Grade Level: 5th-10th
Duration: 45-60 minutes
Bloom’s Taxonomy Levels: Apply, Analyze, Evaluate
 
Description
Step into 1853, where you are an enslaved person seeking freedom on the Underground Railroad. In this fully online escape room, students must decode secret messages, identify hidden signals, and solve historically based puzzles to navigate their way north. Using real historical clues and primary source-inspired documents, players will collect numbers to unlock the final combination that grants them freedom. The journey is treacherous, and only those who can interpret the Underground Railroad’s secret codes will succeed.
 
What’s Included
Weblink to Interactive digital escape room 
Historically inspired puzzles: Coded newspaper messages, laundry signals, owl hoots, star navigation, and map challenges
Teacher guide with setup instructions, discussion questions, and extensions
Escape Room Notes sheet for tracking clues and progress
Classroom Discussion Questions for engaging students in higher order thinking. 
 
Skills Developed
Critical thinking and problem-solving
Historical analysis and source interpretation
Digital literacy and interactive learning
 
Perfect For
U.S. History, Civil War and Reconstruction, or African-American History lessons
Engaging review activity or primary source exploration
Virtual or in-class learning environments
 
Want to deepen student understanding? This escape room pairs perfectly with The History Cat’s Underground Railroad article.
 
Can your students unlock the secrets of the Underground Railroad and escape to freedom?