Summit Lockdown
Mount Everest Geography Adventure
Something at the top of the world is no longer stable.
Sensors high in the Himalayas are reporting unusual pressure shifts, accelerating ice movement, and changing conditions along Earth’s tallest mountain. Ari Raider has traced the disturbance to a hidden research vault near the summit of Mount Everest and needs explorers to investigate.
In Summit Lockdown, students explore where Mount Everest is located, how it formed, and why its environment is so extreme. As they move through high-altitude stations and underground chambers, they use real geography knowledge to restore balance and unlock the Mystery Mine where the Professor hid a specimen.
Can you stabilize the world’s highest peak and protect one of Earth’s most powerful landscapes?
Your summit mission begins now.
Summit Lockdown: Mount Everest Geography Adventure
A story driven geography adventure where students explore Earth’s tallest mountain, investigate plate tectonics and extreme environments, and restore balance at the summit.
Adventure Overview
Setting: The Summit Research Vault
Story Hook: Ari Raider detects unstable pressure, ice movement, and climate systems on Mount Everest.
Student Mission: Explore high-altitude zones, answer geography questions, and unlock the Mystery Mine.
Mission Objective: Discover. Identify. Collect.
Grade Levels: 3–5
Time: 30–60 minutes
Lesson Plan
Objective: Students will explain where Mount Everest is located, how it formed, and why its environment is extreme.
- Engage: Introduce Mount Everest as the highest point on Earth.
- Explore: Students move through mountain zones and answer questions to progress.
- Explain: Review plate collisions, uplift, glaciers, and climate.
- Extend: Use discussion or mapping activities.
- Evaluate: Use the Knowledge Check or a written response.
Teaching Guide
- Use as a whole-class guided adventure or independent exploration.
- Pause after each zone to connect geography concepts to real-world examples.
- Encourage students to explain cause-and-effect relationships.
- Reinforce that mountains form over millions of years.
- Optional: Students keep a “Summit Log” during the mission.
Vocabulary
- Tectonic plate: A large section of Earth’s crust.
- Uplift: The rising of land due to tectonic forces.
- Glacier: A slow-moving mass of ice.
- Altitude: Height above sea level.
- Oxygen level: The amount of oxygen in the air.
- Mountain range: A group of connected mountains.
Knowledge Check: Questions & Answers
Location and Geography
-
Q: Where is Mount Everest located?
A: On the border between Nepal and China -
Q: Which mountain range is Everest part of?
A: The Himalayas -
Q: What makes Mount Everest unique on Earth?
A: It is the highest point on Earth
Mountain Formation and Tectonics
-
Q: How do mountains like Everest form?
A: When tectonic plates collide -
Q: Which plates collided to form the Himalayas?
A: The Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate -
Q: What is still happening to Mount Everest today?
A: It continues to rise slightly
Climate, Ice, and Life
-
Q: What makes Mount Everest’s climate extreme?
A: Cold temperatures, strong winds, and low oxygen -
Q: How do glaciers affect the landscape?
A: They slowly carve and shape landforms -
Q: Why do few plants and animals live near the summit?
A: Low oxygen and extreme cold
Discussion Questions
- Why is Mount Everest taller than other mountains?
- How do tectonic plates change Earth’s surface?
- Why is life difficult at high altitudes?
- What risks do climbers face on Mount Everest?
- Why should extreme environments be protected?
Classroom Transformation Ideas
- Create a “base camp to summit” pathway in the classroom.
- Use layered paper to model uplift and mountain growth.
- Post a world map highlighting the Himalayas.
- Assign roles like “Plate Tracker” or “Climate Monitor.”
- Play low wind or mountain ambience during the adventure.
DIY Excavation Activity
No-mess option:
- Hide a small object or “rock card” in a folded paper cup.
- Wrap lightly with scrap paper.
- Students excavate carefully and describe what they find.
Extension: Students design a mountain and explain how it formed.
Standards Alignment
- Explain how tectonic forces shape Earth’s surface.
- Describe how climate varies with elevation.
- Use evidence to explain slow Earth processes.
- Recognize Earth as a dynamic system.
Free Printable Trading Cards
Download free printable trading cards that match Summit Lockdown. Each card reinforces Mount Everest geography concepts used in the adventure.