I’ve just posted finished jigsaw puzzles in four different formats that complement three of the activity sets. Why puzzles? Putting a puzzle together is an exercise in pattern and shape matching.
When the puzzle pictures come from a recent lesson, puzzles help to reinforce retention of that new image. Working the puzzle is a chance for practicing communication, as the student guesses what the completed image will turn out to be. Last but not least, puzzles are fun!
With all these thoughts in mind, I’ve developed four different puzzle types to add to future activity sets, starting with the Petting Farm. I’ve also prepared puzzles for two earlier activity sets, Tide Pools and Little Toot. I plan to do puzzle sets for other past posts, because it turns out that creating puzzles on the computer is fairly easy.
Cause and Effect Puzzle: Classroom Suite
The simplest of my four puzzle types is a cause and effect puzzle done in IntelliTools Classroom Suite®. Those who remember IntelliPics Studio before it was a part of Suite may recall a simple template I developed that made a reverse puzzle, in which pieces were removed to reveal the image. You simply loaded in a photo and saved. But it had the limitation that pieces were always removed in the same order.
Remove Pieces In Any Order
In puzzles made with this new template, students can remove the six pieces in any order they choose. You still just load in a photo and save to make a puzzle.These puzzles could be a way to assess students who struggle with regular comprehension tests, but could show they have learned to recognize an image from a story.
The finished Classroom Suite puzzles you can download from this page include custom IntelliKeys® overlays. There’s also a Dynavox® version of the overlays. See the Special Needs Access section on the System Reqs page for information on controlling the Classroom Suite version from PRC® devices.
Draggable Pieces: HyperStudio 5®
The puzzles I’ve made in HyperStudio 5 are appropriate for students at a higher level. With draggable pieces, these puzzles are like conventional ones, except they are on the computer. They take a little longer to make, but with the help of some special HyperStudio 5 features, they still are not difficult to construct. Read more about these powerful features on the puzzle templates page.
Refer to the HyperStudio is Back! page for information about downloading players to run these activities.
For students who can access the internet, I’ve made online versions of all the puzzles. These are hosted on a web site called Jigsaw Planet , and then embedded much as you would a YouTube® video. Making them turned out to be just a matter of uploading a photo, and they have draggable pieces!
Printable Puzzles
Finally, I know some have neither Classroom Suite nor HyperStudio 5, but I wanted everyone to get in on this parade of puzzles. So the fourth type of puzzle is a printable PDF version. To complete these, print a puzzle and then mount it on stiff backing and cut the pieces apart. Use off-computer. You could attach Velcro® to the backs of the pieces to stick them up on a wall.
Available From This Page
You’ll find links on this page to download all the puzzles I’ve done so far. In some cases, the puzzles and the other parts of an activity set are all in one download. In other cases, you can download just the puzzles from a unit. You’ll also find links to all seven online puzzles.
Next Step: Make Them Yourself
After seeing all these puzzles, you’ll want to make some, too! To make that possible, I’ve created Classroom Suite, HyperStudio 5, and PDF puzzle templates, along with instructions for each. Go to the Puzzles From Digital Photos page to download templates and find out how to use them. That page also includes information about and links to sites for making online puzzles.
More To Come
Meanwhile, try the finished puzzles available from this page while keeping in mind that they are just the first batch. Future puzzles will appear in the downloads and online links sections of each new activity set. Annie’s Puzzles Online has an index page, just like the online books, with links to all the completed online puzzles, and more will be added as they are created. Watch for new puzzles coming soon!
Application needed: Classroom Suite, HyperStudio 5, Acrobat Reader®.
Subject area: Science, Cause and Effect.
Level: Pre-K through Grade 3.
Online Links-Puzzles
Annie’s Puzzles Online link: CLICK HERE Description: Index page for all finished Annie’s Puzzles Online.
Downloads-Puzzles
Petting Farm Puzzles
PettingFarmSuite.zip (82.6 MB) Visiting A Petting Farm interactive book and activities in Classroom Suite v.3 or later. Includes anchor book, test, and three puzzles. Custom IntelliKeys overlays are attached.
PettingFarmDynavox.zip (772.8 KB) Visiting A Petting Farm activity set overlays saved as Dynavox package files.
PettingFarmHS.zip (71.8 MB) Visiting A Petting Farm interactive book, test, and puzzles in HyperStudio 5
PrintablePuzzles.zip (5.3 MB) Puzzles from Visiting A Petting Farm to print and complete for off computer use. Acrobat Reader.
Little Toot Puzzles
LittleTootSuite.zip (64.1 MB) Zip file includes Little Toot interactive book, Little Toot puzzle, and comprehension test to import into Classroom Suite v.3 or later. Custom IntelliKeys overlays attached.
LittleTootDynavox.zip (614 KB) Little Toot book, puzzle, and test overlays saved as Dynavox package files.
TootPuzzle.stack (2.8 MB) Little Toot puzzle for HyperStudio 5.
LittleTootPrintPuzzle.zip (2.5 MB) Little Toot puzzle to print and complete plus instructions. For off-computer use. Acrobat Reader.
Tide Pools Puzzles
TidePoolsPuzzlesSuite.zip 8.9 MB) Three puzzles using images from the Tide Pools books (Exploring Tide Pools, No Bones About It!, Shore Birds) in Classroom Suite v.3 or later. Custom IntelliKeys overlays are attached.
TidePoolsDynavox.zip (8.1 MB) IntelliKeys overlays for three Tide Pools books, three tests, three puzzles, and three writing activities saved as Dynavox package files.
TidePoolsPuzzlesHS.zip (3.4 MB) Three puzzles with draggable pieces for HyperStudio 5. Images of curlew, sea star, and turn of the tide from the tide Pools books.
TidePoolsUnitPrintPuzzles.zip (3.8 MB) Zip file includes three puzzles to print and complete for off-computer use. Puzzle images include a curlew, a sea star, and a view of the beach with the tide coming in, all from the tide Pools books. Instructions included. Acrobat Reader.