Vocabulary from across the curriculum
Third grade is when textbooks start introducing a lot of subject-specific words. This puzzle brings some together: habitat and predator from science, fraction and multiply from math, adjective and paragraph from language arts, and continent and community from social studies. Words run in every direction, including backwards, so it keeps fast solvers busy.
Go beyond finding the words
- Sort the words by subject, then add two new words to each group.
- Write a definition for any five words without looking them up.
- Draw a quick sketch that explains "evaporate" or "gravity".
- Use "predator" and "habitat" in the same sentence.
Build one for your unit
Teachers often get the most out of this tool by replacing the list with vocabulary from their current unit, like the water cycle, ancient Egypt or fractions. Paste up to 25 words, and the grid is rebuilt in a moment.
Solving tips to teach
Solving a hard puzzle is a good lesson in strategy. Encourage students to look for uncommon letters first, such as the V in "evaporate" or the Y in "gravity". Then have them read outwards in every direction from that letter.