Designing Breakouts
To Support the Curriculum through Collaboration
What is a Breakout?
A breakout creates a scenario for students to solve a series of clues to unlock locks. Usually the escape is timed.
An escape can be physical or digital. A physical escape will typically include a large and small lockbox, and a series of physical locks including a word lock, a number lock, a directional lock, and a key lock.
You can purchase a kit from Breakout EDU.
Let's Do This! Creating Your Own Breakout Step-by-step
The Process
- Look for ways to incorporate curriculum into a breakout, and teachers willing to collaborate.
- Breakouts can be contagious! When a teacher is willing to collaborate with us to create a breakout, other teachers will be interested too.
- Collaboration is key! Working together together can help the creative process and identify any possible issues. Plus, it definitely makes it more fun!
- Once you and the collaborating teacher have decided on a topic, it helps to get as much content information as possible from the teacher.
- Search for ideas and information to incorporate into the breakout.
- I like to create a scenario to set a scene. See The Mystery below. You can incorporate props as well. Marcia is great at creating rhymes to create clues to solving the breakout.
- Vocabulary can be incorporated into a puzzle, such as a crossword.
- Set up all the locks and clues before the class comes.
- Time the students and create competition between classes and/or groups.
- Take pictures and share on social media.
- Reset locks and prepare the breakout box for the next class.
- Create a Google Folder and upload/store all of your puzzle information for future reference. Also create a Google Document in this puzzle that explains all of the locks and how to solve them.
Breakout Explanation Videos
These are breakouts that we have created in collaboration with the classroom teacher. These videos explain how the breakouts were set up and how they can be solved.
Creating Puzzles
- Links to Visual Puzzle Sites
- You can include a red herring to throw off your participants.
- Create your own QR Codes to link to videos or other clues.
- Don't get in a rut and do the same thing each time. Try to be creative and use a variety of clues.
Types of Locks
- 3 Digit Lock
- 4 Digit Lock
- 5 Letter Word Lock
- Key Lock
- Directional Lock
- Color Lock
QR Codes & Online Resources (USB drive)
A Word of Caution
- Test out the different puzzle sites. Some may be blocked by filters.
- Consider the time allowed to solve the puzzle when determining the level of difficulty.
- Challenge but don't frustrate to the level that participants give up and quit.
Examples of Visual Clues & Online Activities
Jigsaw Puzzle Planet
Design a puzzle from a picture you upload.
Mystery Piano
Send students to this link to play the notes to a common song. When they input it in correctly, it will give them a clue!
Using the Breakout EDU Platform
Breakout EDU has a subscription that will allow you access to Breakout Kit Games based on curricular areas and digital games that students can sign in and attempt online.
Additional Breakout Resources
- My Pinterest Board
- BreakoutEDU on a Budget by Jennifer LaGarde
- BreakoutEDU Digital Resources
- Digital Generators by Shannon McClintock Miller
- Breakout EDU Template
- Breakout EDU Design Tutorials
- Breakout EDU Puzzle Resources
- Breakout EDU Brainstorming Template
- Breakout EDU Create Game Design Tools
Bryant High School Library
Email: bhslibrary@bryantschools.org
Website: http://bit.ly/BryantHighSchoolLMS
Location: Bryant High School, North Reynolds Road, Bryant, AR, USA
Phone: (501) 847-5605
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Twitter: @bryanthslibrary