QR Code Treasure Hunt Introduction I made this activity to give my students a break from using our course book and a chance to get out of the classroom and move around. QR codes struck me as an interesting and engaging use of technology, and some brainstorming led me to the idea of a maze/scavenger hunt/treasure hunt that could be set up in any school environment. I ve used this treasure hunt a few times as an end of term fun activity and it has proved very popular. Although it s intended for higher level teens, I plan to make something similar for use with younger students/lower levels. Preparation You will need one map (the sheet of 16 cryptic clues) per team of 2-5 students, and one set of 30 QR codes which represent the maze. I laminated mine for durability. QR codes number 1 and 30 are hidden in the teacher s pocket and the other 28 codes (#2-#29) are placed in random places around the playing area before class. They can be stuck onto walls, doors, notice boards, posters and so on. Additionally, each team will need a mobile device (smart phone or tablet) with a QR reader app such as QR Scanner (it s a free download). The QR codes can be copied onto different coloured paper and enlarged or shrunk to make a variety of colours and sizes (optional) The playing area I recommend having a clearly defined playing area so that students know where they should or shouldn t go to look for the QR codes. For example, the last time I ran this activity I told my students: All the codes are in the corridors of the upper floor. There are no codes in any of the classrooms. There are no codes in the toilets, none around the customer service desk, none near the stairs or in the cleaners store room. The codes are all in plain sight, not hidden behind or under anything. One mobile device per team When I last did this activity, I collected the students phones and locked them in the classroom cupboard, leaving only one device per team. This encouraged the team members to stay together and communicate more, sharing ideas and solving clues as a group. http://grammarmancomic.com/
Get Started When each team has a map and a device with a QR reader, the teacher sticks QR code #1 on the board and lets each team line up to scan it. They can now leave the classroom and explore the playing area for more codes. They can bring pens or pencils to make notes. Some suggested rules of play: When you find a QR code you can scan it, but don t move it or conceal it. Don t disturb other people who are using the playing area (staff, parents, other students) No running. It can be chaotic The maze was intended to be followed in a linear fashion with one clue leading to the next. In reality, students tend to excitedly scan every QR code they see, paying no heed to instructions relating to order. They also ignore any Game Over messages and keep playing. However, this doesn t seem to detract from their enjoyment of and engagement with the activity. Students will sometimes return to the classroom within the first ten minutes saying they don t get it or don t know what to do. I usually refuse to help and tell them to keep going. Bit by bit they begin to make sense of the clues and work things out. The Winners The winners are the first team to tell the teacher that the treasure is JELLYBEANS. Bring all the teams back to class and give them QR code #30 to scan. I find it amusing to have QR code #30 on the board already hidden behind QR code #1. You can dramatically peel off QR code #1 to reveal the treasure was right there all along. Optional: the teacher could produce a bag of real jellybeans for the winning team to share with the rest of the class. Finally Thanks for downloading this QR Code Treasure Hunt. Look out for more activities like this in the future. Send your feedback and ideas for improving these materials to brian@grammarmancomic.com Best wishes Brian Boyd http://grammarmancomic.com/