This crossword puzzle worksheet can be used as a stand-alone lesson or quiz for students more accustomed with Animal Classifications or used as an online research project for those with less exposure to the topic.
Download Printable PDFWhy Crossword Puzzles are a Valuable Asset to STEM Learning
Crossword Puzzles not only present a great question/answer format, but do so in a way that emphasizes proper spelling and forces problem solving techniques such as drawing conclusions, making inferences and evaluating choices.
While a basic question/answer style quiz is a great way to test the mastery of a subject, even a well prepared child can finish with a sense of wonder as to whether or not all of their answers were correct. In the sometimes intimidating realm of Science or Computer Programming, being unsure of yourself and your answers in a testing environment can cement a distaste for testing or even challenge in general. With crossword puzzles, like most math, the child can actually check their work. They can make an inference as to the best choice for an answer and evaluate their word choice by carefully counting letters, checking their spelling and using other answers to assure themselves they have in fact answered correctly. On completion of a crossword puzzle a child may in fact learn more about the subject than they did at the start and can walk away with more confidence and a sense of completion.
We have quite a few crossword puzzles available on the site. Grab this one using the download button, check out the others in the list below or view our unique children’s puzzle book located here: Learning Through Puzzles
Other Crossword themes: Chemistry, The Periodic Table, Branches of Science
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