Periodic Table Word Maze#12

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Periodic Table Word Maze#12

Looking for challenging lesson plan resources for academic chemistry? This periodic table of elements word maze puzzle activates students' critical thinking skills. List of 20 periodic elements' letter paths create an intricate maze like structure within the grid. Letters in the word clues travel in all directions: vertically, horizontally, diagonally!

Solve the puzzle:
1. LOCATE the circled letter (in this case, the letter |T|).
2. TRACE the letter path of the first word, titanium, watching for its letter path traveling in all 8 directions! An additional challenge occurs when there is more than one element that starts with the same letter.
3. REMEMBER: letter paths track continuously from the first element to the last element.
4. Students need to ENGAGE critical thinking skills to determine the next word, based on letter clues and the number of words starting with the same letter!
5. TRACK progress by checking off the word clues as they are found

Lesson plan activity ideas:
1. FOSTER independent, self-directed student learning: encourage students to CREATE unique word search puzzles to share with others to solve. Use the list of words and any of a number of blank word search grids located here: blank word search grids.
2. CHALLENGE students to create other puzzles: cryptolists, crossword puzzles, freeform/crosspatch puzzles; have them create statements about an element and then create a cryptogram with either a letter for letter substitution or an alphanumeric substitution.
3. ACTIVATE students' critical thinking skills and have them ORGANIZE list of elements by: a) stability or instability of elemental isotopes, b) toxicity levels (ordered from least to most, or most to least), c) atomic number/weight/mass, d) period, e) group, f) ancient/modern, g) any other category you can think of.


Benefits of solving puzzles:
1. activates problem solving strategies
2. engages critical thinking skills
3. engages the brain