A Level Math Revision Free diagnostic
Themed maths

Summer maths escape room for A Level Maths

The beach hut is locked, and the keys are in a box with six locks. Teams solve six locks in order; each code is needed for the next. Printable clue cards, a teacher answer key and a bonus lock for the fastest team.

Level
A Level Maths (Year 12 and Year 13)
Time
41 minutes, plus a 10-minute extension
Topics
Exponentials and logarithms; Differentiation and integration; Sequences and series; The binomial expansion
Equipment
No calculator needed.

Download student sheet (PDF)Answers (PDF)

Suggested timings

PartTimeWhat
Starter5 minQuick questions on the board
Main: lock 16 minThe shells
Main: lock 26 minThe slide
Main: lock 36 minThe steps
Main: lock 46 minThe sand
Main: lock 56 minThe log lock
Main: lock 66 minThe beach hut
Extension10 minFast finishers or homework

Starter (5 minutes)

Warm-up before the locks: quick questions on the board.

  1. Evaluate √144.
  2. Differentiate 3x2.
  3. Evaluate 2−1 + 20.

Main activity (36 minutes)

Lock 1: The shells (6 min)

The first lock shows an index equation.

  1. Solve 5x = 125. This is code 1.

Lock 2: The slide (6 min)

f(x) = 2x2 + 3.

  1. Find f′(a), where a = code 1. This is code 2.

Lock 3: The steps (6 min)

An arithmetic sequence has first term 5 and common difference 2.

  1. Which term equals code 2 + 15? This is code 3.

Lock 4: The sand (6 min)

The fourth lock shows an integral.

  1. Evaluate ∫02 kx2 dx, where k = code 3. This is code 4.

Lock 5: The log lock (6 min)

The fifth lock shows a logarithm.

  1. Evaluate log2(code 4). This is code 5.

Lock 6: The beach hut (6 min)

The last lock.

  1. Find the coefficient of x3 in (1 + x)n, where n = code 5 + 1. It opens the hut.

Extension (10 minutes)

Bonus lock for the fastest team.

  1. X ~ B(10, 0.5). Find P(X = 5) as a fraction in its lowest terms.

For teachers

Teacher notes and full worked answers
  • How to run it: print the student sheet and cut out the six lock cards. Give each team lock 1. When a team brings you the right code, give them the next card (the answer key is in the answers PDF). The first team to open lock 6 escapes. Teams can also have every card at once and race through them in order.
  • Each code is used in the next lock, so check every code before the team moves on: one slip early on breaks the chain.

Starter

  1. 12
    • 12 × 12 = 144
  2. 6x
    • 2 × 3x
  3. 3/2
    • 1/2 + 1

Lock 1: The shells

  1. 3
    • 125 = 53

Lock 2: The slide

  1. 12
    • f′(x) = 4x
    • f′(3) = 12

Lock 3: The steps

  1. 12
    • 5 + 2(n − 1) = 27
    • n = 12

Lock 4: The sand

  1. 32
    • 12 × [x3/3]02 = 12 × 8/3 = 32

Lock 5: The log lock

  1. 5
    • 32 = 25

Lock 6: The beach hut

  1. 20
    • 6C3 = 20

Extension

  1. 63/256
    • 10C5 × 0.510 = 252/1024 = 63/256

The same answers are in the answers PDF. Every answer was recomputed by computer before publishing.

Practise the topics

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