6th Grade Geometry Area of Triangles, Trapezoids, & Parallelograms Activity

Can your sixth graders use formulas to find the area of triangles, trapezoids, and composite shapes in order to help a family of aliens escape from Area 51? This fun and challenging digital escape room will have students practicing and reviewing geometry (6.G.A.1) while racing to solve puzzles and ciphers. Error analysis and word problems let students apply their knowledge as they work through the puzzles and problems in this math worksheet alternative. Some of the problems include dimensions with decimal or fraction measures.

This online activity is easy to implement and is completely automated by a Google Form™. Google accounts are not required; this 6th grade geometry escape room can be completed by anybody with an internet-connected device and browser. There are no clues to hide, and any printable pages are optional. The puzzles are completely self-checking and the form will only allow students to progress if correct answers are entered. Students will have to read carefully to figure out ciphers and codes!

Math skills required to solve the puzzles:

• Find the area of right triangles and other triangles (when given a height with a 90 degree angle)
• Find the area of trapezoids, parallelograms, and composite shapes
• Analyze errors in solutions to area problems
• Solve word problems involving area
• Multiply, divide, and add fractions and decimals
• Find the missing side length of a triangle when given the area (only one such problem in this activity)

What's included in the PDF?

• Quick Start guide with link to escape room
• Optional link for Google Drive™ users to create a copy of the form to save to their own drives in order to view student results.
• Answer key & teacher tips
• Success signs to snap photos with after completing the activity (optional)

FAQ

• Do students need to have Gmail™ accounts? NO! Anyone with internet access and a tablet, computer, or even phone can complete the breakout.
• How long will this take? That is the hardest question as the answer varies depending on each classroom, student, or group. Most students will be able to complete this activity in under 45 minutes. You can allow 60 minutes to be safe. The form will only save data if students are signed into Google accounts, so if you are worried about your students not finishing on time, simply have them write their answers on scratch paper. They can then come back and quickly re-enter their answers and pick up where they left off. Some students with a firm grasp on the concepts covered in this escape room will be able to complete the puzzles very quickly (20-30 minutes), others will take longer.
• Can this be used for remote learning? Yes! This product is designed to be able to be completed completely online and can be done in-person, for distance learning, or hybrid models. Students will need a device and internet connection.
• Will students have to search the web to figure out the puzzles? NO! All of the information needed will be provided in the Google Form™. The math in this activity is all standards-based.

Escape rooms are a great way to provide extra practice for students, review for tests, or provide enrichment. If you're looking for an activity that promotes productive struggle and growth, then give this online breakout a try!

View all of our digital breakouts for 6th grade math standards

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