Cracking the Code: Grade 6 Geometry Escape Room at ZISPP
PHNOM PENH, February 26, 2026 — Mathematics moved off the whiteboard and into a world of mystery this week at ZISPP. Grade 6 students took on the roles of “Little Investigators,” using their collective brainpower to navigate a high-stakes Geometry Escape Room.
Instead of a traditional test, students had to prove their mastery of the curriculum through a series of physical and mental puzzles.
The Investigation: Applied Geometry
To find the final “exit code,” students had to apply complex geometric principles in real-time:
- Unknown Angles: Calculating supplementary and complementary angles to unlock hidden clues.
- Shape Properties: Identifying polygons based on their attributes to categorize “evidence.”
- Collaborative Logic: Piecing together individual solutions to form a multi-digit keypad code.
Why “Escape Room” Learning Works
From our perspective at Schools Cambodia, gamified learning like the Escape Room model is highly effective for middle-school learners because it:
- Reduces Math Anxiety: The “thrill” of the game masks the difficulty of the problems, encouraging students to persist.
- Forces Teamwork: No single student can solve the room alone; it requires active communication and the sharing of ideas.
- Provides Immediate Feedback: In an escape room, if the code doesn’t work, you know you need to re-evaluate your math immediately.