Working Under Pressure

Lesson Content

• Lesson Plan Template:

  CTE Lesson Plan

• CTE Course Info and Benchmark Notes

  
  

  Focus:

  • HE.5.R.1.1 Discuss how to work together to achieve a positive outcome.
  • HE.5.R.1.2 Identify how to communicate effectively within a group.

  Supporting:

  • SC.35.CS-CS.2.3 Explain the process of arranging or sorting information into useful order as well as the purpose for doing so.

• Unit Outline

  
  

  This lesson could be taught at the beginning of the year to get students familiar with working collaboratively and using critical thinking skills. The lesson could also be taught throughout the year to give students an opportunity to develop these skills in an engaging, low-stakes environment.

• Career Connection

  
  

  Students will use communication and critical thinking skills while working collaboratively within a group to persevere and decode messages that can be used to crack the code. Students will also use time management skills to try to complete the task before time is up. All of these skills can be applied in a school environment and in various careers.

• Learning Objectives

  
  

  Students will be able to:

  • Work collaboratively to solve problems.
  • Use effective communication within a group.
  • Apply logic to decode riddles and other messages.
  • Arrange letters and numbers in a specific order to "break out"
  • Demonstrate perseverance in solving problems.

• Prior Knowledge

  
  

  Students should be familiar with:

  • working within a group
  • explaining their reasoning or thinking
  • performing basic arithmeric operations
  • applying the order of operations to simplify expressions

• Guiding Questions

  
  
  • Why is attention to detail important?
  • How can visual cues help you understand and decode a message?
  • How can working with others be beneficial for you?
  • Why is effective communication important when working with others?

• Procedure

  
  

  1. To introduce the lesson, pass out either clue 1 or clue 2 to each student (see attachment). Tell students you are thinking of a number and you want them to use their clue to guess the number. Allow students time to try and figure out the riddle on their own using the clue they were given. Then, allow students to find a partner to work with and try to figure out the riddle together. Facilitate a discussion about how students solved the riddle.

  • Why couldn’t you figure out the riddle on your own?
  • How did talking with another person help you figure out the riddle?

  2. Explain how to “play” an escape room game. Students should understand that there are various lock codes they have to figure out. In this game, there are digit, directional, and word codes. Digit codes will only include numbers. Directional codes will use either U, D, L, and R for up, down, left, and right, respectively. N, S, E, and W may also be used for north, south, east, and west, respectively, in a directional code. Word codes will include letters that make a word.

  • If needed, the “How to Play an Escape Room Game” handout can be used to model the game.

  3. Pass out a copy of the Escape Room Recording Sheet to each student. Depending on class size, room layout, and technology availability students can work individually, in pairs or small groups, and with or without technology. See teacher notes for different ways to implement this activity using the student version or teacher version of the escape room presentation lesson attachment.

  • Allow students time to play the game.
  • While students are working, visit students/groups to provide assistance, answer questions, and monitor progress. The teacher version of the escape room game includes hints that may assist students in cracking the code.

  4. To bring the lesson to a close, review the answers to the escape room game. Have students share what made their group successful in cracking the code. Facilitate a discussion on why those skills are important to know and use when working with others.

  • Alternatively, students can provide a written response to the guiding question Why is effective communication important when working together?

• Teacher Notes

  
  
  • The clues for the opening of the lesson should be printed and cut prior to implementing this lesson.
  • Based on class time, set a time limit for students to complete the escape room game. The timer should be visible to students as they are working so that they are able to adjust the speed of their work accordingly.
  • The escape room can be set up as a stations activity; each presentation slide can be printed out and set at a specific station. Students can rotate to each station until they reach the station they began at. If done as stations, set a time (5-7 minutes) for students to visit each station.
  • If the escape room is completed as a group, each presentation slide can be printed out and given to each group to use at their desks.
  • The student version of the Escape Room presentation can be shared with students if completing this activity using technology.

• Optional

  
  

  Formative Assessment Ideas:

  • Students’ responses and participation in group discussions can be used as a formative assessment.

  Accommodation Suggestions:

  • The hints in the teacher version can be given to students upfront. Alternatively, the teacher can share the first digit or letter of the lock codes with students.