South Bay Elementary School recently learned about Martin Luther King Jr. Day during a unique, hands-on activity. During their library media classes, fifth-graders participated in a breakout session related to facts about Dr. King.

Prior to the activity, the students watched the “I Have A Dream” speech and learned about facts about the civil rights activist. Library media specialist Kara Levy designed a breakout session for the students where they had to solve riddles in order to open the four boxes. 

Within the breakout session, students had to answer questions, scan QR codes and read maps to get the boxes open. Students used blacklights, invisible ink and the computers to solve many of the riddles. Each student had a role in the breakout, some serving as tech experts, locksmiths or cheering on the team.

“These breakout sessions are more than just memorizing facts,” Levy said. “These hands-on activities teach reading comprehension, teamwork as well as history.” Most importantly, Levy said, is that 100 percent of the students are engaged in these types of lessons, not even realizing that they are learning while having fun. “It’s a challenge for them and they want to participate.”