Getting kids to read informational text is always a challenge. Why not turn the challenge back on them? I have recently started writing a series of lessons that includes reading challenges – basically puzzles embedded into the readings that can only be solved with the key content of the informational text. These reading challenges will keep students engaged as they solve a series of puzzles to complete a map with images and summaries.
So how do reading challenges work? First you need your “supplies” – informational text, a map, clip art, and puzzles.



Examine your reading and pull out the key ideas you want your students to understand and remember. Create a series of puzzle-like questions for the reading. For each puzzle, a number will be revealed that will indicate where to glue on a specific piece of clip art on a map. They can include true / false questions where the correct answer will reveal a word:

Or you can do puzzles that focus on specific Social Studies skills as well as content. With these, the answer choices reveal a specific letter, building up to unscrambling the letters to reveal a word. The word is again a number directing where to glue the clip art.

Some of your puzzles can be multiple choice questions.

Or you can use fill in the blank questions with a variety of answer choices.

Once the map is complete, add a layer of complexity by requiring students to find the best summaries to glue on their maps.

When students are finished with the reading challenges, their map should look something like this!

You can find reading challenges in my new partnership with lead4ward here.