Items you’ll need to set up the game:
Here are the materials you need for your students to play the game. There are also suggested locations for some of the game materials. You know your students best, so feel free to get creative, making the game-play tougher or easier by hiding clues and materials, or placing them out in the open.
- 1 small lock box hidden in classroom
- 1 Cipher Wheel (simple assembly required - place in small lock box)
- 1 large lock box on a table
- Family Preparedness Guide (place in large lock box)
- Reflection and Knowledge Questions (place in large lock box)
- Padlock key is hidden, taped to the back of the “Are You Ready?” sign, hung on the wall
- Morse Code Telegraphy sign with QR code and Teletype It Out equations on table near large lock box.
- City Map with Color Locations hung on the wall
- 5 GUber receipts placed on table
- 9 cut up squares of Pictograph Puzzle on table
- Radio Announcement to be read aloud as an audio clue
- Hint cards (for teacher use if students are stuck and need help)
- Logic Map (for pre-game teacher use)
- FAQs (for pre-game teacher use)
Setup:
The following is a basic logical order for setting up Ready or Not Power Play. If you are already familiar with Breakout-type games, this may be a breeze. If not, take it step by step. Set up should take roughly 30 minutes.
- Go https://www.NTCPlayworks.com, select Minnesota and click on Ready or Not program
- Then click on Power Play to access all the materials needed for classroom game.
- Read the game story and watch the teacher tutorial video.
- Print out and assemble all the game resources
- Prep the lock boxes:
- Cut out, assemble and place the Cipher Wheel in the small lock box and lock with the 3-digit lock.
- Place the Family Communications Plan and other prizes if you choose to include them (candy, etc.) and the Reflection and Knowledge Questions in the large lock box. You will lock this box after preparing the combination locks.
- Prepare the 3-digit lock, the 4-digit lock, the 5-combo lock with arrows and the 5-combo lock with colors with the correct combinations from the lock puzzle solutions. Instructions for setting the combinations can be found here: https://www.breakoutedu.com/locks
- Set the locks to these combination solutions:
- 5-combo lock with arrows = Right-Down-Right-Left-Up
- 5-combo lock with colors = Blue-Orange-Green-Yellow-Red
- 4-digit combo lock = 5-6-4-7
- 3-digit combo lock = 9-1-1
- Padlock: Opens with key
- Place the blue lock hasp on the Large Breakout lock box. Attach and lock the 3 combination locks (5-combo lock with arrows, 5-combo lock with colors, 4-digit combo lock) and the keyed Padlock to the large box and lock the small lock box with the 3-digit lock.
- Hang the Morse Code Telegraphy sign with Teletype It Out equations up on the wall.
- Hang the map of the city on the wall or place on the table.
- Tape the padlock key to the back side of the “Are You Ready?” sign and hang on the wall.
- Explain to your students that they’ll need to work together and search the room thoroughly and respectfully in order to play the game. Explain how the Hint cards work.
- Show your students the Ready or Not Power Play story video, set your timer for 45 minutes and begin!
- When the game has reached the 10-minute point, turn the light switch on and off a few times to get your students’ attention and read the Emergency Radio Announcement aloud. We recommend reading it at least 3 times since the words are clues and the students will need to listen carefully. The clues are for the directional arrow lock. After reading this clue, you can leave the paper on the table for your students to review if they need to.
- After they’ve completed the game, ask your students the Reflection and Knowledge questions.
- You will be receiving an email containing a link to fill out a teacher evaluation and feedback form.
- After your complete evaluation is submitted, you’ll receive a code and instructions to register your kit.
- Explore the additional games at BreakoutEDU.com and plan your next adventure. Your subscription is good for one year starting from your registration date.
The Clues:
The following are the five puzzles and clues used to open the various combination locks. Each puzzle is tied to one of the main educational points from the live program.
Educational point: Be prepared
Lock: Padlock Key
Answer: Key to the padlock is taped to the back side of the sign that says “Are You Ready?”
Educational point: Communication is key in creating a family emergency plan
Lock: 4-digit lock
Answer: 5-6-4-7 from PLAN
- From the teletype poster and equations underneath, students should figure out that the dot-dash word combinations are Morse Code and spell out the word PLAN. When you plug the letters P-L-A-N into the equation and use the Cipher Wheel, you’ll get the 4-digit code 5-6-4-7. There is also a QR code and website address under the teletype image to take them to the legend to break the Morse code. Once they discover the Morse code spells out PLAN, then they need to solve the If-Then equations.
Educational point: Be informed and take action
Lock: 5-arrow multi-lock
Answer: Right-Down-Right-Left-Up
- Ten minutes into the game, the teacher reads aloud the Radio Announcement at least 3 times. The words right, down, right, left and up are included in the announcement in the correct order for unlocking the lock. You choose how much to stress those words when reading, based on your students’ skill levels.
Educational point: Who to seek for help in an emergency
Lock: 3-digit combo lock
Answer: 9-1-1
- Nine Pictographs when arranged in the correct order reveal 9-1-1.
Educational point: Helpful locations in the event of a disaster, emergency or hazard
Lock: 5-color multi-lock
Answer: Blue-Orange-Green-Yellow-Red
- There are 5 different GUber Receipts from 5 different car trips, so by looking at the date, time and distance from each trip, your students should be able to put in order the color combination from the color of the building on the map in the correct order.
- GUber Receipts to show date/time of Aunt Ima’s travel as she created her plan.
Day 1 – Oct. 13th @ 9 AM - Home to Police (Blue) 3 miles
Day 2 – Oct. 15th @ 11:30 AM - Home to Fire Station (Orange) 5.2 miles
Day 3 – Oct. 17th @ 1 PM - Home to Family Meeting Place - Park (Green) .5 mile
Day 4 – Oct. 17th @ 2:30 PM - Home to School (Yellow) 2.7 miles
Day 5 – Oct. 23rd @ 9:45 PM - Home to Hospital (Red) 8.4 miles
The End:
When students solve the puzzles and open the large lock box, they discover the Family Preparedness Guide and any additional prizes chosen by the teacher. The Reflection and Knowledge Questions can also be found in the large lock box and used as discussion prompts to solidify the learning from this classroom game experience. Since several teachers at each school will be sharing kits, you might also try a classroom competition, keeping track of each classroom’s finish time to determine the winner(s).
