What happened in our world? July 10th, 2016 is a crossword based on last week's news events. (Please note... when the resource is uploaded on Sunday it's priced at £2:00, but from Monday, it's priced at £1:50. This is because of the site's minimum price and sale/discount feature. So wait until Monday morning before buying it.) It's a pdf document. It's quick to download and quick to print. These puzzles work best for me when I print enough for students to work in groups of three. In this week's puzzle… President Obama had to leave from the back of Air Force One when he arrived in China for the G20 Summit (awkward). China and the US ratified the French Climate deal (very good). John McEnroe gave Nick Kyrgios some good advice (sage and timely). More clowns were seen in South Carolina (creepy). Scotland welcomed its 1000th Syrian refugee (very good). The world's longest glass bridge closed for maintenance (window cleaning?). Anti-bacterial soap was banned in the US (why?). Samsung recalled the Galaxy 7 Note (curious). An Austrian politician said that multi-nationals pay less tax than sausage stands (what's a sausage stand?). A 7.1 earthquake shook New Zealand's North Cape (crikey). This crossword is fairly simple because it's not about solving the puzzle - it's about getting students to think about and discuss the news events and the people affected by these events. Students could use their smartphones to look at the news and so they'll learn that iPhones are more than just social media gadgets. They'll hopefully ask about the news too, like why would so many people want to go from Syria to Scotland and what's the France deal that China and US signed? And what's so wrong or right about a burkini? This week there are TWO bonus puzzles. The first is about natural hazards such as earthquakes and avalanches and pandemics. Geography and Social Studies teachers will love this puzzle, as will other teachers who have to supervise a Geography or Social Studies teacher for a sick colleague. The second bonus puzzle asks students to name countries and the clues are capital cities, or mountain, or rivers and it's tricky, so it'll keep even the gifted and talented students gainfully and positively busy. The puzzles can be used with a wide range of students, from middle to secondary school, and in a wide range of subjects. They're good for PSHE and homeroom situations, for Social Studies or English classes, for students with ADHD or handwriting issues, for students in a time out situation, for homework... and for use with classes that substitute / supply teachers are supervising.

What happened in our world? September 25th, 2016 is a crossword based on last week's news events (and there are THREE MORE very useful puzzles attached). The answers are included. This resource is a pdf document so it's quick to download and quick to print. In this week's puzzle… A minivan fell from a mountain road in Pakistan and an oil tanker caught fire in the Gulf of Mexico. Ban Ki-Moon warned of the threat of microbial resistance. Sri Lanka court ruled that schools cannot impose a dress code on parents. A French hitch hiker threw a tantrum because he didn't get a ride. Someone counted North Korea's websites - there are just 28 of them. The world's oldest library reopened in Fez. This crossword is fairly simple because it's not about solving the puzzle - it's about getting students to think about and discuss the news events and the people affected by these events. Students could use their smartphones to look at the news and so they'll learn that phones are more than just social media gadgets. They'll hopefully ask about the news too like why is there a war in Syria and why has the United Nations not stopped it? Why are refugees trying to get into Europe? And why was the world's oldest library reopened? Or maybe they'll ask why it was closed. This week there are THREE bonus puzzles about countries, cities, and famous people. All of these puzzles can be used with a wide range of students, from middle to secondary school, and in a wide range of subjects. They're good for PSHE and homeroom situations, for Social Studies or English classes, for students with ADHD or handwriting issues, for students in a time-out situation, for homework... and for use with classes that substitute / supply teachers are supervising. Print them and have them ready for the emergency situations. (Note... when the resource is uploaded on Sunday it's priced at £2:00, but from Monday, it's discounted to £1:50. This is because of the site's minimum price and sale/discount feature. So wait until Monday morning before buying it.)

What happened in our world? May 22nd, 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 with SATs or Brexit. In this week's puzzle… This week... An earthquake rattled Australia’s Northern Territory, an Aussie teenager reached the top of Mt Everest and Mt Something Else erupted in Indonesia. Killing bulls was outlawed in some Spanish towns, Barcelona’s footy fans are allowed to wave the Catalan flag - if they want to - and Manchester United is probably waving goodbye to Louis. Naughty Nick overheated in the tennis again, as did some Indians when their temperature hit 51C. The World Bank set aside $500 million for pandemics. Brazil’s Zika is now in Africa and Africa’s Nile crocodile is being nasty in Florida’s Everglades while tarantulas were nasty in a plane going to Canada. Cyprus and Austria held elections. Seriously… this is not a crossword you want to miss out on (or deny your students the pleasure of). These are simple crosswords aiming to encourage our students to ask about what's happening in their 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 name some of the elements in the periodic table. (If that's too boring, download last week's file because the bonus puzzle last week was a bit of fun with fruit and veggies). 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). Keep the comments coming in - we love to hear how the crosswords are being enjoyed by you and your students.

What happened in our world? May 8th, 2016 is a crossword based on last week's news events. In this week's puzzle… a devastating forest fire in Canada, a new free-diving record, Helen Clark for the next UN boss, 50 Australian plant and animal species added to the threatened list, the Russian mafia in Spain, a failed plot to kill a king, Zimbabwe prints its own US dollars, an early summer school holiday in Delhi because of the heatwave, a plane was delayed because a passenger thought an economics professor's differential equations meant he was a terrorist, and North Korea's Supreme Leader said his country won't use nuclear weapons… unless… (but nothing about Donald Trump though). As a bonus, there's a crossword asking students to match things, teams, and cities with countries. These are simple crosswords aiming to encourage our students 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? 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 by you and your students.

What happened in our world? May 29th, 2016 is a crossword based on last week's news events. It's a pdf document so it's simple and quick to download and print. And the answers are included in the same file. In this week's puzzle… Real Madrid won the Champions League and the World Cup for non-recognised states kicked off in Abkhazia. A Chinese firm apologised for their racist laundry detergent TV advertisement and Pakistan banned all TV advertising for contraceptives. The Dutch government considered banning mobile phone use while riding bicycles while the Zimbabwe government pardoned and released 2000 prisoners. President Obama visited Hiroshima and a German politician copped a chocolate cake in the face (which may have been delicious - er, the cake not the face). The headmaster and teachers were evacuated from a remote town in Australia because of naughty kids and a big earthquake shook up Western Australia. Donkeys have to wear nappies in a town in north-east Kenya and a crow flew off with a knife - taken from a crime scene in Vancouver. Yes, I know, a lot happened around the world last week! Oh, and the ultimate DIY project was finally finished... they added a spare room onto the space station for when visitors call in. These are simple crosswords aiming to encourage our students to ask about what's happening in their world. Why did it happen and where? And most importantly, who are the people affected? As a bonus this week, there's a crossword asking students to name some capital cities because it's not enough know to what's happening in the world… we should also know where it's happening. Teachers can stash this crossword away for a rainy day. It's a sneaky little activity that lets them use their smartphones. 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). Keep the comments coming in - we love to hear how the crosswords are being enjoyed by you and your students.

What happened in our world? April 24th, 2016 is a crossword based on last week's news events. In this week's puzzle… Gazza, the New Zealand police dog was shot and killed. A 400 year old silk dress was found in a ship wreck. A 4500 year old mummy was found somewhere else (no, it probably wasn't her dress). There's a drought in India where the Kohinoor diamond was not stolen from (according to a court ruling). China has blocked iTunes and iBooks. The world's first Pastafarian wedding took place on a pirate ship (of course). Novak and Serena won awards for being the best. An Italian mafia boss was arrested by detectives who were pretending to be pizza delivery boys. Two boys are in trouble in Switzerland for not shaking hands with their teacher. And a solar powered plane flew across the Pacific Ocean in 50-something hours (imagine sitting in economy class for that long). As a bonus, there's a crossword asking students to match some people to their chosen sport. Don Bradman played…? Serena Williams plays…? And what's Arsene Wenger all about? 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 by you and your students.

What happened in our world? November 21st, 2016 is a crossword based on last week's news events. Download and then print this simple and easy to use PDF and save time preparing for the next Economics or Geography or Business lesson, PSHE lesson, home room period, substitution lesson... You save your precious time and the students get to learn about last week's news events. The puzzles seem to work best when students work in pairs or groups of three, so they discuss the clues and therefore the events of their world. They work even better if the teacher does the puzzle with the students. Crosswords are effective practice activity for helping students with problematic handwriting. In this week's puzzle… What did Boris say about prosecco? The Italian prime minister said he'll resign if... The German Chancellor said she will stand for re-election. A train derailed in Uttar Pradesh. A helicopter crashed in Rio de Janeiro. Andy beat Novak again. Slovakia declared access to clean drinking water a human right. A puggle was born in Sydney. (A what?) Two frozen moose were found in Alaska. This is a simple crossword aiming to encourage students to ask about what's happening in their world. Why would moose freeze? Why would Russia leave the International Criminal Court? Why would we spend $11 billion on a weather satellite? As a bonus, there are TWO more crosswords about well-known people such as Angela Merkel, Amelia Earhart, Florence Nightingale, and Cleopatra.

What happened in our world? November 14th, 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). See which department's teachers are the smartest. In this week's puzzle… A massive earthquake hit New Zealand. Scuba divers rescued. Nimrud retaken by the Iraqi Army. The Germans remembered, the British remembered, and the French remembered. Some of the people detained on Manus Island will be relocated to the US. This is a simple crossword aiming to encourage students to ask about what's happening in their world. What causes earthquakes? Why was there a second peace deal in Colombia? What was the story behind ISIS and Nimrud? Why have people been detained on Manus Island? Why were the Germans, the British, and the French all remembering last week? As a bonus, there are TWO more crosswords. One asks students to identify countries' capitals and the other bonus puzzle asks students about well-known landmarks like the Great Wall of China, The Arc de Triomphe, and the Burj Khalifa.

This is a simple crossword aiming to encourage students to ask about what's happening in their world. Download and then print this simple and easy to use PDF and save time preparing for the next Economics, Geography, Business, or PSHE lesson. 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. In this week's puzzle... Good Lord, someone impersonated Lorde. Natural disasters in Colombia and Australia. South Korea's ex-president was arrested and a sunken ferry was raised. China has set up bases in the South China Sea. Japan's whaling fleet killed 300 whales in the Antarctic Ocean. Someone stole a huge gold Canadian coin (in Berlin). Yes, it was a strange week around the world. And of course the real reason for these crosswords is to prompt the students to ask WHY these events happened. Why Brexit? Why were 20 people killed a t a shrine in Pakistan? Why did a Singaporean couple starve their employee? Why are the Canadians legalising recreational marijuana use? Or maybe they'll ask... where is Peru, and South Sudan, and Tanzania? (So have a globe or a world map handy for even more discussion.) The puzzles seem to work best when students work in pairs or groups of three, so they discuss the clues and therefore the events of their world. They work even better if the teacher does the puzzle with the students. There are 2 BONUS puzzles: one is about Africa's countries and capitals and the other is about New Zealand.

What happened in our world? December 5th, 2016 is a crossword based on last week's news events. Download and then print this simple and easy to use PDF and save time preparing for the next Economics or Geography or Business lesson, PSHE lesson, home room period, substitution lesson... You save your precious time and the students get to learn about last week's news events. The puzzles seem to work best when students work in pairs or groups of three, so they discuss the clues and therefore the events of their world. They work even better if the teacher does the puzzle with the students. Crosswords are effective practice activity for helping students with problematic handwriting. In this week's puzzle… The Chinese shelved a plan for a new hydro dam. A copper mine in Poland collapsed. A plane crashed in South America. Nico Rosberg retired from Formula One racing and snow fell in Hawaii. The British and Polish prime ministers discussed Polish language lessons in British schools. South Korea's president offered to resign and Austria voted for a new president again. The Australians agreed to a backpacker tax and the Japanese police tried to get elderly drivers to exchange their driving licences for cheap lunches. Yes, it was a strange week around the world. This is a simple crossword aiming to encourage students to ask about what's happening in their world. Why does a Yemeni man who was detained in Guantanamo Prison have to now live in Cape Verde? Why would a cruise liner discharge oily sludge into the ocean? And why did the Netherlands and Belgium agree to swap some land? As a bonus, there's another crossword that asks students to identify some food. Perhaps they'll be inspired to eat healthier lunches after doing this crossword.Or perhaps they'll ask, 'What's strudel? What did Marie Antoinette have to do with cake? What food did the Earl of Sandwich name? And did Cinderella really go to the ball in a pumpkin? There's a new puzzle created every week, so don't forget to come back every Monday morning for this simple and easy and very useful learning activity.

This is a simple crossword aiming to encourage students to ask about what's happening in their world. Download and then print this simple and easy to use PDF and save time preparing for the next Economics, Geography, Business, or PSHE lesson. The puzzles are excellent for a lively and informative home room period or even a substitution lesson when the ascent colleague hasn't left enough work. You save your precious time and the students get to learn about last week's news events. The puzzles seem to work best when students work in pairs or groups of three, so they discuss the clues and therefore the events of their world. They work even better if the teacher does the puzzle with the students. In this week's puzzle… Bill English became New Zealand’s new prime minister and a New Zealand marathon runner completed 237 holes of golf in 12 hours. South Korea’s president was impeached, Chinese police put down a protest, and Britain wants less international students, maybe. The Solomon Islands experienced two very large earthquakes and so did Croatia. The price of oil increased. Reindeer are getting smaller, and a near-complete dinosaur skeleton sold for about €1 million. A report declared that the Great Barrier Reef will die soon, an Australian man’s house was mistakenly demolished when builders went to the wrong address, but a Malaysian was named the ‘World's Funniest Person’. An RAF commander said the RAF should consider recruiting ‘18- and 19-year-olds straight out of the PlayStation bedroom’ to operate drones, a Pakistani Army officer returned to Sandhurst, a PIA plane exploded when it returned to Islamabad, and Iran bought a lot of planes from Boeing. Qantas announced what will be the longest flight, from Perth to London, starting in March 2018 and the Swiss started using the world’s longest train tunnel. As a bonus, there's another crossword that asks students about the place sin last week's news... India, Britain, New Zealand, Australia, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Solomon Islands, Venezuela... And there are two more puzzles... one asks students to identify the capitals of American countries (Belize, Canada, Mexico, Bolivia, Brazil...), and another puzzle is called, 'They go together like...' fish &..., left &..., right &..., bat &..., school &... It's a bit of fun, but watch closely and you'll see how crosswords can help students to improve their handwriting. There's a new puzzle created every week, so don't forget to come back every Monday morning for another simple and easy and very useful learning activity.

This is a simple crossword aiming to encourage students to ask about what's happening in their world. Download and then print this simple and easy to use PDF and save time preparing for the next Economics, Geography, Business, or PSHE lesson. 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. (You might even give them colleagues to keep them happy during staff meetings - but don't let the bosses catch you!) In this week's puzzle... The US made a verbal move against North Korea, the South Korea made a move without her dogs, and Nato made a move to Estonia. In Australia, because someone dared him, an 18 year old jumped into a stream and was attacked by a crocodile. In New Zealand the police shot a bomb sniffer dog at Auckland airport. And in India, a firebrand Hindu priest was appointed to govern the most populous state. And of course the real reason for these crosswords is to prompt the students to ask why... Why did Norway's Sami people get a large pension fund to sell off investments in a US company? Why did a Chinese court punish a policeman and why did the European Parliament punish that Policy MEP and why did France's far-right party expel one of its officials - and why did the Turkish president blame the Dutch for the 1985 Srebrenica massacre? (And was he right?) The puzzles seem to work best when students work in pairs or groups of three, so they discuss the clues and therefore the events of their world. They work even better if the teacher does the puzzle with the students. There are three BONUS puzzles that focus on North America, Central America, and South America.

This is a simple crossword activity aiming to encourage students to ask about what's happening in our world. Download and then print this easy to use PDF and save time preparing for the next Economics, Geography, Business, or PSHE lesson. 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. (You might even give them colleagues to keep them happy during staff meetings - but don't let the bosses catch you!) In this week's puzzle... Obamacare survived. Somali pirates released a Sri Lankan ship and crew. An avalanche in Japan and a cyclone in Queensland. New Zealanders submitted a petition to protest against water being sold to China, India, and the Middle East. Britain was attacked by a lone terrorist. And Vladimir told Marine that Russia won't meddle in France's presidential election. Of course the real value of this crossword is the discussion it'll generate... Why did these things happen? Why, of all the things that happened in the world, were these the events reported in the news? The wording of these news events is interesting too; is there any bias in the wording? The puzzles seem to work best when students work in pairs or groups of three, so they discuss the clues and therefore the events of their world. They work even better if the teacher does the puzzle with the students. There are two BONUS puzzles that focus on the United Kingdom's history and geography. Good for KS3 as well as older classes.

This is a simple crossword aiming to encourage students to ask about what's happening in their world. Download and then print this simple and easy to use PDF and save time preparing for the next Economics, Geography, Business, or PSHE lesson. 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. In this week's puzzle... protest marches in Venezuela against economic failure and all around the world in support of science. No blue lights on cars in India, no food stalls on Bangkok streets and no dogs and cats to be eaten in Taiwan. Presidential elections in France and an early election in Britain. A national strike in French Guiana and a murder in the Maldives and very disrespectful behaviour at the tennis. And North Korea created a lot of news last week too. It was an interesting week. The puzzles seem to work best when students work in pairs or groups of three, so they discuss the clues and therefore the events of their world. They work even better if the teacher does the puzzle with the students. There are 2 BONUS puzzles: one is about Asia's countries and capitals and the other is about Africa.

What happened in our world? January 3rd, 2016 is TWO crosswords based on last week's news events. In this week's puzzles… Guinea was declared Ebola-free. Belgium cancelled New Year's Eve celebrations. An LA man shot his wife and two others in a dispute about a washing machine and Barack Obama announced plans to increase gun controls. The UK government created a huge marine reserve around Ascension Island. UK primary school are to be tested on their times tables up to 12 x 12. An Air India plane returned to Mumbai - rats! Star Wars won the money. A huge squid swam into a Japanese harbour and there was wild weather in the US, UK, South America, Tonga, and it rained in Abu Dhabi - twice! And just like on the infomercials, there's MORE. There's a bonus crossword puzzle that asks 'Can we do Maths with a crossword?' 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.

What happened in our world? January 17th, 2016 is two crosswords based on last week's news events. Why would anyone want to kiss a python? In this week's puzzles… Because North Korea detonated a hydrogen bomb (maybe) three famous snowboarders canceled their trip to North Korea. A Chinese tourist who tried to kiss a python was bitten on the nose. Phuket (that's where she was, not what she said.) Azerbaijan's government cancelled the tax increase on bread. Let them eat cake, history said. Venezuela's government declared a state of economic emergency. VW reported an in increase in sales, but then again, they said things about their cars' emissions too. Iranians can export oil to the EU now and send money by SWIFT. The Ballon d'Or got messy, or vice versa. A rapper was expelled from South Africa, not because they don't like rap, but because of immigration issues. Norway's government told those refugees who cycled across the Arctic border from Russia to backpedal. And the rock icon David Bowie died. Crosswords aren't just for word nerds. This week there's a BONUS puzzle for Maths teachers (or for teachers who have to substitute for a Maths colleague who's taking a sickie). To coerce you to come back again next week, the answers to the Maths crossword will be attached to next week's document. The whole document is a simple PDF so it is quick to download and print for your class (and the solutions are included). This activity is suitable for middle and high school students and will encourage discussion about the world's events, whether they are economic, social, political, geographical, or just plain silly (why would anyone want to kiss a python?) 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. If you have students whose handwriting is messy… make them do crosswords because they force kids to write clearly, carefully and therefore neatly. Or (but it could also be And…) use them in the staffroom to keep the smarties quiet for a while. Peace at last! 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?' puzzles.

What happened in our world? November 28th, 2016 is a crossword based on last week's news events. Download and then print this simple and easy to use PDF and save time preparing for the next Economics or Geography or Business lesson, PSHE lesson, home room period, substitution lesson... You save your precious time and the students get to learn about last week's news events. The puzzles seem to work best when students work in pairs or groups of three, so they discuss the clues and therefore the events of their world. They work even better if the teacher does the puzzle with the students. Crosswords are effective practice activity for helping students with problematic handwriting. In this week's puzzle… The Ugandan police arrested a king, Egyptian archaeologists discovered a 5000 year old city and the Moroccan state television advised women on how to hide the effects of domestic violence with make up. The Indian minster of women's affairs said the news of rape and sexual violence is overstated by the media and is harming tourism. There is a drought in Madagascar and snow in Tokyo. Putin gave Steven Seagal a Russian passport. This is a simple crossword aiming to encourage students to ask about what's happening in their world. Why would a Chinese firm pay over a billion Euros for a website that compares the price of air tickets? Was Fidel Castro a great leader or a tyrant and a dictator? Was the earthquake off Costa Rica related to the New Zealand earthquake? Why would someone steal a baby monkey from a Sydney zoo? Is Formula One car racing a sport? As a bonus, there's another crossword that asks students to name the capital city of the countries that were referred to in last week's news.

What happened in our world? September 18th, 2016 is a crossword based on last week's news events (and there are THREE MORE very useful puzzles attached). The answers are included. This resource is a pdf document so it's quick to download and quick to print. (Note... when the resource is uploaded on Sunday it's priced at £2:00, but from Monday, it's discounted to £1:50. This is because of the site's minimum price and sale/discount feature. So wait until Monday morning before buying it.) In this week's puzzle… The Global Fund raised almost 13 million dollars to eradicate AIDS, malaria and Tb while Pakistan began fortifying basic foods to combat malnutrition and Florida expanded its 'Zika zone'. David Cameron announced his resignation from politics, riots erupted in the DRC - protesting for early presidential elections, Nigeria's president admitted copying some of Barack Obama's speeches, and he also announced that his government would swap Boko Haram prisoners for the Chibok girls. And... a man in Indiana posted dead skunks and raccoons to another man (it was something to do with basketball or football). This crossword is fairly simple because it's not about solving the puzzle - it's about getting students to think about and discuss the news events and the people affected by these events. Students could use their smartphones to look at the news and so they'll learn that phones are more than just social media gadgets. They'll hopefully ask about the news too, like why is Norway planning to cull 2 million wolves? Why did Indian Kashmir police shoot and kill a twelve year old boy. And why were there violent protests in Bengaluru? This week there are THREE bonus puzzles about countries, cities, and famous people. All of these puzzles can be used with a wide range of students, from middle to secondary school, and in a wide range of subjects. They're good for PSHE and homeroom situations, for Social Studies or English classes, for students with ADHD or handwriting issues, for students in a time-out situation, for homework... and for use with classes that substitute / supply teachers are supervising. Print them and have them ready for the emergency situations.

This is a simple crossword aiming to encourage students to ask about what happened in their world last week. Download and then print this simple and easy to use PDF and save time preparing for the next English, Economics, Geography, Business, or PSHE lesson. The puzzles are excellent for a lively and informative homeroom 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. The puzzles seem to work best when students work in pairs or groups of three, so they discuss the clues and therefore the events of their world. They work even better if the teacher does the puzzle with the students. It's less bout the puzzle's clues and answers and more about the questions and discussion that result from them. For example... What is match-fixing? Why would people protest against China building a port in Sri Lanka. Where is Ghana? Why kill the ducks in France? Why would Israel withhold money from its annual United Nations dues? Where is Fort Lauderdale? Where are Chad and Libya? What is the Turner Prize awarded for? Where is Cueta? Why is there a civil war in Syria? Where is Abuja? Why would parents allow their children to work in a brick kiln? What are bison? Could a palace in Sweden be haunted by a ghost? Really? Why replace workers with an AI system? What’s AI? Where is Guantánamo Bay? What does Germany have to do with Namibia? As a bonus, there are three more puzzles... European capitals, Asian capitals, and African capitals. Because it might be good if they know where these countries and their capital cities are. It's a bit of fun, and educational of course, but watch closely and you'll see how crosswords can help students improve their handwriting. There's a new puzzle created every week, so don't forget to come back every Monday morning for another simple and easy and very useful learning activity.

Two crosswords based on the news events of 2016. As a class activity, expect each of the se puzzles to take about 30-45 minutes. They work best with groups of 2-3 students working in teams. Let them use their smartphones and call it a collaborative research project. Hurricane Matthew caused death and destruction on the Florida coast. Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. The Syrian war moved into its sixth year and last year alone about 4 million Syrians left their home country. Zimbabwe's economy deteriorated. Students in South Africa protested against tuition fees. And the Ethiopia-Djibouti electric railway line opened. India demonetised its 500 and 1000 rupee notes and the UK voted to leave the EU. Brazil hosted the Summer Olympics and the Paralympics and the Brazilian government impeached its president. Terrorists attacked in Berlin, Nice, Istanbul, and Brussels. Of course, the real value of these crosswords is the discussion that results from the clues and answers. Why was Bob Dylan awarded a prize for literature when he's a song writer? Are songs literature? Why did India demonetise the 500 and 1000 rupee notes? Were there more big earthquakes in 2016 than normal? What causes earthquakes? What are gravitational waves and why was a rocket launched to explore Mars? Why was the Malaysian Airlines plane shot down as it flew over Ukraine? Why is the UK leaving the EU? What is a referendum and why don't governments use them more often? If South Africa's students want to attend university for free, why did they trash their universities? Why did China and USA finally sign the Paris climate change deal (or maybe we should ask, What took them so long?)