Paragraph Puzzle: Using cookie sheets for more than just baking

The simple concept is to take a paragraph or explanation about whatever content you want and cut it up into incomplete phrases and have the students put the “puzzle” back together in a complete paragraph again.  This is not a new idea by any means but it is and easy & active way for kids to process information.  I add to the activity cookie sheets and magnet stick-ons to make it a little different.  You can use this for many different applications and content areas.  I do a number of different types of puzzle activities using the same basic principle.  This can be done either after watching a vodcast, classroom discussion, reading the

information online or in a textbook, etc. …  You could also use this activity as a problem solving activity prior to teaching the material to see if they can use context clues, prior knowledge or punctuation cues to put the “puzzle” together.   Either way the activity is simple.  

In this blog, I am using it as a review activity to explain the functions of the male reproductive system.  I also do this same type of activity for the female reproductive system, menstrual cycle and fertilization.  Sometimes I do all of them?  You could even do them in succession, when one puzzle is done they start the next one.  I typically do one at a time based on what we are covering in that time frame.

Set up:

I write up a paragraph explaining a process or information.  It could even be putting things in a certain order or step-by-step instruction.  I like to laminate

the paragraph so it is durable and reusable.   I then cut the paragraph up with scissors into strips of incomplete sentences.   On the back of each strip, I put a little piece of stick-on magnetic strip.  (You could even cut up old refrigerator magnets and glue them on??)   I buy the magnetic strip in a roll and it has an adhesive strip on one side.  .  I just cut a small square,

peel and stick it on to the back of the strip.  Once the paragraph is laminated, cut and magnetized I put the strips in a zip lock bag to store them in.  I then have Tupperware containers to store all the bags in for re-use.

Procedure:

I break the class in groups of 2-4 and give each group a cookie sheet and a bag with the magnetized paragraph strips in it.  I simply tell them to put the

strips back into paragraph form so it makes sense and reads correctly.  Depending on the group I will tell them the first and last strip to get them started.

Once they think they have the puzzle completed they simply bring the cookie sheet to me.  I am usually walking around checking on groups so the magnets are easy ways for them to bring their work to where I am rather than waiting around for me to get to them.  I simply read their paragraph and when I encounter an error (wrong placement) I simply turn that strip and say “you are correct up to that point” and back they go to re-work the rest of the puzzle.  Once they have it, I start using the members of that group to check the work of other groups and help groups that are struggling.  If I am helping a group and someone says “check mine”, I can simply direct them to a student that is finished to check it.  They simply do the same thing I did.  At this point it becomes a peer teaching activity too.  I may even have a couple students go to a struggling group and help them get “un-stuck”.

It works as a great activity.  Once all the groups are done I read the full paragraph aloud and talk about where people got stuck and talk about different clues they used to master the activity.  I do this kind of activity for multiple different content areas.  The kids like the magnets and it is an easy addition to a simple paper puzzle activity to make it a little different.  Plus the cookie sheets are portable so they can move it around and not mess up their progress.

Cookie sheets and magnets = fun times in class ;-)