Name: ______________________ Block: _________

How to Make a Crossword Puzzle Crossword puzzles and other mind games generate hours of healthy fun and are credited with keeping minds agile. They're also excellent educational tools, allowing you to engage with vocabulary. For some people, creating a crossword puzzle is just as rewarding as solving one. The process can be very simple, or very involved, depending on your interest level. These are a step by step instructions for creating a crossword puzzle. Read the instructions closely. You will need a rule, a pencil, your vocabulary words from Tuesday, and patience. Complete your crossword on a sheet of paper. Neatness counts! You will be graded on how neat your work is, your clues, and the arrangement of your words (be creative)

Decide on a grid size.

Make a list of the vocabulary words we learned in class on Tuesday. Select a theme based on the list of words. The theme can then become the title of the puzzle. Hint: try to predict a theme based on the first chapter of A Wrinkle in Time. Examples of common themes include foreign places or languages, words from a certain time period, famous people, and sports. An intriguing word from the chapter would be great too!

Lay the words out in grid format. This part of the process can feel as challenging as the solving the crossword puzzle! Once you have laid the words out, block out any unused squares.

• The words should connect together. • Answers do not include punctuation. • Be creative. You may want to create a

shape that is related to the first chapter. Think about what happened in the first chapter.

Name: ______________________ Block: _________

Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Crossword-Puzzles

Number the starting square for each word. Begin in the upper left corner of the puzzle and divide the words by whether they run horizontally or vertically so that you can have “1 Down” and “1 Across,” etc. This can also be challenging so take your time.

Number the starting letter of each word but leave the other squares blank. Color any square, that does not have a letter, black.

Creating Clues. You will create your clues in two categories: Across and Down. Pay attention to your layout of words. Horizontal words move across and vertical words move down.