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CSI: Series Digital Breakout

My colleague, SSB, has already shared some digital breakouts. I can't share mine because I took a TPT STEM activity to create the breakout. However, I wanted to share my experiences with digital breakouts and the amazing activity that I bought from TPT.  

 I have already talked about Clark Creative Math and his awesome resources. I bought this activity - CSI: Series. Sigma Lazyeight has been terrorizing New York City and the students must travel to different places through scenes, unlock the cryptic message, and determine who Lazyeight is out of a list of suspects. Pretty cool, if you ask me! (I actually got my school to pay for the entire Pre-Calculus bundle. Well worth the $.)

 In the past, I printed out a packet for each student, but once we went into a copy crisis at my school, I couldn't afford to any longer. I still wanted to give my students the chance to do this lesson, so I decided to make it into a digital breakout using Google tools. 


Using G Drawing, I found some clip-art online and inserted invisible shapes that are hyperlinked to a copy of the G Docs with his activity. The message icon on the phone is hyperlinked to the cryptic message that students need to solve the puzzle. The mugshot is hyperlinked to the suspect list. (this is a picture of my web-page) 

 The map (pictured below) has 6 hidden hyperlinks to the 6 different scenes. I tried to place the links where the scene occurred. I don't think I was able to do all of them, but I got close.












I snipped (using the snip-it tool) the scenes from his activity and created a G Doc for each one. I created a copy of the scenes so that I would have a link for each invisible shape that goes on the map. (This has been the best thing that I have ever learned!) You can erase the edit at the end of your document, slide, or sheet, and replace with copy. 



Copy the new URL and use the link to hyperlink. This allows students to make a copy, which will automatically be saved to their drive, and your original will not be edited. '



Before you make a copy, make sure you click on share and get a shareable link. Click on anyone with link can view. This is what it should look like when you are finished. 


As for the "locks," I created a G Form using the data validation feature. The answer will turn red and say STILL LOCKED until the students get the correct answer. 
I place all of these pictures, forms, and text on a Google Site. This takes a lot of time to set up, but once you have it done, you can use it over and over again. I love saving paper and creating an interesting twist to a worksheet. 

 Here is where I started: Using Google for Digital Breakouts Tutorial Videos
Here is a Digital Breakout Template with more information. You can also see how the data validation on the form works if you try to place an answer in the form. 

 Have fun developing your own digital breakout! 

~RJ 

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