Ease your rising middle schoolers' worries about the middle school transition with an engaging collaborative learning activity escape room complete with five challenges during your classroom counseling lessons! Build excitement by reading the opening challenge and instructions in a letter from middle school students. Two of the puzzles include differentiated versions! Your students will work collaboratively in four groups to solve five challenges to prove they're ready for middle school. At each challenge, students will unlock code words and phrases to earn a tile for their middle school map. Finish the escape room with a letter from middle schoolers, printable prizes, and photo props for taking fun "We escaped!" pictures! Teams will race to solve 5 challenges: Challenge #1: "Middle School Myths" - Groups will sort statements onto the mats and piece together the puzzle to find the code word. Challenge #2: "Finding My Classes" - Students will practice reading a middle school schedule and school map to find the code word. Challenge #3: "Opening My Locker" - Groups will use the combination lock to crack the code. Challenge #4: "Dodging Drama" - Groups will work their way through the maze, responding to scenario task cards along the way. Challenge #5: "Healthy Friendships" - Groups will read the clues to fill in characteristics of a good friend in the puzzle. Choose from 2 ways to do the escape room: Option 1: Students will rotate through the 5 stations at the same time, moving at your signal. Assign each group to one of the stations (one will be empty). Groups who finish early at a station can start on a bonus activity to redeem for a hint if needed later. Option 2: Each group will work through the 5 activities at their own pace. This option requires prepping a compete set of all 5 challenges for each group but will likely require less classroom time. Together, teams will glue each tile to their middle school map as they race to escape. Printable prizes for all finishers include bookmarks with instructions for opening a combination lock! Close the lesson by reading a finisher script from middle schoolers and posing for fun "We escaped!" photo ops. Three bonus activities are included for early finishers to solve in exchange for hints along the way! Hint cards and "We Need Help!" cards are also included. Two of the challenges include differentiated versions of the puzzles. The table of contents includes page numbers, and both PDF versions are paginated for easy prep! Your zip file download includes 2 PDFs for easy printing: A color version of all pages (printable 67-page PDF) A blackline version of all pages (printable 67-page PDF) The Escape Room includes: Binder cover Let’s Connect! Table of Contents (2 pages) Spine labels if you're storing in a binder for easy organization Lesson Plan with ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors Standards (2021) Instructor Notes for Printing Challenge letter from middle schoolers Center Labels Challenge Overview Challenge Map Escape Room Key Challenge Tiles Challenge #1: Middle School Myths Challenge Instructions Student Answer Page Puzzle Pieces Puzzle Mats Challenge #2: Finding My Classes Challenge Instructions Class Schedule Middle School Map Challenge #3: Opening My Locker Student Answer Page Combination Lock Spinner Differentiated Versions Instructions for Opening a Combination Lock Challenge #4: Dodging Drama Challenge Instructions Dodging Drama Maze Scenario task cards for teams to discuss Challenge # 5: Healthy Friendships Friendship Characteristics Puzzle (differentiated versions) Bonus Hint Cards: Common Worries, Middle School Maze, Opening a Combination Lock Finisher letter from middle schoolers Printable bookmark prizes Printable photo props for groups who finish Answer keys for all challenges Related resource links, Terms of Use, Credits - 67 pages in color, 67 pages in blackline - Intended for rising middle schoolers (4th, 5th, or 6th) PDFs are flattened and not editable per the font artists' and clip artists' Terms of Use Prepare your students for the transition to middle school with these activities! Middle School Transition digital lesson Middle School Scoot Game Cruising into Middle School - Questions Commonly Asked by 5th Graders Writing Prompt - Advice for the Student Who Will Sit at this Desk Next Year Opening a Combination Lock 5th Grader Exit Interview Survey Venn Diagram Transition Activities - Preparing for Middle School Writing Prompt - Middle School Transition Follow Counselor Station on TPT! Leave a review to earn credits toward future TPT purchases! Counselor Station Terms of Use