Finding the greatest common factor and least common multiple are the key to escaping Mars! This digital escape room will have students race to find the GCF of two numbers within 100 and LCM of two numbers under 12 to unlock locks, find GPS coordinates, launch a rocket, and more! Challenging GCF and LCM word problems are also included. Based on sixth grade math standard 6.NS.B.4

This online math activity is easy to implement and can be completed by anybody with an internet-connected device. There are no clues to hide and no answers to check! The entire breakout process is automated by a Google Form™, but Google™ accounts are NOT required.

*This activity does not require students to use one particular method to solve the LCM and GCF problems. Strategies such as using prime factorization, the ladder method, and listing multiples are suggested to students.

Math skills required to solve the puzzles:

• Have a firm understanding of standard 6.NS.B.4 and know how to find GFC and LCM using strategies such as prime factorization, factor trees, the ladder method, or listing factors
• Find the greatest common factor of two numbers less than 100
• Find the least common multiple of two numbers less than 12
• Solve GCF and LCM word problems
• Use the distributive property to express a sum of two whole numbers 1–100 with a common factor as a multiple of a sum of two whole numbers with no common factor.

What's included in the PDF?

• Quickstart guide with link to escape room
• Optional link for Google Drive™ users to create a copy of the form to save to their own drives in order to view student results.
• Optional (but recommended) printable student recording page
• Detailed answer key & teacher tips
• Success signs to snap photos with after completing the activity (optional)

FAQ

• Do students need to have Gmail™ accounts? NO! Anyone with internet access and a tablet, computer, or even phone can complete the breakout.
• How long will this take? That is the hardest question as the answer varies depending on each classroom, student, or group. Most students will be able to complete this activity in under 45 minutes. You can allow 60 minutes to be safe. The form will only save data if students are signed into Google accounts, so if you are worried about your students not finishing on time, simply have them write their answers on scratch paper. They can then come back and quickly re-enter their answers and pick up where they left off. Some students with a firm grasp on the concepts covered in this escape room will be able to complete the puzzles very quickly (20-30 minutes), others will take longer.
• Can this be used for remote learning? Yes! This product is designed to be able to be completed completely online and can be done in-person, for distance learning, or hybrid models. Students will need a device and internet connection.
• Will students have to search the web to figure out the puzzles? NO! All of the information needed will be provided in the Google Form™. The math in this activity is all standards-based.

Escape rooms are a great way to provide extra practice for students, review for tests, or provide enrichment.

*Please make sure that your school district does not block Google Forms™. There is the option to create your own copy of the form for schools that require Google Forms™ to originate from within their system.

View all of our digital breakouts for 6th grade math standards

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