CTE Healthcare Escape Room Activity (continued)
Materials Needed:
• 5–6 prepared slides:
– 4–5 with normal blood or tissue samples
– 1 slide showing an abnormality (e.g., sickle cell anemia, iron deficiency anemia, leukemia, etc.)
• Each slide has a small sticker (e.g., "Code: A3F7")
• Microscope (1 per group or shared among teams)
• Answer submission method (e.g., envelope, digital form, teacher check-in)
Student Instructions (Sample Handout Text):
1. Use the microscope to examine each prepared slide.
2. Discuss observations with your team. Look for any cellular abnormalities (shape, color, distribution).
3. When you identify the slide with a suspected pathology, record the code printed on the sticker attached to it.
4. Submit the code to the game master or input it into the next challenge to unlock your path forward.
How the Puzzle Works:
• Students rotate through the set of slides and examine each one.
• Only one contains a visible abnormality (e.g., sickle-shaped red blood cells).
• When they correctly identify that slide, the code affixed to it becomes their key.
• If they choose the wrong slide, the code will not unlock the next station—adding tension and encouraging
careful observation.
Optional Tissue Abnormalities You Could Use:
How They "Escape" This Station:
• The correct alphanumeric code on the abnormal slide unlocks the next envelope, puzzle, or digital station.
• Wrong answers lead to dead ends or hints to retry.
Teacher Notes:
• You can use real slides or printed slide photos laminated onto cards for classes without microscopes.
• Affix the code sticker label on each slide's mount—not in the viewing field.
• Add roles: one student as "lab tech," another as "recorder," etc., to ensure collaboration.
Condition Microscopic Clue
Normal human blood sample Need 3–4 slides for examination of "normal" samples
Sickle Cell Anemia Misshapen (crescent/sickle-shaped) red blood cells
Iron Deficiency Anemia Pale red blood cells (hypochromic)
Leukemia Unusually high number of white blood cells
Paramecium or other protists Could be a decoy—not blood at all
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