Description

Fifth graders can put their knowledge of order of operations to the test with this breakout lesson! This digital escape room is easy to implement and engaging for students. The clues are all automated using a Google Form™ (no e-mail addresses required). This engaging math activity will have students racing to evaluate expressions with brackets and braces, solve ciphers related to order of operations, & much more!

Agent Order of Operations Seven, 0007 for short, has fallen into a trap. Your students are being recruited by the Mathematical Security Agency to help Agent 0007 and his team escape!

This order of operations lesson was specifically written for 5th grade standards, but can be great enrichment for earlier grades or review for older grades. In order to complete the escape room, students will need these skills:

• Able to solve problems using the four operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) following the order of operations.
• Solve multi-step word problems involving the four operations.
• Evaluate expressions using brackets and parentheses
• Place parentheses in the correct place in a problem to make an expression true. Example: To make the expression 16 ÷ 4 × 2 + 2 = 4 true, students would add in parentheses: 16 ÷ (4 × 2) + 2 = 4
• Complete a substitution cipher (substituting letters for numbers, or a Caesar Shift cipher with directions provided).

This product includes:

• letter to your students explaining their mission
• A dossier of the mathematical villain Kay Oss, AKA Chaos
• Instructions for how to complete a cipher used in the escape room
• Exit tickets
• Optional decorations for “Top Secret” folders or envelopes
• A Quick Start guide
• Detailed instructions and tips for implementing
• A full answer key
• Success signs for kids to snap a photo with
• A QR code and link to the Google Form™ students will use to complete the escape room. Students must be able to access the Google Form™!

FAQ

• Do students need to have Gmail™ accounts? NO! Anyone with internet access and a tablet, computer, or even phone can complete the breakout. The escape room is automated by a Google Form™, but does not require the teacher or students to have Google™ accounts.
• How long will this take? That is the hardest question as the answer varies depending on each classroom, student, or group. Some students with a firm grasp on the concepts covered in this escape room will be able to complete the challenge very quickly (20 minutes), others will take longer. The majority of students will take between 40-60 minutes. Requiring students to use the recording form will increase the amount of time required to complete the puzzles. The form will not save student data, so if you are worried about your students not finishing on time, simply have them write their answers on scratch paper. They can then come back and quickly re-enter their answers and pick up where they left off.
• Will students have to search the web to figure out the puzzles? NO! All of the information needed will be provided in the Google Form™. The math in this activity is all standards-based.

Escape rooms are great for encouraging positive group dynamics. You can also use this lesson for individual students for enrichment or review.

This activity will take just over an hour to complete.

See all of The Great Classroom Escape’s 5th grade math breakouts!