A digital escape room for English Language learners — Year 6
It is the last week of school. While tidying the old library, your class discovers a dusty wooden box hidden behind a bookshelf. On the lid, someone has carved the words: "Open only when you are ready."
Inside, there is a note: "This time capsule was sealed in 1975 by the students of this school. To unlock it, you must prove your knowledge. Five puzzles stand between you and our secret — and each one will give you a fragment of the master code. Collect all five fragments, then use them to set the final combination and open the capsule.
Only those who read carefully, write accurately, know their words, understand their grammar, and can reconstruct a broken message will succeed. Are you brave enough to try?"
Puzzle I of VI
Read the passage carefully. Answer all four questions correctly to earn your first fragment.
Old Flint, the captain, had been a fierce and dangerous man. When he died, he left behind something extraordinary: a map. It was stained with red in several places, and on the back, in a rough hand, someone had written a few words.
Jim Hawkins, a young boy who worked at his parents' inn, found the old captain's sea-chest after the man's death. Inside, wrapped carefully in oilcloth, was a small packet. Jim's heart beat faster as he unwrapped it. There were two things: a book filled with names and numbers, and a sealed paper.
Jim had never seen anything like it. The map showed an island about nine miles long, with two fine harbours and a hill in the centre called Spy-glass Hill. Three red crosses marked different spots, and next to the largest one, someone had written in small, careful letters: "Bulk of treasure here."
Jim knew immediately that this was not an ordinary piece of paper. He had heard stories of pirates, gold, and ships lost at sea — but he had always thought they were just stories. Now, holding the map in his trembling hands, he understood that the adventure had only just begun.
Adapted from: Stevenson, R. L. (1883). Treasure Island. Cassell and Company. Adapted for EFL learners, B1 level.1Who found the map inside the sea-chest?
2What were the two things found inside the small packet?
3What was written next to the largest red cross?
4How did Jim feel holding the map?
Fragment earned:
Puzzle II of VI
Fill each gap with the correct word from the box. Get all five right to earn the next fragment.
The map showed a strange in the middle of the ocean. It was marked with three red crosses, and everyone who saw it knew that something valuable was somewhere on its shores.
Many brave had tried to find the gold before, but the journey was long and . Few of them ever returned.
Now it was Jim's turn. He held the map tightly and made a decision: he would find the — no matter what.
Adapted from: Stevenson, R. L. (1883). Treasure Island. Cassell and Company. Adapted for EFL learners, B1 level.Fragment earned:
Puzzle III of VI
Match each word with its correct definition. Match all five pairs to earn the next fragment.
WORDS
DEFINITIONS
Fragment earned:
Puzzle IV of VI
Fragment earned:
Puzzle V of VI
Put the words of each sentence in the correct order. Get all three right to earn the last fragment.
Message A
Message B
Message C
Fragment earned:
Puzzle VI of VI — The Master Lock
You have collected all five fragments. Now set the master combination. The lock requires three symbols in the correct order and eight digits typed in the correct sequence. Study the clues carefully — the answers are in your collection above.
SYMBOL COMBINATION — Place each symbol in the correct position
Position 1
Position 2
Position 3
NUMERICAL COMBINATION — Type the 8 digits in the correct order
Think carefully — the order in which you type them matters.
Congratulations, detectives! You have solved all six puzzles, cracked the master code ⚓ · 3749 · 🗺️ · 1875 · 🔑, and unlocked the mystery hidden in your school for fifty years.
Inside the capsule, you find a handwritten letter. It reads:
Dear future students of this school,
We are writing to you from 1975. We do not know who you are or what the world looks like from where you stand, but we hope it is full of wonder.
We have learned three things this year that we want to share with you: Learning English helps you communicate with people around the world. Books have always been the best treasure we can find. And never stop asking questions — because curiosity is the key to adventure.
Keep exploring. Keep reading. The greatest treasure is always the one still waiting to be discovered.
— The 6th Grade students of 1975 🕯️
You have shown exceptional skills in reading, writing, vocabulary, grammar and sentence structure today. Well done, every one of you!