In Shannon Poynot’s English class at our Upper School Campus, students applied their Animal Farm knowledge to overthrow Napoleon! They plotted points on a map to decipher lock sequences, used a UV light to translate clues written in invisible ink, and solved cryptic word puzzles to complete the challenge. Not only were they engaged, but she had our 8th grade students thinking critically, using teamwork, and practicing communication to complete the Animal Farm BreakoutEDU challenge. 

 

“After completing the Breakout and reflecting on their success or failure, many students identified the importance of strong communication amongst one’s team to ensure quicker and more effective problem-solving,” Poynot says.

 

On our Downtown Campus, 7th grade, math teacher Lauren Daly also put her students up to an escape challenge.  While in quarantine due to COVID spread, students worked together virtually to unlock all locks while practicing math skills.  Students competed against each other and worked in teams to complete “Escape Math - Adding and Subtracting Fractions” and  “Escape Math - Graphing Linear Equations” from Clark Creative Education.

“I had so much fun watching the students interact within their Google Meet group as they collaborated on a shared Google Slide. The Google Slide was editable so students could move the pieces around. They worked through frustrations of virtual collaboration and learned quickly that communication was key. Unlocking the 4 locks and escaping was very rewarding as they worked hard to make it happen. ”

 

This year has brought about many changes but one thing is certain, Ascension’s Blue Gator faculty are truly dedicated to ensuring learning and fun will happen, regardless of the circumstances.