Periodic Table Word Maze#07

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Periodic Table Word Maze#07

Are you an educator looking for challenging and interactive lesson plan resources for academic chemistry? This periodic table of elements word maze puzzle engages students with a list of 20 periodic elements. Letter paths create an intricate maze like structure because letters in the word clues travel in all directions: vertically, horizontally, diagonally! So, there are lots of crossing paths!

Solve the puzzle:
-FIRST, to start the maze locate the circled letter (first letter of the first hidden word)
-NEXT, trace the letter path of the first word, watching for letter paths traveling in all 8 directions: up, down, forwards, backwards and on the diagonal
-REMEMBER that the letter paths for all word clues are continuous
-THEN, engage critical thinking skills and problem solving strategies to determine next word, based on letter clues
-FINALLY, track progress by checking off the word clues as they are found

Lesson plan activities:
1. FOSTER self-directed learning when students CREATE unique word search puzzles - use the list of words and any of a number of blank word search grids located here: blank word search templates
2. CHALLENGE students' critical thinking skills - IDENTIFY and ORGANIZE the list of elements by: a) stability/instability of elemental isotopes, b) toxicity levels (least to most/most to least), c) atomic number/weight/mass, d) period, e) group, f) ancient/modern
3. facilitate INNOVATIVE thinking - students combine the elements from this list, with other known elements, to create compounds (e.g. Carbon + Oxygen = CO2)

Solving puzzles confers benefits:
1. activates problem solving strategies
2. engages critical thinking skills
3. engages the brain