Are you an educator looking for a free, fun and engaging lesson plan resources for Black History Month programming? This BHM crosspatch puzzle supports programming through vocabulary building and engaging students in multiple problem solving strategies (see list below) in order to complete the puzzle. Crosspatch puzzles like crossword puzzles, except for a couple of main differences:
1) while the clues are cross and down, the list of clues is exclusively word clues, and
2) list of words are not organized in any order.
To solve the puzzle, fill-in-the-blanks with the correct words.
Download the free puzzle to print and/or copy the file to your computer to complete is using Google Apps version.
Here are some problem solving strategies:
- review the list of 20 words (brain engagement)
- organize word clues by number of letters (organize information)
- identify words with the least number letters, most number of letters, or words with a unique number of letters (e.g. 15-letters: Nobel Peace Prize) (organizes information)
- fill-in-the-blanks that match unique words (1:1 correspondence)
- track progress by marking off words as blanks are filled (eliminate the choices)
- fill-in-the-blanks with remaining word clues that match letter intersection points (using prior knowledge with regular crossword puzzles)
- use trial and error as needed to complete the puzzle