Emoji and Internet Culture word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

Emoji and Internet Culture word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

I made this emoji and internet culture puzzle set for my 3rd and 4th graders during our digital literacy unit. The kids use emojis and internet slang every day but had no idea what words like emoji, netiquette, or acronym actually meant, or that the 😂 emoji was even Oxford Dictionary's 2015 Word of the Year . They kept asking things like "What's the difference between an emoji and an emoticon?" so I put together a word search, a word scramble, and a crossword using words like emoji, emoticon, acronym, slang, netiquette, digital footprint, password, username, online, post, comment, share, like, follow, meme, and hashtag. I also included a few like LOL, BRB, and IRL because they show up in our class chat and the kids are always curious about where they came from .

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 "LOL" is an acronym or just a word now, or whether a meme is always funny or can be serious. The crossword I use for partners or as a review after we've talked about being kind and safe online. I added a couple simple smiley face, phone, and thumbs up drawings but nothing too busy.

Works for 3rd through 5th grade. Print and go. Sometimes I have early finishers draw their own emoji for a feeling and label it on the back. The kids actually ask for these now.