If you’re launching your Grade 5 Alberta Ancient Civilizations unit, I’ve got the perfect resource for you. This FREE digital escape room is designed to spark curiosity, build background knowledge, and get students excited about exploring ancient societies around the world.
Whether you’re introducing Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, China, or the Mayans, this interactive adventure is an easy way to jumpstart your unit with zero prep and maximum student engagement.
The Story: A Trip to the Museum… with a Twist
Your students begin their journey on a seemingly normal field trip to the Ancient History Museum. But when the lights flicker, the doors lock, and a mysterious voice echoes through the halls, they quickly realize this is no ordinary day.
“Only those who understand the secrets of the past may return to the present…”
To escape the museum, students must solve 10 puzzles connected to the civilizations they’ll be studying throughout the year. Along the way, they’ll unlock facts, decode riddles, and piece together clues that connect directly to the Grade 5 Social Studies curriculum in Alberta.
Why Use an Escape Room when Launching Your Grade 5 Alberta Ancient Civilizations Unit?
This isn’t just a fun icebreaker. This escape room is built to reinforce and introduce key outcomes from the Alberta program of studies for Grade 5 Social Studies.
Here’s what makes it a powerful teaching tool:
✔️ Curriculum aligned with the Grade 5 focus on ancient civilizations
✔️ Supports student inquiry, collaboration, and critical thinking
✔️ Covers concepts such as geography, social structure, leadership, achievements, and belief systems
✔️ Includes multiple learning styles through visuals, riddles, decoding, and multiple choice
✔️ Can be used as an intro activity, review, or even sub plan
✔️ No prep required
What Students Will Explore:
To help you get started with launching your Grade 5 Alberta Ancient Civilizations unit, the escape room takes your class on a virtual journey through:
- Mesopotamia – The world’s first cities and the invention of writing
- Ancient Egypt – The Nile, pyramids, pharaohs, and social roles
- Ancient Greece – Democracy, city-states, and daily life
- Ancient China – The Silk Road, inventions like paper
- The Mayan Civilization – Astronomy, calendar systems, and temples
Each puzzle includes a code, riddle, or clue that makes learning feel like a challenge to conquer rather than a task to complete.
Learning Outcomes Covered:
This free resource supports the following learning goals in the Alberta Grade 5 Social Studies curriculum:
- Understanding what defines a civilization
- Exploring the major contributions of ancient societies
- Recognizing how geography influenced settlement and growth
- Learning about leadership, governance, and roles in society
- Connecting trade, technology, and cultural exchange
- Building historical thinking skills through analysis and inquiry
What’s Included in the Free Download?
When you download the escape room, you’ll get:
- A fully interactive Google Forms & Slides version ready to assign
- A clear storyline that keeps students engaged from start to finish
- A teacher guide
- Answer Key
👉 Click here to download the free digital escape room
The Perfect Way to Launch Your Ancient Civilizations Unit
If you’re about to start your ancient civilizations unit and want your students to be genuinely excited about learning, this escape room is your secret weapon. It makes launching your Grade 5 Alberta Ancient Civilizations unit not only easy but memorable and meaningful too.
Let your students unlock the past, one puzzle at a time, and get your unit off to a powerful start.
Need More Than Just an Intro Activity?
If you’re ready to go beyond the escape room, I’ve created a comprehensive Ancient Civilizations Year-Long Bundle that includes everything you need to teach the entire Alberta Grade 5 Social Studies curriculum with confidence.
Inside the bundle, you’ll find:
- Engaging lesson plans
- Interactive activities, projects, and assessments
- Student-friendly readings and organizers
- Cross-curricular connections
- Everything aligned to Alberta’s learning outcomes
It’s designed to save you time, reduce planning stress, and keep your students engaged all year long.
👉 Click here to explore the Year-Long Ancient Civilizations Bundle
