What is a 3x3 puzzle?By no means is this my idea, I found it 3-4 years ago when I was teaching biology. The first one that I ever saw was over Mitosis and the Cell Cycle. I am not sure who the original creator was, you can now find it on many websites. Here is what it looks like. To play: 1. Cut out the pieces. Laminate if you can. 2. Students then try to match up the correct definitions and vocabulary terms. The middles all have to match in order to solve the puzzle. The outside words or definitions are not used but add another element to make the puzzle harder. I think the reason I love these so much, is it is super simple and it is a great way to engage students when learning or reviewing vocabulary. creating a 3x3 PuzzleI have created a template in PowerPoint that serves as an easy way to create puzzles for any unit. If you would like a copy, click HERE and download the PowerPoint to edit as you wish. If you would like to make your own template, I simply created a 3x3 table and then added text boxes on each side of the boxes. Then just rotate the text boxes to make them work for the inside and edge lines. Get students InvolvedI think the greatest asset of this puzzle is when students are involved in making them. Share the template through OneDrive or OneNote and allow students to create their puzzles based on the content. This would be a great review activity. Then print them, cut them out, and let the students trade with other groups. Use them in stations, as part of a choice menu, for review, or for even introducing new vocabulary terms. Have students use pictures instead of just definitions. Create math puzzles with problems and answers. This puzzle is extremely versatile! Examples
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I am lucky enough to be able to meet with teachers on a regular basis, and a common theme has emerged. How can I make learning vocabulary more effective and more engaging? While there are a lot of strategies out there, this post is focusing on the use of video. I think videos can be used for so much more than just content delivery, and one of those is to get students thinking about how to use vocabulary not just repeat back the definitions. #1 Figure out the vocabulary that you are aiming to teach, and how that is related to real-world applications. If you can do this, searching for videos is easier. #2 Find short, relevant, and interesting clip about the topic. If you can find something from a current TV Show/Cartoon, sporting event, news program the more engaging it will be for students. # 3 Offer up some prompts to get them using the vocabulary in a meaningful way. Here are some examples to help you get started.
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April 2018
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