Black Scientists and Inventors word search, scramble and crossword puz

Black Scientists and Inventors word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

I made this Black scientists and inventors puzzle set for my 3rd and 4th graders during our Black History Month STEM unit. The kids could name George Washington Carver but had no idea about the incredible scientists and engineers who helped develop GPS, blood banks, open-heart surgery, and even the Super Soaker . So I put together a word search, a word scramble, and a crossword using names like George Washington Carver (over 300 uses for peanuts!), Dr. Mae Jemison (first Black woman in space), Dr. Patricia Bath (invented laser cataract surgery tools), Garrett Morgan (traffic light and gas mask), Katherine Johnson (NASA mathematician who plotted space missions), and Lewis Latimer (improved the light bulb filament) . I also made sure to include Gladys West (her math made GPS possible) and Dr. Charles Drew (blood bank pioneer) because the kids always ask, "Who invented that?" and I want the answers ready .

The PDF is four pages. Three puzzles plus one answer key page. The word search works well for quiet time after recess or independent work. The scramble gets them talking because they argue about whether the Super Soaker counts as a "real" invention (it does, and Lonnie Johnson is an engineer) . The crossword I use for partners or as a review before we start our research projects. I added a couple simple beaker, lightbulb, and rocket drawings but nothing too busy.

Works for 3rd through 5th grade. Print and go. Sometimes I have early finishers pick one scientist from the puzzles and write one fact about them on the back. The kids actually ask for these now.