Photography and Media Arts word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

Photography and Media Arts word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

I made this photography and media arts puzzle set for my 3rd and 4th graders during our media unit. The kids could snap a photo but had no idea what words like aperture, composition, or storyboard meant when I tried to teach them the basics of visual storytelling. So I put together a word search, a word scramble, and a crossword using words like camera, lens, shutter, focus, composition, lighting, exposure, storyboard, frame, edit, crop, filter, contrast, brightness, portrait, landscape, macro, and gallery. Nothing fancy — just puzzles to help the media arts 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 during indoor recess. The scramble gets them talking because they argue about whether editing a photo is cheating or art. The crossword I use for partners or as a review. I added a couple simple camera, lens, and film strip drawings but nothing too busy.

Works for 3rd through 5th grade. Print and go. Sometimes I have early finishers name one thing that makes a good photograph on the back. The kids actually ask for these now.