A Literary Elements Worksheet with Word Search and Crossword

Grade 5 Literary Elements word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

I made this literary elements puzzle set for my 5th graders during our reading unit. The kids could tell me what happened in a story but had no idea what words like plot, setting, or theme meant when we started using the vocabulary. They also kept mixing up "theme" and "main idea." So I put together a word search, a word scramble, and a crossword using words like plot, setting, character, theme, conflict, resolution, protagonist, antagonist, narrator, point of view, first person, third person, dialogue, climax, and genre . I also included a few like "symbolism" and "mood" because they kept coming up in our discussions . Nothing fancy — just puzzles to help the literary terms 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 independent practice. The scramble gets them talking because they argue about the spelling of "antagonist" (it's a tricky one) or whether the protagonist is always the good guy (they always have opinions about it) . The crossword I use for partners or as a review, and I usually have a literary elements anchor chart nearby for the kids who need the visual support to see the definitions and examples . I added a couple simple open book and magnifying glass drawings but nothing too busy.

Works for 5th through 6th grade. Print and go. Sometimes I have early finishers name the protagonist and antagonist of their favorite book on the back. The kids actually ask for these now.