Christopher Columbus word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

Christopher Columbus word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

I made this Christopher Columbus puzzle set for my 3rd and 4th graders during our exploration unit. The kids knew the rhyme about sailing the ocean blue in 1492 but had no idea where he landed or how many voyages he made. So I put together a word search, a word scramble, and a crossword using words like Columbus, explorer, Spain, voyage, ship, Nina, Pinta, Santa Maria, Atlantic, ocean, island, Caribbean, native, discovery, and 1492. Nothing fancy — just puzzles to help the facts finally stick.

The PDF is four pages. Three puzzles plus one answer key page. The word search works well for quiet time after recess. The scramble gets them talking because they argue about whether Columbus actually reached the mainland of North America. The crossword I use for partners. I added a couple simple ship and compass drawings but nothing too busy.

Works for 3rd through 5th grade. Print and go. Sometimes I have early finishers name Columbus's three ships on the back. The kids actually ask for these now.