Sheckler Elementary School students recently exercised their academic and team collaboration skills and tried their hand at escaping out of one of the school’s rooms.

Sheckler Principal Eric Dauberman came up with the idea for the escape room, with the help of fourth-grade classroom, expressive arts and gifted teachers.

According to Dauberman, the escape room is an elementary version of similar rooms created for adults that have surfaced in the country.

Sheckler’s room required fourth-grade teams to find a way out of the room within 45 minutes. The students used clues they sequentially locate to arrive at the final clue that will provide the three-digit combination for the lock on the exit door.

“We thought it would be a fun way to get kids to use the information they have been taught over the years in a fun, creative and collaborative way,” Dauberman said.

Many of the clues, Dauberman said, were based on facets of the school curriculum the students have been taught during their time at Sheckler, such as questions related to social studies, science, math and language arts.

Communication and collaboration are additional elements required of the students to assist them in finding clues, opening locks, unraveling math problems, using magnets and using influence skills to navigate the room.

“Students are required to communicate and work together to find the clues, open locks, figure out math problems, use magnets and employ inference skills to work their way through the room,” Dauberman added.

Students may utilize an iPad if they get stuck, but such usage will result in penalty time. Before using the device, the students must complete a math problem to renew a pass code granting them access to the iPad.

“The students’ response to the experience so far has been very positive and enthusiastic,” Dauberman said of the escape room. “Even when teams don’t quite make it out, they have fun and learn valuable teamwork and communication skills.”