Escape Room makes its way into classroom

A James W. Parker Middle School teacher has seized on the popularity of escape rooms — an exciting new form of live action entertainment that forces groups to work together to earn their way out of a locked room. Sixth grade science teacher Todd Sturgess created the escape classroom to engage more students to their science curriculum. “It’s been a great way to assess the students knowledge about genetics and heredity, all while using teamwork and problem solving skills,” Sturgess said. Students are presented with a series of clues to find the combination of a locked toolbox. Once inside the box, they find two things: a roadblock that they can use to slow down other groups and another series of challenges to unlock a second padlock. Once that second padlock, is opened it’s a race to find the combination of the key chest that will allow the students to find the “master” key to the classroom (symbolic only). Clues are based on the genes of some lab rats that the “Mad Scientist” was creating in the lab and requires use of vocabulary and knowledge retention from their unit. The final step required students to use all of the information from previous clues to solve one final large puzzle.