California Gold Rush ESCAPE ROOM Activity - Westward Expansion

The California Gold Rush Escape Room will take students on a secret mission around the classroom! This escape room has students decode interesting facts about the California Gold Rush, boomtowns, ghost towns and mass migration.

This Escape Room has students walking around the classroom breaking codes. The codes include ciphers, Morse code, cryptograms and a final 4 digit code based on the decoders/clues. Great addition to your Westward Expansion unit.

What’s Included?

✏️ 4 Reading Passages

✏️ 4 Puzzle Phrases to Decode

✏️ 4 Decoders

✏️ 4 Differentiated Decoders

✏️ 10 Multiple Choice Questions

✏️ Teacher Instructions

✏️ Answer Key

✏️ Hint Guides - How To Decode

✏️ Completion Signs

Watch the video or click on the preview button to take a closer look at everything included!

Skills Used:

✔️ Reading Comprehension

✔️ Critical Thinking

✔️ Peer Collaboration

✔️ Problem Solving

To prevent students from simply decoding the puzzles, ALL questions need to be answered correctly in order to solve the final code. This ensures understanding!

Benefits of Use:

✏️ No Prep

✏️ Print and Go

✏️ Cross-Curricular

✏️ Highly Engaging

✏️ No Locks Needed

✏️ No silly envelopes to stuff

✏️ No fancy shapes to cut out

Give students a chance to decode puzzles, move around the room, and read passages, all while actively learning! Students will work in pairs (or individually) and race against the clock. A friendly competition always increases engagement. No prior knowledge is needed. Each code will reveal interesting facts about the topic.

Puzzle Types:

✔️ Cryptogram

✔️ Morse Code

✔️ PigPen Cipher

✔️ Polybius Square

Options for Use:

✏️ Anticipatory Sets

✏️ Unit Review

✏️ Early Finishers

✏️ Gallery Walk

✏️ Stations

✏️ Sub Plans

✏️ Rewards

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»»» Thinktivity™ Reading Passages : Click HERE

»»» Comprehension Challenge and CSI Spy Mystery: Click HERE

»»» Printable ESCAPE ROOMS: Click HERE

»»» Text Marking Detective: Click HERE

»»» Scavenger Hunts: Click HERE

»»» Digital Secret Message Activities: Click HERE

»»» Puzzle Breakouts: Click HERE

»»» Interactive Google Slides™: Click HERE

»»» Digital ESCAPE ROOMS: Click HERE

»»» Color by Number - Text Marking: Click HERE

»»» Digital Reading Passages: Click HERE

»»» Task Card Review Games: Click HERE

»»» Interactive Game Boards: Click HERE

»»» Reading Passages and Text Marking: Click HERE

»»» Back to School: Click HERE

»»» Collaborative Posters: Click HERE

»»» Digital Interactive Notebooks: Click HERE

»»» Grades 3 and 4 Escape Rooms: Click HERE

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