Hexagonal Puzzle to build Connection Skills

by Lisa Cielto

Does anyone out there enjoy collaborating on Instagram? Well, I do - very much. The teacher community is so inspiring and motivating! About one week ago, I was intrigued by a post by @socstudiesteacher where she created a hexagonal puzzle activity to be used for a US History lesson. After some Q & A, she explained that she used terms that the kids had to connect together and then present to the class. I LOVED IT! So, this week, I taught a Science lesson on how ocean currents and winds affect climate. In the end, my kids had to write out what they learned. Today however, I placed them in groups, gave them hexagon shaped puzzle pieces with words on it from the lesson to connect. The competition began (unintentionally) and the kids were having fun!

I think what is important to note is how effective this strategy was. The kids, while connecting the terms, they were getting deeper into the lesson. I was seeing evidence of critical thinking, teamwork, and the genuine desire to conquer!
The shape is available on PowerPoint, so I used 6 per page, and filled in my words and printed. Next, I copied the puzzle unto card stock/bristol board, and cut out. Each group of kids got 18 words to attempt to connect. They were challenged to try to use each word they got.
The final result was phenomenal! The kids had fun and they were reviewing the lesson at the same time! Can it get better than this???