How to Make Crossword Puzzles
Crossword puzzles are excellent activities for people from children to the elderly. A May 1, 2008, article on AARP.org from Harvard Health Publications explains that exercising the brain keeps the mind and memory sharp, and activities such as completing crossword puzzles qualify as healthy mental exercise. Many students enjoy learning and reviewing vocabulary presented in crossword puzzles rather than solely through traditional methods and crossword puzzle makers available online provide an easy way for teaching professionals to use technology to enhance their lesson plans. Making crossword puzzles using resources on the Internet is now easier and faster than ever before if you use one of the many software programs or website applications available.
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Instructions
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Determine the topic or subject area that your crossword puzzle will cover. Some common ideas include words and their definitions; sports figures and facts; historical persons and facts; and current events. Popular topics for children can include pets, dinosaurs, sea animals, holiday related facts, states and their capitals. A common theme will make the crossword puzzle easier to understand and solve.
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Write a list of all the "answers" (the words that fit in the puzzle) and the "clues" (facts and sentences describing the "answers" for the puzzle). You will need to supply appropriately 20 to 40 answers and clues for online crossword puzzle makers. Some programs will use all the words, while others will only use the combination that lends itself to the puzzles.
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Type your list of answers into the appropriate spot designated in the crossword puzzle maker computer programs.
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Type the matching clues into the appropriate spot. Your clues can be one word long or entire sentences if desired. For example, an "opposites" crossword puzzle for small children might include answers like "dark," with clues such as "light"; a "dog breed" crossword puzzle could include answers like "Maltese," with clues such as "small breed dog, 4 to 10 pounds, with long straight white hair."
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Select the font, saving options, printing options and key generating options if the crossword puzzle maker offers these options. Save your answers and clues list in case the crossword puzzle maker does not offer the key generating option. Either save your original hard copy or print a copy of the answers and clues before submitting the list.
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Press the submit button to have the crossword puzzle program generate your puzzle. Most programs suggest giving the program a few seconds to a few minutes to generate the final crossword puzzle for you to print. It takes the computer and software a little time to fit all the clues together.
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Save the puzzle if this option is available. Print the puzzle and the key if applicable. Always print an additional copy of your puzzle to store in a file, so that you have an unused copy that can easily be copied or scanned and reprinted in the future. If the software puzzle application provides a link or coding to include the puzzle on a website, save the link or coding information with the name and description of the crossword puzzle.
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Tips & Warnings
Crossword puzzles are excellent tools for introducing vocabulary or concepts or reviewing the materials. Provide a word box, which is a box of the "answers," for the "clues" when introducing a concept. Crossword puzzles can be a creative tool for quizzing or even testing students on vocabulary or other concepts. Crossword puzzles generate less stress and test anxiety than many traditional testing methods. Crossword puzzles make excellent homework review options for students. Consider adding a watermark to your crossword puzzles by creating a watermark in a word processing program and printing it on the crossword puzzle before mass-copying it. Consider using crossword puzzle software that allows customization, such as pictures and other graphics, to make the crossword puzzles more aesthetically pleasing. Some programs create worksheets only, while other crossword puzzle maker programs create puzzles for online display and play as well as worksheets. Store your "originals" (teacher's copy for printing purposes) in a notebook to keep them organized and use plastic sheet protectors to keep them clean and straight for future printing.
Realize that elementary school-aged children may need a word box with the answers to the clues to be able to complete the puzzles.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit CROSSWORD PUZZLE © Christopher Hall | Dreamstime.com
