Update on crossword puzzles-New:State puzzlers

[Gail Hennessey]

Need a short activity to use in your classroom? I've developed ten(to start) puzzlers on different states.http://www.gailhennessey.com/index.shtml?crosswordpuzzles.html The puzzlers would involve a bit of research to find the answers. If you have a state you'd like me to develop next, please let me know. And, if you'd like the answer key, contact me as well.
Hope you find the latest additions, something you might find helpful in your classrooms.
Have a wonderful school year!
Gail

[annettemcd]

Gail,
I am amazed at the number of resources which you post on teaching Social Studies. You are a wealth of information. The crossword puzzles are a great way to have students find answers about states. It is wonderful that you share many of your resources and teaching aids.

But (there is often a "but"), there is a small error on the Alaska crossword puzzle. The first clue: "This was discovered in Alaska in 1896 in the Klondike River causing many people to come to Alaska." seems to indicate that the Klondike River is in Alaska which it is not.

The Klondike is in the Yukon Territories of Canada. Most people traveled through Alaska to get to the Klondike and the strikes in the Klondike were followed by a number of strikes in Alaska which definitely played a major role in the development of Alaska and a huge influx of people to Alaska, but the major gold discovery of 1896 was in Canada, not in Alaska.

Originally many of the people, miners and others, traveled by ships to Skagway, Alaska, but then climbed one of the passes, usually the Chilkoot Pass, to enter Canada and travel through Whitehorse to get to Dawson City, the center for the operations in the Klondike. The International border in that area follows the ridge line and is reached soon after leaving Skagway, so the Canadians had a customs post at the top of the pass to make sure that the miner were properly supplied before they were allowed into Canada. Later gold discoveries in Nome and Fairbanks attracted others to Alaska, but also resulted in a number of people moving from the Klondike Region in Canada to Alaska.

A simple rewording of the clue would eliminate the impression that the Klondike is in Alaska. From reading your posts, I know that you care about accuracy, so I thought that you would want to correct this.

Sincerely, An Alaskan

[Gail Hennessey]

I really appreciate when those who visit my site, spot an error that needs correcting or clarifying and let me know! Thanks again to Annette, an Alaskan! I made a note on the puzzle page addressing the need to clarify a clue which Annette brought to my attention.
Gail