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 ;-) 

Got a list ... PUZZLE it

For the last few years I have been trying to do more hands on type of learning and less lecture but the content lectures always seemed to push the activities short.  Since I was turned on to the flipped classroom my teaching world has been radically changed.  Now all these ideas and activities can now become a more focal part of classroom time.  One activity that I have done in my traditional teaching as a " break" from lectures can now be used as a more useful teaching tool.  It is pretty simple and honestly I got the idea from someone else so I cannot take the credit for this simple idea.

Basically this activity works best when you have a list of things for students to learn.  I use it primarily as a tool to present a large list of suicide warning signs.  What I did was take the list and broke it down into groups of 4 and put those 4 on one sheet of colored paper.  I did this with each set of 4 things.  I ended up with about 5 sheets (20 things total).  I put each set of 4 on a different colored sheet of paper and then cult each up into about 8 pieces thus creating a puzzle.  I put all the pieces into an envelope and give to a group of students to put together.  Once each puzzle is out together, the students then copy the list down in their notes.  It is just a quick, entertaining, simple way to get students engaged in and write down an otherwise meaningless list of "things". 

Here is how I use the puzzles in class: 

We are in the middle of our suicide/depression unit.  The students have watched a video in class about a true story of a boy who was depressed and suicidal and eventually committed suicide.  What the students were to do during the video is identify any warning signs they observed in the video.  We have not talked about these warning signs yet so I am seeing what they already know and allowing them to see that they have some intuition when it comes to identifying risky behaviors.  The following day I break them into groups and hand out an envelope with the puzzles.  They put the puzzles together and copy down all the actual warning signs in their notes.  Then they check off all the warning signs they noticed in the video the day before by comparing their lists with the notes they just took from the puzzles.  I then ask the groups to report on what warning signs were clearly present in the video.  Here you could even incorporate a white-boarding activity as a way to have students identify lists or themes from the video.  (See white-boarding).  I usually have just done a Q & A but I am looking to integrate the whiteboard idea or even a google doc?

The kids seem to like it because it allows them to work together, accomplish a task and write out a simple list.  The kids also shift their attention about every 20 mins so it makes the class go quicker.   It is a cheap, easy and quick way to get kids to copy a list in their notes and not feel like they are just copying stuff down.  You can make this strategy work for just about anything.

Give the note puzzle a try and see how you like it.

“Words with Friends”

This is a review game that is great for having the kids go through vocabulary that has been covered during the lesson.  You can use words/vocab that are core words as well as supplemental vocab that you have used throughout the unit.  There are a lot of variations you can use to the game but the overall idea is to get the students thinking about the vocab/definitions and figure out what the word is.  I usually use this game as a review for the human sexuality unit:

The basic plan ….  

I have done it a couple different ways:

Teacher led:  Here, I would NOT give them the list and tell them where the word will be played and then give them the definition and have them work to spell the correct word.  (Ex.  I would say “Using the ‘L’ in LOVE going down, what is the male reproductive organ?”  The students would then scramble to spell the word PENIS.  Then I would say, “Using the ‘P’ in PENIS what is one of the fluid producing glands in the male reproductive system?”.  They would scramble to create the word PROSTATE … and so on.

Student led:  Here is where I would give the students the letters and the list (with the code key) and let them go on their own.   The students receive their bag of letters (I have them laminated for reuse over the years) and a list of definitions.  For this activity I created a code key for them to follow so they would know what words get combined.  The code key is shown below:

 So basically, we start the game off together to get the first word set (LOVE) and then the rest of the words start to build off of that.

Teacher vs. student led really depends on how structured you feel you need to be with your class.  I have done both and they both work fine.  The student led is a little more planning but not too bad.  I allow them to use notes, phones, iPods, etc . . . . to look up definitions.  Ideally they use their notes to show that they have them to study for the test/quiz!  These are all terms we have covered in vodcasts and in class so they should have them in their notes. 

 Other variations:  Really the sky is the limit for this activity. 

 Crazy Crossword:  You could give them letters and have them create their own crossword graphic organizer.  Have them spell & interconnect as many words as they can and see how many they can create. 

Word races:  Say a definition & see how quick they can spell out the right word

Really this activity can be used in any unit and the kids seem to respond to it pretty good.  They seem to like finding all the letters and making the words “old school” style.

I know there are other variations that could be created, so this was just a little peek into what I have done with a “scrabble” idea.  I have a copy of the list I use with code key on it HERE if you want to check it out.

Here is a little video of a student led version: