Escape from Quadratic Island with Freeform

I recently worked with Algebra I teachers in my district to create an escape room style activity for students to practice transformations and quadratic equations. The result was this Freeform board I have linked below.

Escape from Quadratic Island Freeform Board (View only link)

This is the Freeform board students will work through during the activity. The treasure map was generated using Canva DreamLab AI tool.

Each stop on the map is a different activity students will use their knowledge of transformations and quadratics to complete the activity and get a password to unlock the next document. Each document is shown below with the passcode to open it and directions for the activity.

 Puzzle #1

There is no math involved with the first puzzle. After scanning a QR code to access the Freeform board, students zoom into the passage pictured below. The letters P-A-T-H are bolded and capitalized. Students should put together that they word needed to open the next activity is PATH.

Puzzle #2

 When students open the next activity in Numbers they will see a captain's log. On the left are the graphs and on the right the equations. They drag and drop the equation to the graph it matches. Then using the symbol chart in the bottom right corner, they will get the letters L-O-S-T. This will open up the next document for them.

Puzzle #3

In the Coconut Cove Numbers activity, students will be identifying the vertical and horizontal shift made in each graph from the parent graph (0,0). When they type in the correct number in each cell below the coconuts, pieces of an image are revealed (using conditional highlighting) below the coconuts. This will reveal a picture of a pirate holding a message in a bottle that says "TREASURE", this will unlock the next puzzle on the map.  

Puzzle #4

In the Lost Letters Lagoon Numbers activity, students see a bottle with a word problem on the left and a graph on a paper on the right. Students match the problem to the graph it represents. When they do so in the correct order A, B, C, D. The numbers on the right be in the correct order of 3825 which is the code for the next puzzle.

Puzzle #5

In the Treasure Trove Numbers activity, students will again see a word problem inside the treasure chest and a graph on a key below the chests. When they match up the key to the correct treasure box they will then need to use the order of the colored gems to determine the order of the numbers. The gems match the colors of the insides of the treasure chests. Each treasure chest has a number and each key has a number. If students use the clue at the top that says "use the key first, then the chest holds the next number clue." They will put the numbers from the keys and chests in order giving them the code 64367228. This one was a little tricky for them but it made them think!

Puzzle #6

This one really isn't a math puzzle but a celebration of completion. When they get to puzzle 6, their task is to create a pirate selfie before boarding the ship to escape. This file opens in Keynote and contains a placeholder as well as some pirate shapes to decorate their image.

This was as great activity to get students practicing reading quadratic equations and graphs. They had a lot of fun with it. We had students work in pairs. On average it took them about 30-40 minutes to complete.

📣Now what?!

You can use the link above with your students! The link is a "anyone with the link" can view. The QR code on the board is what students can scan to access it. If you would rather not be linked to the iCloud document, you can access this link and then make a copy of it. It will automatically copy all of the documents inside the Freeform as well.

If you are ready to create your own, I would love to hear about it! I think Escape room style activities like this are a fun way to engage students with practice without it feeling like practice.

#LCR3 #GOSHAREMO