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Discovery Education: Puzzlemaker
Details
Main Website:
Activity Description
Students practice vocabulary or grammar (parts of speech) using customized puzzles you create with this site's online puzzle-making tools. The puzzles can be used for supplemental practice activities, fillers, or as homework. Puzzles types include word search, criss-cross (crossword), double puzzle, fallen phrase, letter tiles, cryptogram, and hidden message.
Screenshot of Discovery Education's Puzzle Maker page
Preparation
- Choose vocabulary words from a unit you plan to teach or are currently teaching.
- Make a list of the words.
How-To
- Go to the Web site, which is free and does not require registration (see Web Site link above).
- Choose the type of puzzle you want to create. The options are the following: Word Search, Criss-Cross (crossword puzzle), Double Puzzle, Fallen Phrase, Letter Tiles, Cryptogram, and Hidden Messages.
- Follow the on-screen instructions (see Puzzlemaker instructions and samples of all the site's puzzle-making tools on the document above titled "Directions for Using Discovery Education's Puzzlemaker and Samples of Puzzles."
- Print, photocopy and distribute to students.
- Explain to students how to complete the puzzles, modeling as needed.
Teacher Tips
- Word search puzzles can be used as more than time-fillers, in that they aid students in word recognition and spelling skills. For other free puzzle-making tools for ESL see Word-Search Maker at A to Z Teacher Stuff's Word Search Generator and TESL: Lesson Preparation Tools.
Program Areas
- ABE: Adult Basic Education
- ASE: High School Equivalency Preparation
Levels
- All Levels
Lesson Plan
Warm-up
Engagement
Objective: Activate prior knowledge and introduce the concept of learning through puzzles.
- Write the phrase “Parts of Speech” or “Vocabulary Words” on the board.
- Ask students:
- What are some parts of speech?
- Can you give an example of each (noun, verb, adjective, etc.)?
- Have students do a Think-Pair-Share to list vocabulary words they’ve recently learned in class.
- Share lists as a class and record them on the board for use in the puzzle activity.
Introduction
Enhancement
Objective: Explain how puzzles can be used to reinforce vocabulary and grammar.
- Show a sample puzzle (use a projector or printed example) from Puzzlemaker.
- Explain the goal: Students will complete and create vocabulary or grammar puzzles to reinforce what they are learning.
- Discuss how different puzzle types (e.g., criss-cross, word search) help with spelling, comprehension, and recall.
Presentation
Engagement
Objective: Model how to use the Puzzle Maker site to generate a puzzle.
- Navigate to https://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com.
- Model how to create a Criss-Cross (crossword) puzzle using vocabulary words from class.
- Demonstrate inputting the word list and clues (for parts of speech, use definitions or examples).
- Generate the puzzle and print or show the downloadable version.
Practice
Engagement
Enhancement
Objective: Students solve and then create puzzles to practice content.
Option A: Solve Together
- Distribute the teacher-generated puzzle for individual or pair work.
- As a class, go over a few answers together.
Option B: Student Creation
- In pairs, students select 8–10 vocabulary words or parts of speech.
- Each pair uses the website to create a puzzle of their choice.
- Print and trade puzzles with another pair to complete.
Evaluation
Objective: Informally assess vocabulary understanding and engagement.
- Review puzzles as a class or in small groups.
- Ask reflection questions:
- Which words were easy/hard to remember?
- How did making or solving the puzzle help you remember new words?
- Have students circle or underline any words they struggled with and revisit them in a follow-up mini-lesson or homework.
Application
Extension
Objective: Extend learning beyond the classroom.
- Assign students to create a homework puzzle using new words from an upcoming unit or content area (e.g., health, civics, science).
- Collect student-created puzzles and compile them into a class review booklet or bulletin board display.
- Optional: Have students present and explain one of their puzzles to the class or in small groups.
Documents
- Puzzle Maker.png - Screen shot of Discovery Education's Puzzle Maker page
Tags
reading, writing, Discovery, discovery education, Discovery Education, Discovery Education: Puzzlemaker, double puzzle, fallen phrase, handouts, hidden message, letter tiles, printable, puzzlemaker, Puzzlemaker, puzzles, spelling, vocabulary, word search, criss-cross, crosswords, cryptograms, discovery
Creative Commons License
CC BY: This license allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, so long as
attribution is given to the creator. The license allows for commercial use.