Excel Crossword - NETS-T I, II

Excel Crswrd 11102009

Using Microsoft Excel, I created an original interactive crossword puzzle using scientific terms related to weather patterns appropriate for the 4th-5th grade science curriculum standards. From an Atomic Learning tutorial, I learned the skills needed to format cells, add a border and gridlines, add pop-up comments as clues to the crossword, and add conditional color-coded formatting to the first-letter cells of each word in the puzzle. The finished product is an online interactive crossword puzzle which can alternatively be downloaded and printed to complete on paper. This not only models an innovative use of digital tools to promote student creativity, but also can be adapted to accommodate the learning needs, styles and strategies of diverse students in the classroom setting.