Choice Boards and Digital Escape rooms for online, eLearning and emergency

Choice Boards and Digital Escape rooms for online, eLearning and emergency
A) Choice Board: Middle School Social Sciences; Equity, Social Justice, and Culturally Relevant Education

Topic: Human Rights, Identity, and Global Citizenship

Ontario Social Studies / Civics Alignment

Task, Option, Description & Differentiation

Read & Reflect: Read an article about Indigenous rights in Canada or migrant workers in Taiwan. Write a reflection connecting it to equity and privilege in your own community. Choice of text level; option to write, draw, or record a video response.

Creative Expression: Create a digital poster, spoken word poem, or short skit about a social justice issue: gender equality, racism, climate justice. Multiple modalities: art, audio, video.
Community Connection: Interview a family member or community elder about a time they experienced inequality or privilege. Share findings in a podcast clip or infographic. Option for audio, visual, or written submission.

Compare & Contrast: Research Canada’s Charter of Rights & Freedoms and compare it to Taiwan’s constitution. Highlight how each addresses equity &  inclusion. Option to make a Venn diagram, a written summary, or a slide deck.
Action Project: Design a mini-campaign social media post, letter to a local rep, awareness poster & about one equity issue affecting your community. Students choose campaign format and audience.

This format not only gives student voice & choice but also embeds culturally relevant pedagogy by letting learners connect curriculum concepts to lived experiences.
B) Challenges or Drawbacks of Using Choice Boards

Equity of Access: Some students have more digital resources &  support at home than others; this can create gaps.

Overwhelm / Decision Fatigue: Too many choices may confuse students who need structure.

Assessment Consistency: Teachers may struggle to create rubrics that fairly measure different products.

Parental Support: Choice boards often assume parents/guardians can help with technology or access, which isn’t always true.
C) Creative Idea: Digital Escape Room in Middle School Social Sciences

I would design a Global Human Rights Escape Room using Google Forms or Microsoft OneNote Breakouts.

Storyline: Students are human rights investigators trying to unlock a case file to present at the UN.

Challenges:

1. Decode a primary source (UDHR excerpt) to find the first password.

2. Match historical figures (Viola Desmond, Nelson Mandela) with their contributions to equity.

3. Solve a map puzzle linking global protests to regions.

4. Complete a timeline scramble on Canadian Charter milestones.

Final Lock: Students enter a phrase like EQUITY FOR ALL to unlock the case & win.

Digital breakouts not only gamify content but also build collaboration, critical thinking, and SEL skills while giving students a sense of agency.

A curriculum-connected choice board, social justice, equity, culturally responsive.

Clear challenges of choice boards in practice.

A creative digital escape room plan

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