User Generated Education

There is a new platform for immersive learning games that’s taking classrooms across the world by storm. Based on the same principles as interactive Escape The Room digital games — which challenge players to use their surroundings to escape a prison-like scenario — Breakout EDU is a collaborative learning experience that enhances critical thinking and creativity while fostering a growth mindset in students. Gameplay revolves around a Breakout EDU box that has been locked with multiple and different locks including directional locks, word locks, and number locks. After listening to a game scenario read by the teacher, students must work together to find and use clues to solve puzzles that reveal the various lock combinations before time expires (usually 45 minutes). (Stretch student collaboration skills with Breakout EDU)

I developed my own game which is adapted from Oh, the Places You Will Go http://www.breakoutedu.com/oh-the-places-youll-go

Title: Eggbert: The Slightly Cracked Egg

Story: Uses the children’s story, Eggbert: The Slightly Cracked Egg. Cast out of the refrigerator because of a small crack, Eggbert sets out into the world, using his talent for painting to try to blend in. Eventually he realizes that cracks are everywhere and reminds us all that our flaws are perfectly natural.

Topic Theme: This cross-curricular BreakoutEDU activities incorporates English, Math, and Social Studies standards as well as skills such as problem-solving and team building.

Standards:

This cross curricular activity address the following standards. Students will:

• Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. (ELA CCSS)
• Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. (ELA CCSS)
• Understand how latitude and longitude are used to identify places on a map. (Social Studies)
• Describe and compare the physical environments and landforms of different places in the world (e.g., mountains, islands, valleys or canyons, mesas).
• Use personal experience as inspiration for expression in visual art. (Visual Arts)
• Solve different kinds of non-familiar problems in both conventional and innovative ways. (21st Century Skills)
• Assume shared responsibility for collaborative work, and value the individual contributions made by each team member. (21st Century Skills)

Materials:

• Copy of Eggbert, the Slightly Cracked Egg
• Breakout EDU Box (Large Lock Box)
• Directional Lock (speed dial)
• Five Digit Letter Lock
• UV / Black Light Flashlight
• Invisible Ink Pen
• Small Locked Box with Three-Number Combo
• 3-Digit Lock
• 4-Digit Lock
• Key Lock
• Computer or Tablet
• Printouts: Plane Tickets, Maps, Longitude-Latitude Coordinates, Quotes, We Broke Out Card
• Silly Putty – one per student

Steps to Set Up:

• Set the directional lock to Up-Down-Up-Down. This represents the directions and times that Eggbert goes up and down walls.
• Set the lock box to 3-4-7. The plane tickets have the clues for the 3 number lock box. The plane tickets are cut apart from the print out to make three tickets. This number, 3-4-7, is on the tickets and can be found as the seat numbers. The order of the numbers can be found in one of two ways: (a) the seat letters, a – b – c, and/or (b) the places Eggbert visits, from the Refrigerator to New York City, from New York City to the Grand Canyon, Arizona, from Grand Canyon Arizona to Hilo, Hawaii.
• Put the encrypted message, and the weblink to how to do the encryption in the lockbox. The encrypted message is JE VYDT JXU AUO, BEEA JE FEIJUH JXHUU QDT VYDT JXU SHQSA (which decrypted means “to find the key, look to poster three and find the crack”).
• Tape the key to the key lock behind word “crack” on the poster 3 quote – tape this poster to the wall.
• Set the four number combination lock to 8-7-3-1. This matches the coordinates on the map found in the support materials. Cut out the four longitude-latitude coordinates from the bottom of the map and place those near the maps. FYI – all of the numbers on the map correspond to canyons in the United States.
• Set the word lock to P-R-I-D-E. Using the invisible ink pen, circle letters P – R – I – D – E on the posters 1 and 2 of quotes.
• (Optional) With a Sharpie, draw a crack on each silly putty egg  – one for each participant. Put silly putty and We Broke Out sign in the Breakout box.
• Attach the hasp to the breakout box and to the hasp lock attach the directional lock, the key lock, the word lock, and the four number combination lock.

Video Overview on the Set Up

Support Materials

With the Students

• Show students the BreakoutEdu Box.
• Read Eggbert: The Slightly Cracked Egg emphasizing that there are clues
• Project http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/usa/best-canyons-usa/ – have students view the different canyons in the US
• Give participants record and hint sheet preferably via a Google doc but paper versions can work, too.

• Go through the hints one at a time as a group. They can work with a partner or two of they choose. I emphasize not telling the answer until everyone has it. I strive to have everyone in the class participate by insuring that all have the correct answer prior to attempting to solve that clue – unlock that particular lock.

• Once they open the box and find the silly putty in the eggs, instruct them to sculpt something that makes them unique.

• For reflection, have the students blog about their experiences. If they are using iPad or Chromebooks, they can take a photo to go with their blogs.

• Further study: Students can look up the latitudes and longitudes to find out which canyons and gorges were represented.

Slideshow of Our Breakout Edu:

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