6th Grade Math Equivalent Expressions & Combining Like Terms Escape Room

Can your sixth graders create equivalent expressions by combining like terms, factoring expressions, and using the distributive property? Your students find themselves trapped in a bunker, and their knowledge of 6th grade math standard 6.EE.A.3 will help them to escape. All problems in this escape room include positive whole numbers. Can your students simplify an expression to tune the tv to the correct channel? Identifying like terms will reveal a combination to a locked box. A locker combination is found by decoding a secret message, then simplifying two expressions with distribution. Identifying equivalent expressions will turn off an alarm, and reveal the way out!

This online activity is easy to implement and is completely automated by a Google Form™. Google accounts are not required; this math escape room can be completed by anybody with a device, browser, and internet connection. There are no clues to hide, but there are two printable student recording pages that are strongly recommended. The puzzles are completely self-checking and the form will only allow students to progress if correct answers are entered. Students will have to read carefully to figure out ciphers and codes!

Math skills required to solve the puzzles:

• Simplify expressions by combining like terms, factoring, and using the distributive property
• All problems use positive whole numbers
• Combine like terms in expressions with variables
• Factor expressions
• Identify equivalent expressions
• Use the distributive property to simplify expressions and identify equivalent expressions

What's included in the PDF?

• Quickstart guide with link to escape room
• Optional link for Google Drive™ users to create a copy of the form to save to their own drives in order to view student results.
• Optional (but highly recommended) printable student recording pages
• Digital puzzle helper options (to use in place of the printable pages for distance learning)
• Detailed answer key & teacher tips
• Success signs to snap photos with after completing the activity (optional)

FAQ

• Do students need to have Gmail™ accounts? NO! Anyone with internet access and a tablet, computer, or even phone can complete the breakout.
• How long will this take? That is the hardest question as the answer varies depending on each classroom, student, or group. Most students will be able to complete this activity in under 45 minutes. You can allow 60 minutes to be safe. The form will only save data if students are signed into Google accounts, so if you are worried about your students not finishing on time, simply have them write their answers on scratch paper. They can then come back and quickly re-enter their answers and pick up where they left off. Some students with a firm grasp on the concepts covered in this escape room will be able to complete the puzzles very quickly (20-30 minutes), others will take longer.
• Can this be used for remote learning? Yes! This product is designed to be able to be completed completely online and can be done in-person, for distance learning, or hybrid models. Students will need a device and internet connection.
• Will students have to search the web to figure out the puzzles? NO! All of the information needed will be provided in the Google Form™. The math in this activity is all standards-based.

Escape rooms are a great way to provide extra practice for students, review for tests, or provide enrichment.

View all of our digital breakouts for 6th grade math standards

See all of our digital escape rooms and logic puzzles