Collaborative crosswords

Collaborative crosswords are a classic information-gap vocabulary revision activity. By having to explain words out loud, students find out whether they really understand them. Students "A" and students "B" each have half a completed crossword, without clues, and pair up to create a complete version. Once you've done the preparation, which does take some time, this crossword activity runs itself, giving you time to go round and listen to how well your students have picked up the target vocabulary.

Who it's for:
All levels

What it's for:
Speaking practice, vocabulary revision

What you need:
A Spotlight article from which you want to extract the vocabulary and an online puzzle-making tool; or, alternatively, a completed crossword from Spotlight magazine.

What you do:
If you are using the Spotlight crossword, make three copies of the blank crossword, without the clues. On one copy, fill in all the answers yourself in capitals. This is, of course, much easier if you use a crossword from an earlier month, the answers to which have been provided in the subsequent issue. This version will be your teacher's sheet for checking. Name the other two blank copies A and B, and divide up the words between them. The easiest way to do this is to write all the "down" words in the A crossword and all the "across" words in the B crossword. This doesn't look as attractive, however, as when you mix the directions on each.

Print out as many copies as there are students in your group.

If you are creating your own crossword for a particular article, you will first need to pick out the vocabulary items you want to focus on. The number of items you choose will dictate the size of the crossword. To make one about the size of the Spotlight crossword, you will need between 25 and 30 words.

A puzzle-making site such as armoredpenguin.com will create a puzzle for you. Most such sites assume that you are creating a traditional empty crossword grid with clues underneath. Unfortunately, I haven't yet found a site that will create the A / B type of crossword that we are looking for, so some adaptation is necessary.

On the site, once you've given a title to your crossword, you are asked for information about size, etc. It may be a good idea to ignore all these questions initially — these are the sort of things you can play around with when you've created your first draft puzzle. Instead, start typing your chosen words into the grid provided under the questions. You will have to enter clues as well, and here you have two options. If you want to create a traditional crossword as well, for example to hand out as homework before the class, you will have to come up with real clues. If, however, you are only creating an A / B puzzle, simply write in each word again in the clue field. This is necessary for the program to work, and in any case you will need a list of words yourself, as the crossword that the program creates is blank.

When you've finished entering your words, click "Make puzzle". Your puzzle will be generated with a list of words (or clues) underneath, and you are given various options for printing it out.

Once you've got your printout, follow the same low-tech procedure as for the Spotlight puzzle above, remembering to cut off the clues.

When you hand out your A / B puzzles in class, remind your students that they should conceal their version from their partner, and explain the crossword terms they will need, such as "two down", and "three across".

If anyone has used a different site, or knows of one that will create A / B crosswords, it would be good to hear from you!