Creating Crossword Puzzles

Engaging Students with Content Area Vocabulary

Stage of Literacy Development:

Stage 2: Consolidation / Fluency
Stage 3: Literacy for Growth

Ages:

8-12

Grade Range:

3rd 4th 5th 6th

Food Groups:

Primary:
Vocabulary, Knowledge Building

Activity Description

Preparation:

1. Make a list of words related to the main content of the unit

Implementation:

Session 1:
1. In pairs, invite students to make a list of the most important and interesting words from the unit you are studying
    a. Words do not need to be difficult, but should be related to the unit
2. Have students share some of their chosen words
    a. Provide feedback and suggestions from your own list of words to include
3. Inform students that they will be creating crossword puzzles to help their classmates learn these words
4. Model how to create an interesting clue
    a. Students could use textbooks, dictionaries, or their own knowledge to create clues
5. Have students then work in pairs to continue creating their content word list and writing clues for each word

Session 2:
1. Have students use their vocabulary and clues to create crossword puzzles
    a. This can be done on grid paper or using an online puzzlemaker
2. Once students have completed their crossword puzzles, print them out and have them exchange their papers with someone and try to complete each other’s puzzles

Adaptations For

English Language Learners/ESL:

- Allow students to create picture clues

LD/Reading & Writing Difficulties:

- Provide extra support and instruction in how to find definitions of content words in the dictionary or course text

Differentiated Instruction:

- Allow the number of words used in each crossword to vary based on student ability
- Use mixed-ability groupings so that stronger students can support weaker students

Related References

Source:
Diller, D. (2005). Practice with purpose: Literacy work stations for grades 3-6. Portland, Maine: Stenhouse Publishers.

Evidence:
Haggard, M.R. (1982). The vocabulary self-collection strategy: An active approach to word learning. Journal of Reading, 26, 203-207.


Online Crossword Puzzle Makers:
 
http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/CrissCrossSetupForm.asp

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/crossword-puzzles-30068.html

Activity Objective

The goal of Creating Crossword Puzzles: Engaging Students with Content Area Vocabulary is to help students learn vocabulary from a current unit of study by having students create clues for new words to use in a crossword puzzle.

What You Need

Prep Time:

10 minutes
- Make a list of important content words

Task Time:

2, 45-minute sessions

Session 1:
- Students make a list of unit vocabulary words
- Students generate clues (definitions) of their words

Session 2:
- Students create crossword puzzles with chosen words
- Students complete each other's puzzles

Materials Required:

Students:
- Paper
- Pencils
- Grid paper or computers

What You Do

Teacher Role:

Facilitator:
- during discussion on what words are important from text for students to remember

Consultant:
- while students are choosing vocabulary, creating clues and designing their crossword puzzles

Student Grouping:

Pairs:
- while generating words and clues and creating crossword puzzles

Individual:
- while completing each other's puzzles

Assessment Ideas:

- Evaluate the sophistication of the clues provided for each vocabulary word--are they complete, accurate, and well-described?

- Have students fill out a teacher- or student-generated crossword puzzle at the end of the unit to test their knowledge of the vocabulary

Quick Tips

Activity Extensions:

- Have groups of students prepare crossword puzzles on different study units in a content area and share them as review for a test

Additional Comments:

- By making copies of some exceptional puzzles, you could quiz students informally, multiple times until they are confident with the definitions and content words.

- This activity could be linked to reading comprehension by having students highlight or identify words in their text book reading that they do not know or that they think are important, and later having them define these words using the crossword puzzle format.