Native American Heritage Month word search, scramble and crossword puz

Native American Heritage Month word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

I made this Native American Heritage Month puzzle set for my 3rd and 4th graders during our November unit. The kids had heard of the month but had no idea what words like heritage, tradition, or sovereignty meant when we talked about Indigenous contributions. So I put together a word search, a word scramble, and a crossword using words like Native American, heritage, tradition, culture, tribe, land, history, ancestor, respect, honor, and storytelling. Nothing fancy — just puzzles to help the Native American Heritage 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 every tribe has the same traditions. The crossword I use for partners or as a review. I added a couple simple feather, drum, and tipi drawings but nothing too busy.

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