Folktale Elements word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

Folktale Elements word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

I made this folktale elements puzzle set for my 3rd graders during our reading unit. The kids loved stories like Anansi the Spider and Brer Rabbit but had no idea what words like folktale, fable, or moral meant when we talked about the parts of a folktale. So I put together a word search, a word scramble, and a crossword using words like folktale, fable, myth, legend, tall tale, fairy tale, moral, lesson, trickster, folk hero, oral tradition, storyteller, ancestor, culture, and wisdom. Nothing fancy — just puzzles to help the folktale vocabulary finally stick.

The PDF is four pages. Three puzzles plus one answer key page. The word search works well for quiet time after recess or indoor recess. The scramble gets them talking because they argue about whether a fable always has animals. The crossword I use for partners or as a review. I added a couple simple turtle and hare drawings but nothing too busy.

Works for 3rd through 5th grade. Print and go. Sometimes I have early finishers name a folktale they remember on the back. The kids actually ask for these now.