Quinceañera Digital Breakout

Breakout/Escape games are a very popular form of gaming that requires critical thinking skills and exploration in order to solve puzzles and complete a challenge.  In a traditional breakout game, clues are hidden around a room and students are tasked with finding the clues, putting their resources together, and ultimately using these to solve puzzles.  The game is finished once all puzzles are solved and all locks have been removed.  The same is true in a digital format.  Instead of looking around a room, students will be exploring a website and will have to piece together digital resources.  Teachers should NOT reveal to students where hidden links are located or how clues are connected; these will be revealed during game play or through exploration/trial & error.

Students will begin by going to the Quinceañera digital breakout page.  They will observe that there are four “locks” on the left-hand side of the page, each of which requires a code/password to “unlock.”  For students who are unfamiliar with breakout games, teachers may wish to point out the locks on the left-hand side.  Teachers may explain that there are puzzles that will reveal each code.  The codes will turn red if they are incorrect or white if they are correct.  Once all four locks are white and "unlocked", students have completed the game and will be able to enter their information in order to alert the teacher of their completion.  No additional information should be given at this time; it is up to the student to explore.

Students will search all over the website (no additional materials required) and combine information learned to complete puzzles.  Locks can be unlocked in any order.  It is at teacher discretion if hints are given during the game.

Color lock (Answer: MBRVAZ): This lock is related to the “Para la quinceañera” image in the bottom right corner.  Students will click this image to go to a “quiz.”  They will have to get all answers correct or go back to the start.  All answers are found by reading the “Tú guía de quinceañeras” on the desk in the bottom, left corner. After taking the quiz, students will receive a link with a shopping list of items.  The color of these items in an order will “open” the lock: Zapatos - M (Morado), Tiara - B (blanco), Flores - R (rosado), La última muñeca - V (verde), Vestido - AZ (azul)

Number lock (Answer: 5343): This lock is related to the text message found on the iPhone on the desk on the right-hand side.  Students will read and see that the quinceañera is discussing her favorite color in order her choices are 1- azul, 2 - morado, 3 - rosado, Last(4) - blanco.  Students will see dresses of all these colors by clicking on the images in the slide presentation on the left-hand side.  They will count the number of dresses of each color.  There are 5 blue dresses, 3 purple, 4 pink, and 3 white.

Directional lock (Answer: ARDABARI):  This lock is related to the “Recuerda” note on the notepad on the right-hand side.  This talks about 8 place settings and where all the people are sitting at the table.  The description matches the image at the top of the page. “Mi Princesa” is in bold and is the most important.  Students will look at the top picture of the place setting and click the plate where the “princesa” (quinceañera) would be sitting.  There is a hidden link! This link takes students to a map of the town. The locations on this map are the same ones mentioned in the blue introduction paragraph.  (Students may need to review the “Tu guía de quinceañeras” to remember where you would go for certain components of the Quinceañera, such as “la misa.”) When students start at the house, they will first got to the “zapatería” which is UP (AR - arriba).  Then will go to the tienda de belleza which is to the RIGHT (D - derecha), then to the misa in the church which is DOWN (AB - abajo), then go back UP to go to the gimnasio (AR - arriba), and finally return home to the left (I - izquierda).

Word lock (Answer: QUINCE): This clue is related to the drawing by the “hermanita” found on the desk at the bottom of the page.  The little sister has spelled a lot of words wrong! When the words are corrected they spell “QUINCE.”  Corrections:

• Kinceañera - QUinceañera (QU)

• Feleaz - felIz (I)

• Tiemes - tieNes (N)

• Quinse - QuinCe (C)

• Ares - Eres (E)

Post Assessment:

As a class, students will participate in a debriefing as a class to discuss what they learned.  The focus should be on the Quinceañera celebration and connections to their own experiences in their culture.  Teachers may also wish to discuss teamwork skills and which types of puzzles proved to be more challenging for each group.