This fall, students at Irving Middle School in Irving took part in an escape room activity aimed at improving their math skills. The event was held in classrooms and involved students working in teams to solve puzzles related to polynomials, fractions, and decimal-based division. Students collaborated to solve problems and move through different stages of the activity.
Several students, including Elise, Teddy, Annelise, and Max, commented on the group format. Annelise said that working with friends made the activity more enjoyable. Max noted that teamwork helped students understand difficult concepts and made the review process more engaging than traditional test preparation.
Math teachers Ana Solano Becerra and Cody Liss introduced the escape room activity. They were inspired by a similar project from April Schermann, a teacher at Pound Middle School. After observing positive student participation, Solano Becerra and Liss created their own version for their classes. The challenges focused on math topics such as exponents, slope, and constants. Students needed to solve equations and unlock codes to continue…