Looking for fun and interactive Black History Month crosspatch puzzles to complement classroom instruction and vocabulary building? Here is a BHM crosspatch puzzle that will support vocabulary building, activate critical thinking skills, and foster a collaborative classroom as kids work together to solve this puzzle. Crosspatch puzzles are similar to crosswords. The clues are word clues. With this crosspatch puzzle the list of clues have scrambled letters.
Some problem solving strategies might include:
- rearrange the letters in each word clue to reveal the words hidden in the grid
- organize words by number of letters in each word (if needed)
- fill in the blanks with words that have the least number of letters/most number of letters/unique number of letters (e.g. there are four 4-letter words; one 10-letter word; multiple 9-letter words)
- look for intersection points of letters (similar to crossword puzzles)
- continue to fill in the blanks until all words have been located
-HINT: start with words that are one of a kind (e.g. 4-letter, 5-letter, 6-letter words)
To complete the free printable version:
-download the puzzle to print
-rearrange the letters to reveal the correct spelling
-record the correct spelling, as required
-record the words in the correct spaces (see above HINT)
To complete the free Google Slides™ version:
-use the link to copy the file to the computer
-rearrange the letters to reveal the correct spelling
-use the text box tool to record the words in the correct blank spaces (see above HINT)
Benefits of using puzzles in the classroom:
-engages critical thinking skills
-improves working memory skills
-supports visual spatial reasoning
-skills transfer to other curriculum areas