Encourage your students to study their content area vocabulary, practice grammar or parts of speech, or demonstrate what they have learned by creating crossword puzzles. In the Create mode, the tool offers the opportunity to enter words and their clues before it generates the puzzle.

The tool also includes a Play mode with crossword puzzles for students in grades K–12. Included with each puzzle are a For Teachers page with troubleshooting help and ideas for use as well as a Tips & Hints page designed to scaffold students’ learning and help them do the research necessary to solve the puzzle.

For additional information for using this tool in or out of the classroom, see Tips for Using Crossword Puzzles With Children or Tips for Using Crossword Puzzles With Teens.

Visit this interactive tool at: http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/crossword/.

ReadWriteThink Lessons That Use This Tool

“America the Beautiful”: Using Music and Art to Develop Vocabulary (K-2)
Students learn the song “America the Beautiful” and the meanings of its words through shared reading, context clues, images, and a mural project.

3, 2, 1...Blast Off! Vocabulary Instruction Using a Virtual Trip to the Moon (K-2)
Capture the qualities of field-trip learning in the classroom. Working independently and in groups students learn vocabulary about the moon; however, the activities can be applied to any content area topic.

Becoming History Detectives Using Shakespeare’s Secret  (6-8)
Students read the contemporary mystery Shakespeare’s Secret by Elise Broach and discover how the author’s liberal use of historical details enhances the story and can inspire further exploration of historical facts and the creation of a short dramatic skit.

Earth Verse: Using Science in Poetry (3-5)
Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith's picture book, Science Verse, serves as a model for students to use poetry to improve content area knowledge, vocabulary, and comprehension—in this case, for the science curriculum.


Introducing Shakespeare: Exploring Persona and Character Motivations (6-8)
Students are introduced to the concept of persona and examine how personality is revealed in a drama. To develop a richer understanding of Shakespeare's characters, students research Renaissance society and customs. After watching a scene from a Shakespeare play, students discuss the motivations of key characters and the relationships among them.

Phonics Through Literature: Learning About the Letter M (K-2)
With a balance of teacher-directed, student-initiated, and home activities, kindergarten students learn about phonics and the letter m. This lesson uses children's literature, learning centers, and activities that emphasize interactive learning across the curriculum to encourage students to "monkey around" with their knowledge of letters and sounds in a fun, whole-language environment.

Pictures Tell the Story: Improving Comprehension With Persepolis (9-12)
Graphic novels provide a powerful way for students to study history. This lesson has students explore Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi by learning about cartooning techniques and examining how they work to tell the story of both the main character and the Iranian Revolution.

Skimming and Scanning: Using Riddles to Practice Fact Finding Online (3-5)
Skimming, scanning, and navigating websites are increasingly important media literacy skills. Introduce and demonstrate them using a think-aloud approach. Then ask students to practice using them by solving riddles.

Solving the Math Curse: Reading and Writing Math Word Problems (3-5)
This lesson integrates math word problems with paragraph writing using the book Math Curse. Students create math word problems, read their problems to the class, and listen to and solve their classmates’ math word problems.


The Magnetism of Language: Parts of Speech, Poetry, and Word Play (6-8)
This lesson integrates the study of grammar with critical-thinking skills and creative writing. Students review parts of speech, looking particularly at their function in poetry. They then identify parts of speech in a nonsensical poem before making magnetic poetry kits and writing their own poems. The lesson can also be used with some high school students.

To, Too, or Two: Developing an Understanding of Homophones (3-5)
This lesson uses acting and music to reinforce the meanings and spellings of common homophones. Students listen to a song designed to help them remember the spellings and meanings of many homophones. They then work in small groups to write and create short skits depicting homophones, while their peers determine the correct spellings for the homophones. These skits are later made into comic strips.

Using Word Webs to Teach Synonyms for Commonly Used Words (6-8)
This lesson uses word webs to introduce synonyms for commonly used words such as good, bad, and nice, and to help students adjust their word usage for different contexts. The lesson was designed for second language learners but can be used with all students, even high school.

Viking Voyagers: Navigating Online Content Area Reading (6-8)
This lesson supports middle school students' understanding of content area reading. Students access prior knowledge about Vikings, practice research and scanning skills, and investigate Viking culture on the Internet using graphic organizers to support their comprehension. Follow up includes a fun assessment tool called the Viking Quest.

What’s My Subject? A Subject–Verb Agreement Minilesson (9-12)
In this minilesson, high school students explore and discover the importance of subject–verb agreement rules. They identify both correct and incorrect agreements and discuss the difference between formal and informal language using newspapers and song lyrics and by creating their own quizzes to share with their peers.