Aztec, Inca & Maya Escape Room Activity: Quest for the Maya Codex

Turn your Mesoamerica unit into an adventure your students will actually be talking about in the hallway.

Your students are a team of archaeologists and somewhere in the ancient Americas, a priceless Maya Codex is waiting to be found.

To find it, they'll have to learn about six of the most fascinating civilizations in history. 

This exciting "escape room" style lesson is a simple print-and-go lesson that doesn't need locks, boxes, or complicated prep. Just print the readings, set up six stations around the room, and let the adventure begin.

The lesson includes 6 readings to use as stations, each one packed with maps and images, where students learn about these civilizations:

• The Aztecs
• The Inca
• The Toltecs
• The Maya
• Teotihuacan
• The Olmec

Each station has 4 questions about the civilization's Rise, Daily Life, Achievements, and Fall & Legacy. The answers become "clues" that lead students closer to the Codex.

Students fill in their answers on a special worksheet, one letter per box. Certain letters are highlighted, and once students finish a station, they unscramble those letters to reveal a piece of the secret location.

After visiting all six stations, they put the pieces together to discover exactly where the Maya Codex is hidden!

You'll also get printable and Google Slides directions, Google Doc versions of the readings and worksheet, teacher notes, a complete answer key, and tips for running the lesson.

Here's everything included in your PDF download:

• 6 illustrated station readings
• Station question cards
• Student escape room worksheet
• Printable and Google Slides directions
• Google Doc versions of the readings and worksheet
• Google Slides directions
• Teacher notes with tips and an extension activity
• Complete answer key

Your students will love the challenge of this escape lesson while learning about the incredible civilizations of the ancient Americas.