What happened in our world? September 11th, 2016 is a crossword based on last week's news events (and there are THREE more very useful puzzles attached). This resource is a pdf document so it's quick to download and quick to print. (Please 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… A cat was rescued from the rubble in Amatrice. There was an earthquake in Tanzania and one in North Korea. North Korea's earthquake was triggered because of a nuclear bomb test. There were also floods in North Korea that destroyed thousands of homes. About a million and a half pilgrims began the Hajj. Thousands of people in Spain protested against bull-fighting. Tiger Woods announced he will return to competitive golf. And the paralympics began in Brazil. 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 is North Korea testing nuclear weapons when thousands of people need help because of the floods? And why do companies recall phones and cars after they've been sold? How could 15 people in Bangladesh die in a factory fire? And why were 2000 chimpanzees moved out of research facilities to an animal refuge? This week there are THREE bonus puzzles. They ask students to name the capital cities of countries. One for Asia, one for Europe, and one for Africa. (Why is Australia not there? Can the students find these countries and cities on a globe or a map? Your classroom does have a globe, right? Globes and world maps should be in all classrooms, not just Geography rooms, right?) 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.

What happened in our world? August 29th, 2016 is a crossword based on last week's news events. It's a low-calorie, high-fibre, high-interest, and Donald Trump-free learning resource. Three crosswords in one easy to download and print pdf document. a. What happened in the world? b. Name the countries. c. The Olympics. In this week's news crossword puzzle… a Czech lost in the New Zealand wilderness for a month, the earthquake in Italy, Stephen Harper announced his retirement from politics, A Japanese airline grounded its Dreamliner fleet, the All Blacks beat the Wallabies and many more... 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? There are TWO bonus crosswords. One asks students to identify the countries in which cities, mountains or other features are located. (Do you think they know where Mauritius is? Perhaps they'll ask to see it on a map. Perhaps they'll ask to go there in the next holiday.) And another crosswords on The Olympics. Who won the men's 1500m bronze medal (and how old was he)? What is the motto for the Olympics? 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). And don't forget to come back next Sunday evening for more crosswords.

The World News Crossword (November 12th, 2017) is a one-page crossword based on the events of last week's news. The resource includes three more one-page crosswords - on New Zealand, Australia, and Canada. Answers are included. The World News Crossword (November 12th, 2017) is an ideal lesson activity in home room, PSHE, Social Studies, Geography, Economics and SEN lessons. Crosswords challenge students' logic and problem solving skills, research skills, and require neat handwriting. They work well as small group activities or even as homework activities. In this week's puzzle... North Korea’s leader called the US president ‘old’, and so the US president called North Korea’s leader ‘short and fat’. An Australian jockey punched his horse before a race. Japan’s prime minister fell backwards into a bunker while playing golf, an Australian hit a double century in cricket and New Zealand beat France in rugby. And Lewis Hamilton crashed his Mercedes. And Saudi Arabian women will soon be allowed into sports stadiums. Hyderabad banned begging. Uttar Pradesh told Muslim schools to teach English, maths, and science. And in Delhi, a health emergency was declared because of smog. A rocket launch was delayed because a little plane strayed into its air space. And Walt Disney announced three more Star Wars movies will be made. An escaped lynx was killed and a python was found in a drunk German man’s trousers. And zoo staff in Colombia performed root canal surgery on an African elephant.

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.

Afghanistan to Bhutan - 20 crosswords These are the first twenty countries on an alphabetical journey around the world. Crosswords on each of Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina (and the tango), Armenia, Australia (are there kangaroos on Tasmania?), Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados (do they play cricket in Barbados?), Belarus (does it really mean ‘white Russia’?), Belgium (mmmm, chocolates), Belize, Benin, Bhutan, and of course the solutions. Interesting and engaging group activity material for almost any subject. Supporting literacy, handwriting, research skills, and logic. Or simple homework activities. Or easy but engaging and worthwhile learning material for substitute lessons. BONUS EXTRAs... And there’s more... crosswords on New Zealand, China, United Kingdom, Europe, USA... And a crossword on climate change. And three witty Nonsense Rhymes Crosswords for those who enjoy playing with words and rhymes (these puzzles are excellent for those learning phonemic awareness, for this struggling with handwriting, and for those who like a silly little giggle during staff meetings. (Really!) I hope you enjoy using these crosswords and that your students learn more about their world.

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 - September 10th, 2017 is a pdf containing a crossword based on the events in last week's news. There are three more BONUS crosswords based on world geography that can be used at any time - substitute lessons, homework activities, time-out sessions, staff meetings (yes, really). Crosswords are good for encouraging neat handwriting and literacy. These crosswords are good for encouraging research on current world events. More than that, these crosswords will encourage discussions about the stories behind the news events, for example... almost 30,000 weapons were handed in in Australia during an amnesty. A German gun manufacturer promised not to sell weapons into war zones and to corrupt governments. And the UK arms manufacturers reported record profits from soaring sales. The UK government condemned North Korea's missile programme. Irma, Kim Jong-un, and Aung San Suu Kyi... Why was so much news time devoted to a hurricane when an entire ethnic group were being persecuted by the Myanmar military? Previously extinct tigers in Kazakhstan, plastic in the ocean and now in the food chain, and three mega-hurricanes. Are these related? Six farmers in the Amazon were murdered by gangs who want to steal the land to farm palm oil. What's palm oil used for? An artist who donated some of (but not all?) of his prize money because the competition was sponsored by BP (er, why did he enter?) Bad behaviour by German football fans in Prague and 50,000 people protested in London against Brexit.

Climate Change Crosswords is a pdf document containing 5 crosswords that focus on the greenhouse effect, global warming, and climate change - and what we can do about it. There isa bonus puzzle about the Amazon Basin - perhaps the most significant region in terms of climate change. There's another crossword on The Might Mi__i__i__i River. (And then some more on Africa, Asia and Europe - for a rainy day.) Climate change is real, it’s here, and it’s getting worse, but there’s hope. That’s the message of these crosswords. Climate change is happening because of global warming which is happening because humans burn too much fossil fuel, cut down way too many trees, use cars instead of bicycles, throw away too much food, and farm too many animals. The glaciers are retreating. The ocean is warming. The polar ice masses are melting. The sea level is rising. More extreme weather events are occuring. And the worst affected are the poorest people because they tend to live near the edges of rivers and the sea. What can we do about it? Each puzzle includes suggestions. Hopefully these crosswords educate students about what is happening to the earth’s climate and its people. Hopefully they’ll learn why it’s happening and how climate change can be stopped, or mitigated. There’s something a little sneaky and tricky about crosswords. Kids feel compelled to finish them. Try them.

Geography: Map skills A set of TWO crosswords: Map skills 1 and Map skills 2 and TWO bonus puzzles: The India Region and the Australasia Region Suitable for Key Stage 3 Geography, GCSE/IGCSE, or A Levels/IB Diploma. Each crossword makes an excellent group or individual activity and can be used as a revision/reinforcement activity. In-class or for homework. These puzzles are great for stashing away to be used when colleagues are absent. Answers included.

Geography: Tectonic Processes Crosswords The Earth, Boundaries, Volcanoes, Eathquakes and 3 bonus puzzles (USA & Canada, Central America, South America). Suitable for Key Stage 3 Geography, GCSE/IGCSE, or A Levels/IB Diploma. Each crossword makes an excellent group or individual activity and can be used as a revision/reinforcement activity. In-class or for homework. These puzzles are great for stashing away to be used when colleagues are absent. Answers included.

The World News Crossword (May 21st 2017) is a simple crossword based on last week's news events. This week there are THREE BONUS puzzles (The Mighty Mississippi, USA's states, and a puzzle all about Climate Change). These puzzles are engaging and interesting learning activities. The World News Crossword enthuses students to discuss news events around the world. The US president met Turkey's president and it didn't go so well. The US president then flew to Saudi Arabia where he'll attend a meeting also attended by a leader wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes. Why did North Korea's leader fire another missile? The leader in the Philippines banned cigarette smoking in public. France inaugurated its president and he flew first to meet Germany's chancellor and then to meet French troops in Africa. And Ukraine's president banned the country's two most popular social media sites. 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.

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.

The World News Crossword (August 20th, 2017) is a simple resource made up of a crossword (with answers) based on last week's news events - and THREE bonus crosswords. This week's bonus puzzles focus on Argentina, China, and New Zealand. The World News Crossword is reasonably simple to complete because its purpose is to engage students with their world and some of the many events that affect them. A two-week-old wildfire in Greenland. A terror attack in Barcelona. A baby dolphin killed because of tourists' curiosity. Venezuela went from bad to worse. 3000 Syrians returned home from Lebanon. Saudi Arabia negotiated to rebuild Iraq's cities. The US president used Twitter, again. Floods affected millions of people in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal. A tortoise escaped in Japan. But it's less about what happened last week than why and hopefully, if students work in groups to solve these puzzles, they'll chat among themselves about the stories in the puzzle. Why did Rwandans vote their president back for a third term? Why should Zimbabwe's Grace Mugabe escape prosecution for assaulting a model in a hotel in South Africa? Why is the US investigating China's intellectual property policies? And what's so wrong with an Australian politician holding dual-citizenship?

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?

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.

What happened in our world? July 3rd, 2016 is a crossword based on last week's news events. A lot happened this week; so much that not all of it could be squeezed into the crossword. In this week's puzzle… Mosques were attacked in Florida, Britain and Myanmar and cafés were attacked in Serbia and Dhaka. Turkey apologised for shooting a Russian warplane and Russia lifts the ban on tourism to Turkey. Cocaine seized in New Zealand. Australia's uncertain election result and Austria's recent election result overturned. Hillary Clinton was questioned by the FBI. Nicolas Sarkozy will contest the nest presidential election. Djokovic, England, Belgium, Italy… all out of their tournaments (football and tennis). A Taiwanese warship accidentally fired a missile towards China. A newly discovered helium gas field found has Tanzanians floating on air, but will the bubble last? Or burst? India's police arrested a teenage girl for cheating in school exams. A South African teenager was attacked by a hyena and an American cyclist was attacked by a grizzly bear. 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? Why was Austria's presidential election result overturned? Why was Australia's election result uncertain? Why were mosques and cafés attacked? Where is Machu Picchu? Where are the Maldives? And why are the Chagos Islanders still not allowed to return to their homes (and why was this news released during the week when Britain was obsessed with their EU in-out result? So no one would notice the Chagos Islands news? As a bonus, there's a crossword asking students to identify countries' capitals. There was a time when we all knew these. That time was called 'the old days'. [Sigh.] Perhaps the students will know the capitas of the UK, Switzerland and Austria. But Azerbaijan? Greenland? East Timor? Where is East Timor? This is a job for… the smartphone. This crossword might just kick off some 'discussion' in the staffroom. Or, even better, at a pub after work. 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. You can 'click-click' and 'follow' us, so you'll receive a notification email when new puzzles are uploaded.

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.

What happened in our world? March 13th, 2016 is a crossword based on last week's news events. In this week's puzzle… Maria Sharapova aced by Porsche but not by chocolate. Skiers killed in Italy and tourists killed in Ivory Coast. Japan remembers the victims of the earthquake and tsunami. The South Korean who is challenging the go in google. Two French teenagers arrested on terrorism charges and a Danish woman charged with people trafficking - for giving some Syrians a ride in her car. As a bonus, there's a crossword asking students to name the country in which some news events occurred. 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.