STEM Careers word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

STEM Careers word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

I made this STEM careers puzzle set for my 4th graders during our career exploration unit. The kids could name a few jobs like scientist and engineer, but they had no idea about the incredible variety of STEM careers like data scientist, environmental engineer, or computer programmer. They also had no idea what words like innovation, problem-solving, or discovery meant when we talked about what people in STEM actually do. So I put together a word search, a word scramble, and a crossword using words like scientist, engineer, programmer, architect, astronaut, researcher, analyst, designer, inventor, technician, data, and experiment. I also made sure to include "collaboration" and "innovation" because they came up in every career video we watched.

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 whether a video game designer is a STEM career (it is—it's a form of software engineering). The crossword I use for partners or as a review after we've watched career videos. I added a couple simple beaker, computer, and robot drawings but nothing too busy.

Works for 4th through 5th grade. Print and go. Sometimes I have early finishers pick one STEM career from the puzzles and write what they do on the back. The kids actually ask for these now.