I'm a teacher too.
All of these resources are simple and quick to download. They can be stored on a flashdrive, attached to a keyring and then they live in your pocket as easy and as ready to use as a hanky when a sneeze is coming on.
Try the Nonsense Rhymes Crosswords. If you like Dr Seuss, you'll love these (and so will your students). The World News Crossword is published every Sunday evening. It's prefect for prompting discussion about current events.
I'm a teacher too.
All of these resources are simple and quick to download. They can be stored on a flashdrive, attached to a keyring and then they live in your pocket as easy and as ready to use as a hanky when a sneeze is coming on.
Try the Nonsense Rhymes Crosswords. If you like Dr Seuss, you'll love these (and so will your students). The World News Crossword is published every Sunday evening. It's prefect for prompting discussion about current events.
A powerpoint presentation that covers floor and ceiling prices with detailed graphs showing welfare losses. .
The presentation is in MS Powerpoint format so it can be edited.
A powerpoint presentation covering the Market Failure topic, including an explanation of market failure and detailed graphs showing the effect of externalities.
The presentation is in MS Powerpoint format so it can be edited.
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 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? 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 1st, 2016 is a crossword based on last week's news events.
In this week's puzzle… a 12 year old girl is released from jail in Israel and a Louisiana man is released from jail after 41 years. A magazine editor was murdered in Bangladesh. 21 Pakistanis died when they ate sweets that were tainted with poison. India's drought has result in a ban on daytime cooking. The Duchess of Cambridge will appear on the cover of the UK edition of Vogue. And Pope Francis told teenagers that they won't find happiness by downloading an app or behaving like a movie star.
As a bonus, there's a crossword asking students to match cities with their 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? 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? 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.
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? February 28th, 2016 is a crossword based on last week's news events.
In this week's puzzle… Japan's population fell. The Cambodian's spent $40,000 building a toilet for a visiting princess. It wasn't used. Most rural Cambodian homes don't have any toilets. Croatia and Slovenia set limits on the number of refugees being admitted. While a drought scorched Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe ate cake. The Nigerian government found more than 20,000 people on it's payroll - oh wait, names only. The people don't exist. The Indian government's budget aimed to boost farm incomes and alleviate rural poverty. Members of the New Zealand public did a crowd-funding thing and bought a pristine beach for about 2 million dollars and then gifted it to the government so it can be added into a national park. A naughty little Australian boy had his hand stuck in a vending machine for about 5 hours. And finally, a ceasefire (perhaps better described as a reduction in fighting) was declared in Syria.
These are simple crosswords aiming to make our students talk about what's happening in their world, why it's happening, where, and to whom.
As a bonus, there's a crossword identifying some good books and their authors.
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).
I'm sorry for not uploading a crossword on February 14th. No I wasn't 'otherwise engaged' on Valentine's Day. It was a small matter of malaria and hospital. Hopefully, we're back on schedule...
What happened in our world? February 14th, 2016 is a crossword based on last week's news events.
In this week's puzzle… An earthquake in New Zealand. Pakistan tried to ban St Valentine's Day. Cuba returned a missile - no crisis though. A Spanish civil servant didn't show up for work, for six years. The Europeans are investigating the 500 Euro note. And 150,000 penguins were killed by an ice berg. Nothing this week about Donald Trump though.
These are simple crosswords aiming to make our students talk about what's happening in their world, why it's happening, where, and to whom.
As a bonus, there's a crossword. Name the country in which these cities are. (Or perhaps teachers could think of it as summer holiday planning.)
Use them in in your home room class, in for subject lessons, in substitution lessons, in lunchtime or after school clubs, in the time-out room, or even in the staffroom.
What happened in our world? February 7th, 2016 is a crossword based on last week's news events.
In this week's puzzle… An earthquake in Taiwan. A photo bombing horse. Lassa and Zika virus. Why did Liverpool F.C. fans walk out at the 77th minute mark? Romania cancelled a law that allowed a lower sentence for prisoners who wrote a book. France banned supermarkets from throwing away excess food. Apple responded to criticism about Error 53.
These are simple crosswords aiming to make our students talk about what's happening in their world, why it's happening, where, and to whom.
As a bonus, there's a crossword on geographical features… In which country is Lake Baikal? Where is Mont Blanc? Mt Etna? Lake Taupo? Prince Edward Island? K2? (If these are so easy to find, can someone please tell me where my stapler is?)
Use them in in your home room class, in for subject lessons, in substitution lessons, in lunchtime or after school clubs, in the time-out room, or even in the staffroom.
What happened in our world? January 31st, 2016 is THREE crosswords based on last week's news events.
In this week's puzzles… A vulture from an Israeli nature reserve was captured and detained in Lebanon on suspicion of spying, but was later found not guilty and released. According to the World Health Organisation, there are now 41 million obese children aged under five. McDonald’s announced that it will add french fries smothered in chocolate sauce to its menu in Japan. UNICEF warned that about 25,000 North Korean children need immediate treatment for malnutrition. And at long last… negotiations aiming to find a solution to the Syrian civil war began in Geneva.
These are simple crosswords aiming to make our students talk about what's happening in their world, why it's happening, where, and to whom.
Use them in in your home room class, in for subject lessons, in substitution lessons, in lunchtime or after school clubs, in the time-out room, or even in the staffroom.
This powerpoint presentation covers PED, PES, YED, and XED and includes a section of exercises at the end. It's suitable for A Level, IBDP SL & HL, and AP Economics students. There are 90+ slides. They're clear and simple to read and include colourful images to turn a relatively dry topic into something a little more interesting.
With witty teacher banter, to explain and expand on the slides, this presentation could take 3-4 weeks to proceed through. I strongly suggest working through one section and then using the accompanying crosswords (also available on my store) as a breakout activity. The presentation is ready to go, but can also be edited to suit your own situation.
An extension section covering arc elasticity and a 'better' equation is suitable for the students who will study Economics at university.
What happened in our world? January 24th, 2016 is THREE crosswords based on last week's news events.
In this week's puzzles… A LOT of snow fell in the US. Google did not pay a LOT of tax. A hermit in Siberia came in from the cold for some medical treatment and a hermit in Serbia gave away half a million pounds. Russia showed off its naval fleet and gave away some military hardware to Fiji. A Miami family found a crocodile in their swimming pool. Spain's prime minister declined the King's offer to form a government and France's prime minister said Europe can't take all the Syrian refugees. Russia will have its own Golden Globes but Ricky Gervais won't be the host (probably). Norway decided to send the cycling refugees back to Russia, but then decided not to. And one of Interpol's most wanted fugitives was found working in a sandwich shop near a police station.
The puzzles aren't difficult and they don't require the students to have read last week's news. Indeed, they're easy to complete and hopefully they drive students to the news websites for answers to some obvious questions such as, Why are so many people fleeing Syria? Why would Russia give military hardware to Fiji? Goldman Sachs' CEO was paid how much last year? Why has so much snow fallen in the US?
This week's BONUS puzzle is for GEOGRAPHY teachers (or for teachers who have to substitute for absent Geography colleagues). To coerce you to come back again next week, the answers to the Geography crossword will be attached to next week's news puzzles.
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 (such as the flock of sheep that assisted the New Zealand police to some criminals behind… baaaas. No joke!)
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? January 10th, 2016 is THREE crosswords based on last week's news events.
In this week's puzzles… North Korea detonated a hydrogen bomb (or did they?) A dog in South Africa was awarded a medal and dogs in New York had a concert performed just for them, and someone tried to kidnap one of Barack Obama's two dogs. Or would that have been a dognap? But a catnap is… Twitter shares crashed, Huawei's revenue almost doubled, Coca Cola angered Russians and Ukrainians, and did Volkswagen's sales go up or down? Some Russians were stuck in the snow and a Russian doctor is stuck in court. Guatemala’s Fuego Volcano erupted, an Indian boy scored 1009 runs in a cricket game, and Tim Winton had a whole fish species named after him.
This week's puzzles include the answer key to last week's Mathematics crossword.
The 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 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?' puzzles.
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.
A pdf booklet including 5 crosswords on elasticities: PED, PES, YED, XED and a summary crossword. Ideal for summarising or reviewing the topic. Solutions included.
What happened in our world? December 20th, 2015 is TWO crosswords based on last week's news events.
Better for improving spelling than a dictionary. Better for improving handwriting than any app and way better for managing attention-span issues than gummy bears (and let's be honest, there aren't many things better than gummy bears).. These crosswords are good for starting interesting discussions and debates. They can be used for homework activities. Or, in class, allocate students into groups of three, let them use their smartphones, and say very loudly, 'ready, set, go'. Strongly encourage discussion about the clues and the stories behind each one.
In this week's puzzles… Ukraine's not paying its gas bill and a Ukraine minister threw water into another Minister's face (what bad role models for Ukraine's children!) Some Russians want a cat as their mayor. Some Brazilians want their football officials sacked. Chelsea sacked Jose. A speed skater cycled around the world in 123 days. (I can only wonder how he cycled across the Pacific and Atlantic.) There was an avalanche in Norway. And finally, FINALLY, at long last... the UN wants peace in Syria.
Don't you HATE substituting for an absent colleague when the kids have nothing or not enough to do? Print some of these puzzles and have them in your classroom or in your bag ready for a vibrant class discussion. (Someone, and I'm not saying who, told me she prints the crosswords and does them during staff meetings.)
This week's BONUS puzzle is called Authors and asks 'Who wrote this book?' The answers will be with next week's puzzle, so don't forget to come back next Sunday.
Thank you for the positive feedback with the previous puzzles. If you have suggestions for the way other teachers can use the puzzles, please post a comment.