Genetrix Puzzles

Puzzles and Work Sheets

This page offers a few puzzles and some work sheets relevant to genetics. The puzzles were created with Puzzlemaker on DiscoverySchool.com.

An item can be downloaded by clicking on the MS Word icon ( MSWord icon

) next to its description.

Word Puzzles

Variation puzzles.
A simple word search plus a crossword on genetic variation.

The words used in the search are the answers in the crossword.

Genetics word search.
A larger puzzle with 38 words from allele to zygote.

Genetics crossword.
A crossword which has most of the words used in the Genetics word search as answers.

Geneticists word search with a hidden message
A wordsearch with 30 names of contributers to our understanding of genetics,

as mentioned in the "History" page of this website.

How can I make my own puzzles?

If you want to make your own puzzles, go to Puzzlemaker on the DiscoverySchool.com. Website. They offer a simple means of producing your own “Wordsearch”, “Criss-Cross Puzzles” and more. It’s as easy as following their clear instructions.

Choose the “Text” option on wordsearch and it is very easy to copy and paste the results onto a Word Document. Then you can change it’s formatting – though it doesn’t pay to change the font of the actual matrix of letters as they don’t stay in the correct pattern.

A good practice is to type your words in a Word Document first and then cut and paste them into the box on the Webpage. This allows you to spellcheck them first, and if you lose the lot when you have a computer crash of some sort just after you inserted 30 words you can try again without having to type them again. This is especially important for the Criss-Cross word puzzles.

The program does offer to give answers but this facility does not always seem to work.

What Use Are These Things?

Most students like them. Finding the words helps students learn vocabulary. Doing cross words helps students learn meanings of words as well as spelling and word recognition. Puzzles can be used to introduce vocabulary or to revise it. You can set them for homework or give them to students who finish before others.

One strategy is to make a booklet out of an A3 sheet using a wordfind (= wordsearch) on the front with the crossword in the middle. It helps the students if the words in the wordfind are the same as the answers to the clues in the crossword. (For right-handed people it is best if the clues are on the left and the boxes on the right).

Even Better Still!

Consider making it a student assignment to produce their own puzzles using Puzzlemaker or some other means. This could be done alone or in groups. This is a good learning tool as the student is more involved in processing the information in their own brain. They could be given as much direction as the teacher feels they need – from “make a wordfind out of these 10 words” to “produce your own set of word puzzles using any programs or methods you can find to cover the subject we are studying”.

When students have produced their own puzzles they could swap them between groups and trial each other’s work.

How to make an Acrostic puzzle

Clicking on this icon will allow you to download these instructions in a Word document

Acrostics are simple puzzles that can be made by students

1. First: Think of a key word and make boxes for each of the letters going down.

e.g.

2. Make a list of other words to do with that subject.

e.g. vocabulary, writing, reading, spelling, grammar, story….

3. Find the right words with letters that are in the key word and make up your answer.

e.g.

4. Make up clues for each line.

e.g

1. Using a pen to put down words on paper
2. A fancy word for words
3. An account of imaginary or past events
4. What you are doing when you study a bunch of words

(OK so my clues aren’t so good – in science you can use definitions from a text or you’re your notes).

5. You need to make a blank Acrostic (one with no letters in it) with the clues below it,

then swap puzzles with your friends.

Work Sheets

Alien Genetics.
A work sheet with a few genetic problems based on the alien characters used on the "Genetic Crosses" page on this web site.

Pedigree diagrams.
A work sheet with a few genetic problems related to pedigree diagrams.

It has a couple of old School certificate questions.

Genetic Terms.
A work sheet in which 13 genetic terms can be matched with their definitions.

This can be used as cut and paste or fill in the gaps.

Working out genetic problems.
A "fill in the gaps"work sheet which reinforces the method of approach used to solve genetic cross problems as outlined on the "Genetic crosses" page of this website.

A problem is given for practice.