What happened in our world? December 6th, 2015 is TWO crosswords based on last week's news events. In this week's puzzles… Prince Charles and French cheese. Galleons of emeralds off Colombia's coast. NASA's holiday snaps from Pluto. No smart-alecs allowed in Chinese schools. Justins Bieber and Trudeau. A one and a half metre lizard on the side of an Australian man's house. (This week there is a bonus puzzle based on contemporary trivia. Perfect for filling in a few minutes at the end of a lesson, or when substituting for a colleague.) The document is a simple PDF so it is quick to download and print for your class (and the solution is included). This activity is suitable for middle and high school students and will encourage students to discuss and learn about their world's current events. These crosswords are ideal as a research, writing and reading activity. They can be completed individually or in small groups or as week-long homework activities, or even as a time-out activity. They are an excellent excuse for students to make good use of their smartphones. Maybe you could start up a lunchtime news and current events club and use these puzzles as starters for conversation topics. Don't you HATE substituting for an absent colleague when the kids have nothing or not enough to do? Print these puzzles and have them in your classroom or in your bag ready for a vibrant class discussion. Don't forget to come back next Sunday evening for next week's 'What happened in our world?' puzzle - ready and waiting for Monday morning.

The World News Crossword - February 11th, 2018 is a simple pdf document so it's easy to download and easy to print (or save to a USB for later). The World News Crossword is a crossword based on the events in last week's news. (And there are two more BONUS puzzles.) Norway's Winter Olympic team's chefs ordered 13,500 too many eggs. (They could've made a HUGE pavlova cake.) Justin Trudeau got in trouble for suggesting peoplekind instead of mankind. Germany's police investigated a teenager being burnt at a witches' festival. Formula 1 announced it will replace its grid girls, with grid kids, (but is that better or worse?) Paris' Eiffel Tower was closed because of snow. China's police started using sunglasses with cameras and face recognition software, to find criminals. An Indian woman accused her husband and brother in law of stealing her kidney. It wasn't all silly though... last week police in Scotland were called to a farm where a tiger was reportedly on the loose. That was serious. Oh but it was a big fluffy toy tiger on the loose.

The World News Crossword (August 27th, 2017) is a simple resource made up of one crossword based on last week's news events and three more crosswords each focussing on a country. This week its Algeria, Azerbaijan, and Japan. And there might even be another crossword for special teachers and their students. The resource is a pdf document so it's quick to download, store on a USB/flash drive, ready to print at a moment's nice. It's ideal then for substitute lessons, PSHE lessons, English, Geography, Economics, Business... Let's be clear, it's a great resource for any subject at almost any level. Students will learn about the world (their world) and some of the events that shaped last week. Why did Brazil open up national reserves to mining companies? Why would a teenager try to smuggle a Bengal tiger cub from Mexico to USA? Will the EU allow Bayer to take over Monsanto? Did the UN really send a warning to the US about racial discrimination? Why were there big storms in Macau and the US? (Oh and it rained in Ireland, but that's not normally news, is it? So why was it news?) The New Zealand men's rugby team beat long-time rivals Australia on the same day that the New Zealand women's rugby team won the World Cup. The ex-governor of the Norfolk Islands recommended Norfolk Island become part of New Zealand and not Australia. Qatar's government passed a law limiting the working hours for domestic staff and India passed a law banning instant divorces. An Australian politician proposed a national day for indigenous Australians - to be on Queen's Birthday. Really?

What happened in our world? October 31st, 2016 is a crossword based on last week's news events. Use the crosswords in your home-room class, in subject lessons, in substitution lessons, in lunchtime or after school clubs, or even in the staffroom (during a staff meeting if you dare). See which department's teachers are the smartest. In this week's puzzle… Another severe earthquake in Italy. Three astronauts touched down in Kazakhstan. Police fired tear gas in Islamabad. An American Airlines plane caught fire in Chicago. Two London-bound trains were delayed because of a souvenir. And a Russian blogger may go to jail for five years for playing 'that game' in a church. These are simple crosswords aiming to encourage our students to ask about what's happening in their world. Why did Prince Charles talk about soil? Why did the Saudis bomb a Yemeni prison? Why did the Croats and Slovenes feel an earthquake and why were a famous Italian poet's manuscripts moved to Bologna? What's wrong with WhatsApp giving users' information to Facebook? As a bonus, there are TWO more crosswords. One asks students to identify the countries in which well-known landmarks are located. Where are Ben Nevis, K2, The Eiffel Tower, the Brandenburg Gate, The Great Barrier Reef, and Machu Picchu? The other bonus puzzle is for the scientists and asks students simple questions about physics, biology, chemistry, a little about the history of science.

What happened in our world? October 17th, 2016 is a crossword puzzle that explores and plays with news events that happened last week. The resource is a six-page PDF so it's quick to download and print. (Note that the resource will be discounted to £1.50 from Tuesday onwards.) What was in the news last week? Thousands of kilometres of New Zealand's coastline was swamped with jelly babies. Some Cardinals were upset about a McDonalds 'restaurant' opening in their building. The price of Californian oranges increased. And the World Health Organisation told governments of all countries to tax sugary drinks to combat child obesity. Of course it's less about what happened, and more about why. Hopefully the students will ask about the news as they solve the puzzle. Why might Russia be charged with war crimes in Aleppo? Why are people protesting about China reducing the size of its military? Why is Samsung's Galaxy7 phone banned from planes? Why is Norway now not giving Finland the birthday present it had planned to? Aren't they friends anymore? And jelly babies, oranges, McDonalds, and child obesity - is there a link? Wait, it wasn't jelly babies; it was jelly fish. This week there are FOUR more crosswords attached to this news crossword, all of which can be used in substitute lessons, time-out rooms, homeroom classes. Print these and have them ready for emergencies. I find these puzzles work best when solved in small groups or pairs. They're good for homework too. They work very well when I have to substitute for an absent colleague. (And a few of my colleagues say they enjoy doing the puzzles during our staff meetings.)

What happened in our world? October 9th, 2016 is a crossword puzzle that explores and plays with news events that happened last week. The resource is a six-page PDF so it's quick to download and print. (Note that the resource will be discounted to £1.50 from Tuesday onwards.) What was in the news last week? Nobel prizes. Kim K West was robbed in Paris. An Italian journalist revealed the identity of an author. A referendum in Hungary failed and so did another one in Colombia. A woman was burned for 'being a witch' and in Pakistan, finally, no one can avoid prosecution for so-called honour-killings? Of course it's less about what happened, and more about why. Hopefully, as the students complete this crossword, they'll ask 'why?' Why did Russia's ambassador to the UN veto the call for a ceasefire in Syria? Doesn't he care about all those children being killed? Why is the Zimbabwe government allowing young elephants to be sold to China? Don't they care about elephants becoming extinct? Why is a statue of Gandhi being pulled down? Wasn't he a great person? There are three more crosswords attached to this news crossword, all of which can be used in substitute lessons, time-out rooms, homeroom classes… One is about Europe, another is about Africa, and another is about good books worth reading. Print these and have them ready for emergencies. I find these puzzles work best when solved in small groups or pairs. They're good for homework too. They work very well when I have to substitute for an absent colleague. (And a few of my colleagues say they enjoy doing the puzzles during staff meetings.)

What happened in our world? October 1st, 2016 is a crossword puzzle that explores and plays with news events that happened last week. The resource is a six-page PDF so it's quick to download and print. (Note that the resource will be discounted to £1.50 from Tuesday onwards.) What was in the news last week? Prince William refused to greet Justin Trudeau.The Ryder Cup teed off. Turkey shut down 20 radio and television stations. The Rosetta probe was deliberately crashed into a comet. Hurricane Matthew stormed into the Caribbean. Shimon Peres died. Two Van Gogh paintings were recovered 14 years after they were stolen. And Boris Johnson said he has a beautiful washing machine. Of course it's not so much about what happened, but why. Hopefully as the students complete this crossword, they'll ask 'why?' Why was electricity cut in an entire Australian state? Why has the African elephant population fallen so quickly? Why will lorries be banned from inner London? Why is the Swedish government reinstating compulsory military training? And why has the UN still not done anything substantial to end the war in Syria? There are three more crosswords attached to this news crossword, all of which can be used in substitute lessons, time-out rooms, homeroom classes… One is simply about pairs… mothers and father, brothers and sisters, left and right, chocolate and teachers. Another bonus puzzle asks students to identify countries' capitals. What's the capital of Samoa, Australia, Croatia, Japan, Eritrea, Morocco… (and where would be good for an adventure?) The last of this week's bonus puzzles is all about Africa. I find these puzzles work best when solved in small groups or pairs. They're good for homework too. They work very well when I have to substitute for an absent colleague. (And a few of my colleagues say they enjoy doing the puzzles during staff meetings.)

What happened in our world? October 24th, 2016 is a crossword based on last week's news events. It's low-calorie, high-fibre, high-interest, and nothing at all to do Donald Trump even though he was in the news a little bit. In this week's puzzle… Wonder Woman? What? Taliban members went from Qatar to Pakistan to chat about peace in Afghanistan. And finally some children were allowed to leave The Jungle in Calais to be reunited with their families in Britain. Mumbai police promised to protect the movie theatres. Nestlé suggested the price of Kit Kats in the UK may have to increase. And bull fighting in Spain was in the news again. These are simple crosswords aiming to encourage our students to ask about what's happening in their world - Why did it happen and where? Why did a landing craft explode on Mars? Why did Canada's trade minister walk out of a very important negotiation meeting? Why did Thailand's football season end early? As a bonus, there are two more crosswords asking students about the world around them. Where is Tirana? What are the residents of Italy's capital called. Where is Dubrovnik? And Brasilia? And Fort William. If there's an avalanche on Mt Erebus, how many people would run for their lives? Use the crosswords in your home-room class, in subject lessons, in substitution lessons, in lunchtime or after school clubs, in the time-out room, or even in the staffroom (during a staff meeting if you dare).

The World News Crossword is a simple PDF that can be downloaded and printed in just a few minutes. It's a simple activity suitable for PSHE, English, Geography, Economics... Crosswords are good for supporting language learning, for research skills, for handwriting, for logic and thinking, for collaboration and team work... And students will learn about what happened around the world last week... Somalia requested an arms embargo be lifted but at the same time about 6 million Somalian people are facing food and water shortages because of a drought. The US is close to finalising a $US100 million arms deal with Saudi Arabia. Rory McIlroy signed a $US100 million equipment deal and Sergio Garcia hit a hole in one in the same tournament that another golfer hit three tee shots into the water for a sextuple-bogey. The DRC announced an Ebola outbreak and Brazil announced the end of its Zika virus crisis. There was a worldwide cyber-attack on hospitals. The Russian Foreign Minister visited the White House and the president sacked the FBI’s director. Russian police arrested 11 people for reading the Russian constitution aloud in Red Square. They also arrested a man for filming himself playing Pokemon Go inside a church. Germany’s economy grew significantly in the last quarter. China announced a $US100 billion infrastructure plan to boost economic growth in Asia. Solar power is at a record low price in India and Dutch officials opened a new wind farm in the North Sea. The US will definitely lose all of its glaciers in the next few decades (not counting Alaska’s glaciers of course). The US secretary of state signed a commitment to protect the Arctic and to support scientific research into climate change. Paris’ Gare du Nord was evacuated and small bomb exploded in Rome. Emmanuel Macron won France’s presidential election. A mathematician and a bullfighter are candidates for his party’s general election. The US Air Force secret unmanned space plane landed after more than 700 days in space. (Shhh, don’t tell anyone because it’s a secret.) Of course, this activity is less about what happened and more about why... Why is China aiming to boost the region's economies? Why did Emmanuel Macron win with such a large majority? Why will the US' glaciers all be gone soon? Let the students chat about the puzzle's clues and see where the discussion goes. As always there are some bonus puzzles for the students who finish early, for students in a lesson that you have to substitute for, or just for fun during a rainy lunchtime... This week the bonus puzzles are about the Pacific countries, Europe, and well-known world landmarks.

A lot happened in the world last week. Some of it was important and some of it was just silly. Most of it is worth knowing about. I hope this week's crossword prompts discussions that start with 'Why...' The US president went to Belgium and ate lots of chocolates and the Belgian royal family disapproved of a Burger King advertisement. Diesel cars are still being sold despite emitting 18 times the legal level of pollution. So much for the Paris Agreement on climate change, speaking of which, more than 90 people were killed and over a hundred more are missing in Sri Lanka after huge rainfall caused flooding and landslides. In Sicily the US First Lady wore a coat that retails for more than $50,000. More than 150 children under 5 die every day in Myanmar because of fighting and poverty. Sailing in the America's Cup began and Arsenal won the FA Cup. In Australia a teenager ran across the horse racing track because someone dared him. Also in Australia, a Jetstar plane revved up ready for taxiing while a ground crew member was still attached to the plane's nose, but in London, BA cancelled all flights because their computer system crashed. Construction work began on a huge telescope in Chile and a Brazilian mother who stole an Easter egg for her kids was given a harsher prison sentence than the politicians who stole millions of dollars of public money. This week there are THREE bonus puzzles - Climate change, European countries, US states... It's a pdf document. It's quick and easy to download / save to a flash drive on your keyring. Then you have a simple and very worthwhile lesson activity in your pocket. Brilliant!!

Where on Earth? Crosswords #2 is a simple resource for use with students - from young to old. Crosswords are a simple task that help to promote neat handwriting, thinking skills, and in the case of these puzzles, world geographical knowledge. There’s something about crosswords thought that makes students need to finish them. What's the capital of Canada? And South Africa? South Korea? Australia? IN which country is New Orleans? Dubrovnik? Sofia? Cairo? Tunis? Did you say Dubrovnik? That's where Game of Thrones and Robin Hood were filmed. It's beautiful there and just a short drive south is Montenegro (change your clock when you cross the border) with a beautiful little sea town called Kotor. Then it's Albania and then it's Greece and a short boat trip from there is Istanbul. Wow!! These puzzles are handy to have pre-printed in the bag ready for an unexpected substitution lesson. Put the kids into groups because people are all a little tribal, and have them compete. ‘Which team will win?’ is all you have to say. They’ll work furiously, with or without their smartphones, to compete and win - and in the process they’ll learn more about the world around them.

This is a one-hour self-contained, informative, and very interesting lesson for students from about 10 years old to way older. It's even good fun to do during staff meetings. Get your department to compete the Maths department. (They're think they're so clever.) It's a pdf, so save it to a flash drive on your keyring and have a brilliant lesson in your pocket to use when a colleague is away sick. What happened in the world last week? A forest fire in Portugal and an apartment building fire in London both killed more than 60 people. Britain's government seemed to be in chaos while the newly-formed party of France's newly-elected president won a landslide in France's parliamentary election. Theresa must feel so jealous. Greece received a bailout payment from the EU and then vetoed an EU statement condemning China's human rights record at the UN. (Seems a little ungrateful.) Mind you, the US president seemed to support the blockade of Qatar but then the US sold billions of dollars worth of fighter jets to Qatar. Climate change affected scientists in Canada's Hudson Bay and seemed to have allowed some new plant life and insect pests to flourish in the Antarctic. And while we're down there, historians discovered a 118-year-old painting of a dead bird. They were excited - historians!! Why were these last week's news stories? What was their wider story? There are THREE bonus crosswords attached to this week's puzzle. I almost forgot - there's fear in France that a severe butter shortage will cause either a shortage of croissants, or a significant price increase. Sacred blue!

This is a simple crossword aiming to encourage students to ask about what's happened in their world during the last week or so. The puzzles are excellent for a lively and informative home room period or even a substitution lesson when the absent colleague hasn't left enough work. You save your precious time and the students get to learn about last week's news events... India launched a communications satellite that may be able to find some rats that drank the banned alcohol. Mark Selby won the world snooker championships and Always Dreaming won the Kentucky Derby and Eliud Kipchoge didn't quite break the 2 hours for the marathon. An Argentinean was rescued from Canadian mountain and an 85 year old Nepali man died on Mount Everest. Wolves returned to Denmark and rhinos returned to Rwanda. The Pope doesn't approve of a bomb being called the mother of all bombs. Bombs were defused in Hannover. France held presidential elections and also passed a law requiring fashion models to produce a medical certificate to prove they're healthy. Schoolgirls were hospitalised after a gas leak in India and some of the more than 200 kidnapped schoolgirls were returned by Boko Haram in Nigeria. Of course, this puzzle activity is not about getting the crossword completed correctly. The real goal os to get the students asking about the stories in the news. Why did Nike sponsor the sub 2 hour mile attempt? Why were there bombs in Hannover?Why did Venice ban new fast food outlets? Download and then print the simple and easy to use PDF and save time preparing for the next Economics, Geography, Business, or PSHE lesson. This week, there are 2 BONUS crossword puzzles: one is about Asia's countries and capitals and the other is about Africa. These are handy to print and have ready for emergencies.

The World News Crossword (August 13th, 2017) is a simple crossword made up of news events from the last week. New volcanoes discovered in the Antarctic. Less migrants from Libya to Italy in July. A camp built for migrants walking from the US to Canada. Twelve HUGE pipes washed ashore in Norfolk. A Canadian policeman paid for the shirt and tie that a young shoplifter tried to steal for a job interview. The egg scandal spread to 15 EU countries, Switzerland and Hong Kong. Tainted papayas make 100 or so people in the US sick while millions of Yemeni children are suffering from cholera. Train wreck in Egypt. The US president threaten d military intervention in Venezuela. And a Canadian diplomat suffers hearing loss in Cuba because of a sonic weapon. A Danish submarine captain was charged with manslaughter after a Swedish journalist died when the submarine sank. Of course the answers are included. It's an excellent resource for PSHE, Geography, Economics, Social Studies, GATE... There are 3 additional BONUS crossword puzzles - Afghanistan, Albania, and Japan.

The World News Crossword (July 29th, 2017) is a simple crossword based on last week's news events. But wait! There's more... three more crosswords. There's one about Australia. There's one about the USA. And there's another on countries and their famous landmarks. In last week's news... China's president announced that everyone in the Chinese army has to support the communist party. Over 20,000 people were evacuated because of a fire at a concert in Spain. There were forest fires along the French coast. There was flooding in China and New Zealand and a suspicious water shortage in the Murray-Darling river basin area that the government is investigating. Pakistan's prime minister was made to resign because of dishonest activity revelled in the Panama Papers. North Korea fired another rocket into the Japan Sea. The US Navy fired some rockets near an Iranian ship. And the Sri Lankan navy rescued an elephant that had been swept out to sea. And a few days later they rescued two more. There's a serious international dispute brewing because Gran Canaria imported sand from Western Sahara - the UN has rules about trading with countries that are occupied (Western Sahara is occupied by Morocco). And the Dumbest News Story Ever Award goes to the people in Rotorua (New Zealand) who have imported mud from South Korea and used $NZ100,000 given by government, i.e. the taxpayer, to do so. It's for a festival. It's mud. $100,000 of taxpayer money??? So... a crossword all about last week's news and a few other very handy resources to have in your pocket. It's all one pdf document so it can be downloaded and stored on a flash drive, ready to print and use in a flash!

The World News Crossword (August 6th, 2017) is a simple crossword based on last week’s news events. There are three BONUS crosswords included - all with the answers of course. The resource is a pdf document so it's quick and easy to download and store on a flash drive. What happened in our world last week? The Philippines president called the North Korean leader a ‘chubby fool’ for firing rockets. China and India are involved in a border dispute. An Indian boxer beat a Chinese boxer but offered to give the title back to the Chinese boxer as a peace gesture. GM recalled almost a million trucks. Pearson, the educational publisher announced it would cut 10% of of its jobs. Ethnic violence in the DRC resulted in more than 250 people killed. Australia’s greenhouse emissions rose to their highest level ever. Dutch police arrested criminals who stole iPhones from a moving truck. A heatwave spread across Europe and monsoon flooding killed hundreds of people in India. Police in Sierra Leone banned groups of joggers. It’s not so much what happened but why, and hopefully this is what the students will be talking about as they complete the crossword and go to their next lesson. Why did only two cities apply to host the 2024 and 2028 Summer Olympics? Why is the Polish government still allowing logging in its ancient forest? Why are George and Amal Clooney helping 3000 Syrian children attend school in Lebanon? And why was Martin Shkreli the most hated man?

The World News Crossword (June 4th, 2017) is a pdf document so it's quick and easy to download / save to a flash drive on your keyring. Then you have a simple and very worthwhile lesson activity in your pocket. Brilliant!! The primary puzzle is a crossword based on last week's news events. There are TWO more puzzles: one is all about Japan and the other is all about China. Answers are included. There's anther puzzle, taken from the Climate Change Crosswords booklet, also included.

The World News Crossword (June 11th 2017) is a simple crossword based on last week's news events. This week there are TWO BONUS puzzles (Canada and Brazil). These puzzles are engaging and interesting learning activities. The World News Crossword sparks students to discuss news events around the world. The UK election. The Qatar embargo. A Facebook post in Thailand and a documentary in Cambodia with similar consequences. China's One China Policy and now a One-Dog policy. Solar panels on the Mexico-US wall? Crowdfunding's a good idea - to start up a chocolate factory in New Zealand. Homo sapiens are at least 300,000 years old now, not the 200,000 previously thought, which is nowhere as old as the 115 million year old fossilised mushroom found in Brazil. The News puzzle can be used with young or old students, individually or in small groups, in class or for homework. The three bonus puzzles can be used when substituting for absent colleagues or during rainy lunch times.

What happened in our world? May 15th, 2016 is a delicious and nutritious crossword based on last week's news events. It's low-calorie, high-fibre, high-interest, and nothing at all to do with SATs. In this week's puzzle… New Zealand's Mt Ruapehu is grumbling and may erupt soon. Japan now has more electric car recharging places than petrol stations. Shell set up a new division all about renewable power. Ukraine won Eurovision, much to Russia's annoyance. A prehistoric whale washed up on an Australian beach. The OED added 500 new words, and removed just one (gullible). Hong Kong glued pavement bricks down so they can't be thrown by protesters. Andy beat Novak, Barca beat Granada, and Man U's game was cancelled. (And still nothing about Donald Trump because I'm hoping that if I ignore him, he'll go away). These are simple crosswords aiming to encourage our students to ask about what's happening in their world - what happened in the world? Why did it happen and where? And most importantly, who are the people affected? As a bonus, there's a crossword asking students to squish fruit and vegetables into a crossword. I wrote squish there because squash would've seemed a bit punny. Who knows, one child somewhere in the world may be inspired to eat a carrot or an orange. Why weren't oranges called greens? And tomatoes are a funny thing, aren't they? Some people hate them. Some people just hate the skin. Their pronunciation is controversial. Their spelling is iffy. And are they a fruit or veg.? Meanwhile the potato just does its humble potatoey thing. And how's thins for a clue… Orange, but not an orange. Or this one… Straw. Rasp. Black and blue. See - healthy, nutritious, non-controversial and very very cherry berry educational. Use the crosswords in your home-room class, in subject lessons, in substitution lessons, in lunchtime or after school clubs, in the time-out room, or even in the staffroom (or even in a staff meeting if you dare). This week you can even use them in the garden or orchard. Keep the comments coming in - we love to hear how the crosswords are being eaten by you and your students.

What happened in our world? March 6th, 2016 is a crossword based on last week's news events. In this week's puzzle… The ceasefire in Syria is holding. Russia might be up to something with regards to the refugee situation in Germany. British people are applying for Irish passports. FIFA's gone hi-tech. The tsunami warning buoys didn't shout out anything when the earthquake struck. An Australian won one of the world boxing titles. South African gold miners won compensation for lung diseases. And police cracked down on protestors in Istanbul. As a bonus, there's a crossword asking students to name the country in which a city is located. These are simple crosswords aiming to make our students talk about what's happening in their world, why it's happening, to whom - and where. Use the crosswords in your home-room class, in subject lessons, in substitution lessons, in lunchtime or after school clubs, in the time-out room, or even in the staffroom (or even in a staff meeting if you dare). Keep the comments coming in - we love to hear how the crosswords are being used in your school.