Tips on creating Crossword Puzzles with Bible Crosswords CD

Most people are familiar with filling-in crossword puzzles, but few people realize that it requires some extra thinking to create one. For example, you create a bunch of clues, but the answers need to INTERSECT each other on the puzzle.  And depending on how many letters each answer contains, and which answers have letters in common with other answers, some of your answers may not being able to physically fit in the puzzle space.

Fortunately, the game software tries to figure out the spacing and intersecting for you, but there may be cases where one of the answers you want to teach the kids just doesn't fit the puzzle space. When that happens, look at the puzzle being generated, and try to come up with another answer to your clue.

Example: 
1 Across = "For God so loved the _____ that he gave his only son...."

The first answer you wanted to fit in the crossword was "world" but let's say it didn't fit in the available space on the puzzle because none of your other crazy answers had the letters w-o-r-l-d in them. So you might try "For ____ so loved the world" or, "For God so ____ the world."  --keeping in mind that one of the letters in your answer must "cross" with another answer.  Sometimes it takes a few puzzle generating tries for the puzzle software to figure out how to fit in all your answers.

From a teaching perspective, if it is your KIDS who are creating the crossword, this is not a bad thing for them to wrestle with how to get an answer to fit into their puzzle. It forces your students to work the puzzle before playing it. And that's what it's all about....creating an indelible memory of the content. 

Remember:

When creating a crossword puzzle in the editor, you type in the "answer" followed by a colon (:) and then the "clue". (see graphic at right)

Example:

world:For God so loved the _______.

TIP:  Keep your clues/questions and answers SHORT.  (the editor calls the "answer" a "definition.")

To Insert Graphics into your puzzles....

1. Already have copied to your Windows Clipboard a bitmap (bmp) graphic of your choosing. Windows Paint can be used to create/modify graphics.

2. Click Edit and Layout on the game's toolbar to be in the "Layout Mode."

3. Select "Paste from Clipboard" to insert your graphic in the puzzle.

Note: The Windows Clipboard is "invisible" ..it is where Windows stores things when you select COPY or CUT. You need to open up WINDOWS PAINT program included with your operating system. Open the graphic there or create it there. Select EDIT, Select ALL, then COPY from the edit menu. This copies the bitmap to the invisible Windows clipboard.

Windows Tip:

To access the Windows Paint program when Crosswords/Wordsearch program is hogging the screen, hit your Windows Key on your keyboard to see your desktop, or ctrl-esc to pull up your Start | Programs menu.

Resource Tip:

You can open Bible graphics from our Bible Cliptures or Bible Clickart CDs in Windows Paint, or any other graphics program.
 

To Copy Puzzles from one computer to another...

1. Open up C:\Crosswords folder on your harddrive using Windows Explorer. Click and drag the puzzle file you want to copy ONTO the A:\ drive where you have inserted a diskette, or any other removable storage device, such as a USB flash drive. This will copy your puzzle file to the removable media. Transport that medai to the next computer and reverse the process, drag the file into the C:\Crosswords folder.

How  do you get a graphic to be a certain shape and location in the puzzle?

Bible Crosswords and Wordsearch CDs allow you to import a graphic into your puzzle that you create. Some graphics may be oversized for the puzzle you have created and may need to be adjusted in size.  Smaller is usually better.

For other program helps read the MANUAL which is on the CD.