Biology  by Bradford
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Free · AP Biology · Unit 3

Cellular Energetics escape room

The Kelp Light Habitat

Deep beneath the bay, the Kelp Light habitat runs on sunlit algae tanks and the crew's own breathing. A tidal surge has tripped the safety system and sealed the hatch to the surface. The system will only release it for a crew who understands how cells capture and release energy. Five locks guard the ascent shaft, and each needs four answers decoded into a combination. Prove you know your enzymes, mitochondria and chloroplasts, and climb back into the daylight.

Play it onlineTeacher pack (PDF)
  • 5 locksfour multiple-choice questions at each, 20 in all
  • About 45 minutesfor a team of three or four
  • Online or on papera link to play, or the pack to print
  • ForAP Biology classes
  • Play linkbiologybybradford.com/escape/u3

The five locks

Each lock’s four answers are decoded with its puzzle into a four-digit combination, so one wrong answer keeps it shut. The questions climb from recall to evaluating evidence.
  1. Lock 1 · Recall

    Ballast Tank Valve

    Symbol sums Easy

    One symbol's value is given. Use it to unlock the others, then swap your letters for symbols.

  2. Lock 2 · Understand

    Pressure Door Seal

    Overlay Easy

    Imagine panel 1 laid on top of panel 2. Every lit segment counts. Read the number they make.

  3. Lock 3 · Apply

    Algae Tank Hatch

    Bar chart Medium

    Each letter is a bar. Only 0 and 5 are numbered, so count the lines.

  4. Lock 4 · Analyse data

    Oxygen Scrubber Panel

    Number pyramid Medium

    Each brick is the sum of the two bricks directly below it. Fewer bricks are filled in, so plan your route.

  5. Lock 5 · Evaluate

    Ascent Shaft Lock

    Dice Hard

    Multiply the two white dice, then subtract the pink die. A blank face counts as 0.

Lock 1, as a team sees it

The first four questions and their decoder. The answers, and the reason for each, are in the teacher pack.

  1. What type of biological molecule speeds up reactions by lowering their activation energy?

    1. A Substrates
    2. B Products
    3. C Electron carriers
    4. D Enzymes

  2. Which molecule acts as the primary energy currency of the cell?

    1. A Pyruvate
    2. B Glucose
    3. C ATP
    4. D NADPH

  3. Which metabolic pathway splits one glucose molecule into two pyruvate molecules?

    1. A The Krebs cycle
    2. B Glycolysis
    3. C The Calvin cycle
    4. D Photorespiration

  4. What is the main pigment that absorbs light energy for photosynthesis?

    1. A Cytochrome c
    2. B Rubisco
    3. C Carotenoids
    4. D Chlorophyll

Symbol sums

Easy

One symbol's value is given. Use it to unlock the others, then swap your letters for symbols.

= 5
+= 11
+= 7
+= 9
A = B = C = D =

Running it

  1. Online: send teams the play link. They answer a lock’s four questions, decode the letters and enter the combination; after lock 5 they get a completion code to show you. Nobody needs an account.
  2. On paper: sign in (free) and print the teacher pack: question cards, the five decoders, a guide and the answer key with a reason for every answer.
  3. Your version: Edit a copy from the library to change any question, then play and print it by its own code, or build a room from the topics your class has covered.

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