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"Getting To Know Us" Crossword

After learning interesting facts about their classmates, can students complete a crossword puzzle about them?

Many teachers involve students in getting-to-know-you interviews. Sometimes students partner up to interview one another; then each partner introduces the other to their classmates. This bulletin board idea can be used the day after students are involved in such an activity.

As students introduce each other to the class, the teacher (and perhaps the students, too) will take notes. Make two or three notes of special or unique facts about each student. That night, use an online crossword puzzle maker such as Discovery School's Puzzlemaker: Criss-Cross Puzzle creator or EdHelper's Create a Crossword Puzzle Online tool to create a puzzle about your students.

Use the resulting puzzle to create a "Getting To Know Us" Crossword bulletin board like the one pictured above. Cover up that bulletin board with paper. Then print out the puzzle and give it to students the next day. How many students remember enough information to correctly solve the puzzle? If most students do not remember enough, you might let them work in pairs to solve the puzzle. When students complete the puzzle, uncover the bulletin board and let them check their work. Leave up the bulletin board for the first few weeks of school or until after Open House Night.

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• From "Pretty" to Practical: Using Bulletin Boards to Teach
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08/10/2006