun
An educator who unlocks learning in the classroom via the use of student-designed Xscapes.
And that's a sneak peek inside the Xscape EDU™ concept! Read on to learn more about how the movement began and how we're moving it forward...
Escape Rooms Explained
An escape room is a physical adventure game in which individuals are confined to a space for a predetermined set of time. During this time frame, players are challenged to solve a series of puzzles and riddles using clues, hints and strategy to unveil the secret plot which is hidden within the room(s). Games are set in a variety of fictional locations, such as theaters, prison cells, bunkers, dungeons, and space stations. The various puzzles and riddles in each experience typically follow the theme of the room.
Type of Escape Rooms
- Linear: Contains a number of puzzles that can only be solved in a particular sequence. Basically, players do not see the next clue until they have found the previous one. Great for smaller teams and beginners!
- Non-linear: Contains a number of puzzles, though such games have several smaller puzzles that are interconnected and lead to the larger puzzle that should be solved in order to win the game. Excellent for larger groups and experienced players!
- Mixed: Contains a balance between the first two types of escape room games. They usually have a big puzzle that can be called a bottleneck. Solving it, you get a handful of small puzzles that you need to solve in order to get to another big puzzle. The clues come in waves, alternating bigger and more difficult tasks with smaller and easier questions, until the prize is achieved. Suitable for any size group!
- Scavenger Hunt: Contains objects that are found by searching the room. There are usually no puzzles to solve. Thus, no strategy is required is to beat the game. However, a scavenger hunt can be incorporated into a linear, non-linear or mixed room for an additional challenge. Fun for children or adults!
- Red Herring: Contains a number of distractions, or clues that lead nowhere. Some players enjoy actually distinguishing real matters from misleading clues while others become frustrated with taking the wrong path. Therefore, use these distractions sparingly.
Knowing your audience will help you determine what type of game will give your class/students the best experience possible!
Visit the Escape Hour for additional info regarding types of escape room activities.
The Power of Breakout EDU
Meet Breakout EDU, a platform that provides teachers with a place to find, build and share games---or breakout activities—that can be utilized to engage students in a variety of immersive learning games.
Founded in 2015 by James Sander and Mark Hammons, the site now features 800+ games that range from general interest topics such as the Totally Radical 80's Adventure to academic challenges in a variety of content areas including Math, Science, Social Studies, Language Arts and Computer Science to name a few.
Each game includes...
- Description (Content Area, Ideal Group Size, Recommended Ages & Standards)
- Story (Theme, Setting, Characters, Plot, etc.)
- Setup Instructions
- Lock Combinations
- Game Overview Video
- Game Resources (Typically a link to a Google folder)
- Reflection Questions
- Facilitation Tools (Game Timer, Introductory Presentation, Signage)
- Additional Requirements (i.e. Computer with Internet access)
The site offers both physical, digital and hybrid games as well as a Digital Game Builder in which students and teachers can design their own content-aligned games for classroom sharing. (See additional info about the types of games below.)
Click here to learn more about accessing the resources on this platform. Information about purchasing Breakout EDU kits can also be found on this page.
Know Your Breakouts
Digital breakouts involve finding, manipulating and solving puzzles electronically. Students unlock clues via one or more virtual locks. These locks are typically created using a template on the Breakout EDU site or a Google form.
Hybrid breakouts are games that rely on the combination of physical and digital components. They usually accommodate a few more players than a stand-alone physical or digital game.
Although the process is somewhat different, physical, digital and hybrid games all provide students with an engaging and challenging experience. Knowledge of these features can help educators determine what type of game would best suit their classroom needs.
Got Entrepreneurs? We Do!
What do you get when you combine one of the hottest social trends with a passion for breakout activities and real-world experiences for kids? The Hidden Exit, an Escape Room business designed and built by Bellwood-Antis Tech Club students.
The Background:
During the summer of 2017, I was given the opportunity to partner with Real World Scholars, a non-profit organization that invites educators to engage learners in real-world application that drives curiosity, self-expression and the discovery of individual interests and passions. Real World Scholars provides an e-commerce platform called Education Corporation (EdCorp) that makes it possible for students to embark on an entrepreneurial adventure. In my case, it was building an escape room business with middle and high school students.
This experience has allowed my students to dive deep into a topic of interest and make a real-world impact with their academic work. In the process, they have developed the in-demand skills needed to be successful beyond the classroom.
The Result:
After working with 19 students over the course of eight months to develop (from scratch) an authentic escape room adventure set in the ‘70s, we launched a business that operates during school hours for students and in the evenings and on weekends for the general public.
The Hidden Exit: Can You Escape?
Your logic, creativity and problem solving skills will be put to the test as you race against the clock to Escape the ‘70s. Your team will have sixty minutes to solve a series of fun yet challenging set of clues, puzzles and riddles in order to reverse your one-way trip and get back to the future---before it’s too late! Can you escape this totally groovy era? Or will you be stuck in bell bottoms forever?
Check out one of our student generated marketing promos below!
Hey, Dude! Meet Our Game Masters
The job of a Game Master is unlike any other! While in this role, students perform a number of tasks that are essential for a successful business. These duties include…
- Setting up the escape room for each new game session and ensuring all props are in proper working order
- Greeting participants and instructing them about the rules of the game as well as relaying the backstory
- Providing a unique and immersive experience for our customers
- Monitoring the game, answering questions and providing hints while our customers are trying to breakout of the room
- Ensuring an unforgettably fun and exciting experience for our customers
Our totally rad Game Masters have successfully monitored a number of escape room adventures to the ‘70s. Check ‘em out below!
School Day Adventures
Field Trips
Special Events
In the News
Adventure Lives Here!
Get Your Xscape On!
Do have a passion for escape rooms and breakout activities? Are you interested in providing students with real-world, authentic and deeper learning experiences? Are you looking for ways to ensure your students are future ready? Do you want to challenge your students to become critical thinkers and problem solvers? Would you like your students to demonstrate perseverance and grit?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then you’re ready to become an Xscape EDU™ Warrior!
Sounds super cool! But what exactly does this mean?
Xscape EDU™ is a fairly new network of innovative educators who want to engage students in escape room game design. Our primary goal is to give students the opportunity to develop original breakout adventures that can be shared with their peers. The ultimate objective is to use this platform to launch student competitions within a classroom, school and/or district – and beyond!
Keep scrolling to learn more about the benefits of sparking interest and motivating students in this manner!
Original
Authentic
Motivating
Real World
Collaborative
Seventh Grade Tech Club members developed a Growth Mindset breakout game for the middle school makerspace.
It was used to set the stage for the creative thinking, problem solving and perseverance needed to successfully complete design challenges in this course.Engaging
Immersive
When Learning is Fun!
But Wait... There's More!
B-A Maker Faire
Penn State-Altoona Partnership
County-wide Inservice Program
Become an Xscape EDU Warrior!
The 2019 Xscape Xtravaganza
Crazy Cougars
This team of students created an escape box with a camping theme. Various clues needed to be found and completed in order to open locks. The end goal was to find the fishing rod in order to get food to survive.
Advisors: Stephanie Glass (School Counselor), Tehia Perretta (Kindergarten Teacher), Kiersten Wasovich (2nd Grade Teacher) & Diane Ryan (PTA member)
Caring Cougars
This team of students created an escape box with a dinosaur theme. The goal was to solve clues throughout the game to unlock various locks. The end goal was to save the dinosaur eggs.
Advisors: Stephanie Glass (School Counselor), Tehia Perretta (Kindergarten Teacher), Kiersten Wasovich (2nd Grade Teacher) & Diane Ryan (PTA member)
Creative Cougars
This team of students created an escape box with a city theme. Clues were hidden around the box in order to open locks. The end goal was to find a watch in order to save the city from ending.
Advisors: Stephanie Glass (School Counselor), Tehia Perretta (Kindergarten Teacher), Kiersten Wasovich (2nd Grade Teacher) & Diane Ryan (PTA member)
Solar System Crew
Using a combination of tech and non-tech puzzles, seventh grade students developed a game based on knowledge of the planets in our solar system.
Advisor: Jamie Forshey
Scurvy Scallywags
While on vacation you have discovered a message in a bottle sent in from the sea. You have been summoned by a crew of pirates to help save their treasure before Old Blue Gold Beard off the island of B-A seizes control of the treasure. Follow the clues in order to locate the treasure.
Bellwood-Antis Middle School, Bellwood-Antis SD
Advisor: Kyley Longo-McGarvey
Locked In
BAHS students created a geography game with a twist! When you find out your roommate is a spy, you must solve clues related to some of the most popular tourist destinations in the U.S. in order to find your plane ticket home!
Advisors: Jamie Forshey & Tim Trexler
Tomb Raiders
BAHS students worked with community member Bruce Moser, an electrical engineer, to build a high-tech game with an Ancient Egyptian theme. Object of the game? Players must solve various physical and digital puzzles based on the mummification process in order to locate the pharaoh's treasure, which is hidden behind multiple trap doors. Beware of the mummy's curse!
Advisors: Jamie Forshey & Tim Trexler
Plague Doctors
Central Cambria High School, Central Cambria SD
Advisors: Laura Petro & Brittany Sedlock
Escape Tribe
Everett Area High School, Everett Area SD
Advisor: Tom Brambley
Xscape Warriors
Once a safe place, this fallout shelter has a toxic leak! Players must solve puzzles that lead them into a tunnel where more clues await, before unlocking the hatch to escape.
Advisor: Chelly Brown
The Xstates
4th & 5th Grade students collaborated to create an easily duplicated class escape game based on U.S. states. To open the word, number, and direction locks players need to work with information about state capitals, flags, shape, location on a map, and order of statehood. Two versions of the clues were created to increase or decrease difficulty as needed.
Longer Elementary, Hollidaysburg Area SD
Advisor: Janet Moore
Little Houdinis
Squeakers the clown is distraught because no one is laughing at his antics, and they don’t like his balloon animals. He decided to lock away all of the carnival prizes so that no one will have fun that evening. Players of Carnival Chaos have 30 minutes to unlock the prizes before the gates open. They need to solve a series of puzzles and clues from different areas of the carnival in order to find and unlock the prizes. (Game designed by 4th graders.)
Advisors: Renee’ Jamison (Grade 1 Teacher) & David Fernandes (Art Teacher)
The Kidnapping of Kingston
Tyrone Area High School, Tyrone Area SD
Advisors: Michelle Marasco & Tiffany Smith
Wade & The Gals
Five TAHS students worked together to build a game that took players through the decades. It had components such as time, history, and math. Using time (years, hours and minutes), players were challenged to open suitcases to find Wade, who was lost in the decades.
Advisors: Michelle Marasco & Tiffany Smith
Everybody Needs An Xscape
Become A Lock Star!
Students Learn Skills Creating Puzzles
When students have the opportunity to create authentic escape room games, the result is.. Unbelievable! Read all about it here!
A Sneak Peek Into X2 2020
Get a sneak preview of a few of the super cool games that are being developed for the 2nd Annual event shown below...
Prison Break
The Oval Office
Stuck in a Truck
Our Latest Invention...
Can you save yourself before the half-hour expires---or will you be stuck in the afterlife forever?
Check out the super cool learning that took place while building, facilitating and playing this game by viewing the video shown below...
OK, I'm hooked on this concept! Where do I go from here?
Locate a breakout game to play with one (or more) of your classes. Using one of the freebies on the Breakout EDU site is a great place to start. The Breakout EDU Facebook Page is another fabulous resource in which teachers share ideas, games and integration information. Additional resources to kick start your Xscape EDU adventure include...
Winthrop University
- A Comprehensive Guide to Playing, Designing and Incorporating Breakout Activities into the Classroom
Teachers Pay Teachers
Download and/or purchase tons of pre-made games, activities, templates & related materials!
- https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Browse/Search:escape%20room%20activities
- https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Browse/Search:breakout%20edu%20games
Collections of Resources
- Breakout EDU Resources: https://www.pinterest.com/kathleenahall/breakout-edu-resources
- Classroom Breakout Clues: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/210121138844988387
- Breakout EDU Digital Resources: https://www.symbaloo.com/mix/breakouteduresources3
- Breakout Resources: https://www.symbaloo.com/mix/breakoutresources
Once you feel comfortable playing breakout activities with your students, use the following resources to take breakouts to the next level with student creation of games...
Student-Created Breakout EDU Games By Mari Venturino
Getting Smart: How to Create a Breakout Room Activity in Your Classroom
10 Awesome Supplies for Classroom Escape Room Activities
Official Breakout EDU Game Template
Game Design Tutorials
How to Create a Lock Combination Activity with Google Forms
If you're the adventours type, you can even take your students on a field trip to an escape room. Yeah, I did that.....Twice!
Tips & Tricks
Preparation Matters
Requiring students to create a storyboard or rough draft outlining their breakout activity is a must! In order to ensure success, information such as the topic of the game as well as the plot, theme, puzzles ideas and sequence of clues need to be determined prior to actually building the game. Having this information can also help the teacher to determine what materials are needed. I highly recommend completing this step with your students.
Keeping ‘Em Honest
Take It for a Test Drive
Be sure to test your breakout activity before unleashing it in your classroom. Watch the process so you can identify any potential issues that may arise during game play (i.e. mistakes in directions, misunderstandings, areas that may need hints). If necessary, redesign and retest the game. Just remember: It’s perfectly acceptable if 25-50% of your students do not finish the activity. Busting out in time is part of the challenge!
DIY Resources
Use the following resources to build an original game that enhances classroom content. And be sure to share these resources with your students so they can have the opportunity to design and build curricular-based activities as well!
Included are some of my favorite online generators that can be used to create all sorts of super cool puzzles, riddles and clues...
- New! Kyle Niemis Digital Breakout Box Resources
- Ransom Notes: www.ransomizer.com
- Text Messages: http://ifaketext.com
- Tickets (i.e. concert, movie, etc.): http://www.faketicketgenerator.com
- Newspaper Articles: https://www.fodey.com/generators/newspaper/snippet.asp
- Receipts: http://www.fakereceipt.us/sales_receipt.php & https://makereceipt.com
- Airline Tickets: http://omatic.musicairport.com or http://returnflights.net/flightticket_orbiz.aspx
- Diplomas: https://photofunia.com/effects/diploma
- Ciphers (Secret Codes/Messages): https://www.braingle.com/brainteasers/codes/caesar.php or http://rumkin.com/tools/cipher
- Rebus: https://www.festisite.com/rebus
- Puzzles (10+ Puzzle Types): http://www.discoveryeducation.com/free-puzzlemaker
- Jigsaw Puzzles (Digital): https://www.jigsawplanet.com
- Eye Charts: www.eyechartmaker.com
- Mazes: http://www.mazegenerator.net
- QR Codes for Coloring: http://mal-den-code.de/?fbclid=IwAR1RdGuc00ZYrnFYHLyBKy7jXfqdKQ76T9SaicGnLh-gBYFWlgbNdGcywhM
- MapMaker: https://www.thetechieteacher.net/2014/11/map-maker-for-elementary.html?m=1
- How to Make a Scratch-off Lottery Ticket: https://tinyurl.com/ybkal2du
- Big Huge Labs: Create badges, trading cards, magazine covers, posters and more! https://bighugelabs.com
- ClassTools.net: Generate games, activities & diagrams: http://www.classtools.net
- EdPuzzle: Videos can be used to open a letter lock (i.e. During the video, embed T/F questions. The key to open the lock can be determined by the order of the true and false answers in the video.) https://edpuzzle.com
- Creative Escape Rooms: A web site offering a unique selection of high quality handmade items for breakout games/escape rooms such as Puzzle Boxes, Secret Messages, Cipher Wheels/Disks, Encryption Machines and much more! https://www.creativeescaperooms.com
What the Experts are Saying...
OK, this Xscape EDU™ stuff sounds great, but I need some additional info regarding the impact of escape room and/or breakout activities in the education. These articles got it covered...
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Looking forward to seeing how your "Xscape" the Classroom with you students!
Still Got Questions?
Renee Jamison - Tyrone Area Elementary
Janet Moore - Hollidaysburg Area Jr. High School
Michelle Marasco - Tyrone Area High School
Tiffany Smith - Tyrone Area High School
Jamie Forshey
Bellwood-Antis School District
Bellwood, PA
Email: jlf@blwd.k12.pa.us
Website: http://edutech4teachers.edublogs.org
Location: 400 Martin Street, Bellwood, PA, USA
Phone: 814.742.2273
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/edutech4teachers
Twitter: @edutech20