Literacy and Learning Through Crosswords

Subject: History
Level: Secondary
Age Group: 11 - 14
Order Number: 7083

These crosswords are useful as a group collaborative exercise, for individual research, for setting as homework or as extension exercises.

Crosswords also encourage accurate spelling, so they will augment any school-wide literacy programme and can be mentioned in this context in the resources section of your departmental handbook.

Each crossword has about 20 words and clues, so they could be done in about 30 minutes, depending on ability. The crosswords cover a variety of key topics and themes relating to the following periods in British history:

Britain 1000 - 1500:

• Kings and Queens
• The Church
• Peasants and Pestilence
• Castles, Knights and War
• Famous People

Britain 1500 - 1750:

• Kings and Queens
• Religious Change
• Cavaliers and Roundheads
• A United Kingdom?

Britain 1750 - 1900:

• Machines and Inventors
• Railways and Canals
• Empire and War
• Famous People
• The Modern World

The Modern World:

• Presidents, PMs and Dictators
• 20th Century War
• Famous People
• Science and Invention 1900-2000
• Culture