ENGAGING STUDENTS

IN THE CLASSROOM

CREATING A
BREAKOUT BOX
HOW TO CREATE A BREAKOUT BOX

STEP ONE - creating a purposeful topic

It is key to ensure that all information created
within your clues are curricular, or relate to
topics you have discussed within class. This
creates content for the student that is both
meaningful and insures they will be able to
solve the clues (beneficail as a unit summary).

STEP TWO - creating the clues

When creating the clues, it is important to
understand that you can create differentiation
within this activity. Think about your specific
students, and create clues they can succeed
with (challenge them to accomplish their
personal goals), this will allow you to assess
their growth within the activity.

STEP THREE - forming the lock box

IIt is important to know the numbers, words, or
movements the locks you purchase are able to
achieve prior to creating your lock box. This is a
simple step, however, it is important to know
your limits prior to creating clues that might not
work with given locks.

STEP FOUR - creating a hook

Creating a hook, or something to draw the
students into the activity is a great way to start
your lockbox. For example, having a video that
starts on the smartboard explaining what is
happening is a great way to gather attention.
Another way would be to have items within the
classroom missing (locked up).

STEP FIVE - have "hint cards"

Students are going to get stuck during this
activity (differing degrees depending on the
clues created), this is where hint cards will be
helpful. Students can hand in hint coupons to
the teacher and receive a hint in solving their
current problem.

STEP SIX - be an active participant

Work with the students, have fun, and be
engaged with their learning. This will be
extremely meaningful since you are buying into
the activity, and modelling for students how
excited this lockbox activity is. When the teacher
is having fun, students will more than likely have
fun with the activity as well.

STEP SEVEN - debriefing

Finally, after the activity is complete talk to the
students, ask them questions, and gauge how
successful the activity was. This is an extremely
powerful tool since it provides students and the
teacher time to reflect and reconsider how to
handle situations in the future.