Break

What is Breakout? 

Encourage students to jump in and take on a life-sized game of exploration alongside their classmates:

  • part problem-solving

  • part mission impossible

  • part race against time

  • part team-building

  • all about "hard fun"

out

Why invite it into your classroom?

A Breakout challenge can be used as an opening icebreaker on a topic, as a summative assessment, as a fun review, or as a post-unit celebration of new skills and knowledge..

Each game is centered around a locked-box mystery with players having a limited amount of time to open the box. During a game players navigate a series of puzzles or research challenges looking for clues to solve engaging problems. Games can feature a blend of physical and online puzzles.

Kevin Durden has access to a variety of thematic, topical, and subject-matter related puzzles created over the years by the online community. With sufficient lead time, he can craft a Breakout challenge related to school character education programs, book studies, research skills, or math, science, or social studies units.

  1. Fun – engages the students

  2. Adaptable – can be crafted to emphasize specific academic skills or content knowledge

  3. Collaboration – students work as a team

  4. Critical Thinking – problem solving skills at their highest relevance

  5. Creativity – a straight line is not always the solution

  6. Communication – let your team know what you know

  7. Perseverance & Pressure – develop the growth mindset to push through obstacles and learn to “fail forward”

  8. Inference – learn the art of if this…then that

  9. Student-Centered – learners are actively engaged rather than just receiving information

  10. Inquiry-Based – fosters curiosity and a love for learning

Arrange for Kevin Durden to visit your classroom to coach up to eight teams of 2-to-4 students through six puzzle challenges in a 60-to-90 minute Breakout experience.

Kevin is also available to work with teacher teams in a 60-to-120 minute professional development setting to

  • brainstorm breakout challenge themes

  • “make and take” lock-oriented puzzles

  • plan how to construct their own multi-use Breakout kits centered on their own curriculum and classroom needs t