zCreating Crossword Puzzles
with
Discovery
School's Puzzlemaker
Puzzle type: Criss Cross
To create and print a puzzle - simply go to puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com/CrissCrossSetupForm.html and follow the directions. Print the completed puzzle.
If you plan to use the puzzle on your web site :
1. Create a folder to store your files before you go online. When you are finished you will have a graphics file for the puzzle image, and two .htm files - one for the puzzle page and one for you answer key. You can use whatever headers, backgrounds and navigation that you wish.
Naming tip: if you are going to be making multiple puzzles, be precise about naming the files. For example, Penn3.png for image Penn1.htm for puzzle and Penn2.htm for answer key. Or perhaps W Penn.png - WPennpuzzle.htm - WPennanswer.htm. Name things in such a way so they group together in the directory - this will become very important as volume increases.
2. Go to Discovery School's puzzlemaker web site to generate a Criss Cross puzzle.
3. Fill in Steps 2 and 3. Set the square size larger if you are creating a puzzle for younger children (step 3). Step 1 is not necessary if you are planning to put the puzzle on your own web site.
4. If a clue is two words, be sure to use a underscore (_) to delineate the space. In step 4 you enter answer space clue and hit return for as many entries as you need.
5. Before creating the puzzle, copy everything in the text box in Step 4 and paste it into the html answer key document that you set up previously.
Tip: Have your html editor open in the background so that you can move back and forth between these programs.
6. Click on the button "Create a Printable Version."
7. The puzzlemaker will generate the puzzle and clue list. The puzzle is a graphic (.png) Save this graphic to your files by clicking in the image and choosing "Save this image as." Save the image in the folder you have created in step 1. You can use the .png format on the Internet, or convert it to a .gif or .jpg.
8. Open the puzzle.htm file that you made and insert the puzzle graphic.
9. The list of clues generated by discovery school is text. Copy and paste that text into the puzzle.htm file under the puzzle image.
10. For younger children, it is helpful to provide a list of word. Place these in a table. You can extract this list from your answer key.
11. Remember to put instructions to print the puzzle page and complete so that children will not mistakenly assume this is an interactive page.
12. If you wish to provide an answer key, be sure to link to the answer key page.Example: William Penn (3V - 2001)
Example: Tut Tut Crossword Puzzle (Matt C. - 3rd grade Summer)
z
Micki
Vieille, Cara Herold, Sandy Bennett
Germantown Academy Third Grade Colonial Dictionary
Ft. Washington, PA 19034
Web site assistance by Andrea Owens, home page coordinator.