Word searches50 states
US states word search
A word search of US state names, drawn from a pool of 32 states from IOWA to PENNSYLVANIA. It suits geography units, road-trip games and adults who like a map-flavored puzzle.
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- Answer key on its own page
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On this page
This sheet turns state names into a search. It is not a full set of fifty: the theme list holds 32 states, and each puzzle uses a random handful of them, so it works as a review of names and spelling rather than a complete test of the map. The page opens on the US States theme at Medium.
What prints
The page is titled "US States Word Search". The instruction line says how many names are hidden and which way they run. A boxed grid follows, and below it the names are listed in columns, with an empty box beside each one to tick. The answer key is on a second page: each found state is outlined, its letters are bold, and the rest fade.
Names written with a space are joined. The list has NEWYORK, NEWMEXICO and NEWJERSEY as single strings, so look for the run of letters with no gap.
Which states are on the list
Short ones: IOWA, OHIO, UTAH, TEXAS, MAINE, IDAHO. Mid-length: ALASKA, HAWAII, KANSAS, OREGON, NEVADA, ARIZONA, INDIANA, GEORGIA, FLORIDA, VERMONT, MONTANA, ALABAMA, WYOMING. Long: ARKANSAS, NEBRASKA, MARYLAND, CALIFORNIA, WISCONSIN, MINNESOTA, LOUISIANA, WASHINGTON, TENNESSEE and PENNSYLVANIA, which is 12 letters. Easy puzzles use only names up to eight letters, which means the longer states appear on Medium and Hard.
The settings
- Title (optional): a heading like "Road Trip Map Challenge".
- Theme: pre-set to US States; the same selector reaches every other subject and custom lists.
- Difficulty: Easy is 10 × 10 with 10 names reading across and down; Medium is 14 × 14 with diagonals and 16 names; Hard is 17 × 17 with all eight directions and 22 names.
- Large print: 12 × 12 and up to 12 names, with bigger letters.
- Lowercase letters: lowercase lettering.
Using it with a map
Lay a wall map or an atlas beside the puzzle. Each time a student finds a name, they locate the state and color it in on a blank outline map. After a Medium puzzle, 16 states are colored, and a second puzzle with New puzzle adds more. The names also give practice in spelling: MINNESOTA, TENNESSEE and PENNSYLVANIA have doubled letters that are often missed. Adults can try Hard while the car is parked at a rest stop.
For a list of state governments, with links to each state's official site, the federal USA.gov page is a good starting point for a follow-up lesson.
Worked example: a fourth-grade geography week
Mrs. Brooks teaches a unit on regions. On Monday she prints Medium puzzles with the title "Regions Warm-Up", one per student, and a wall map of the United States at the back of the room. Her students find the names and then, using sticky dots, mark where each state sits.
A boy finds MONTANA, WYOMING and IDAHO, and notices that they are neighbors. That becomes the day's talking point: which found states touch each other? Another student finds NEWMEXICO and asks why it has no space. Mrs. Brooks explains that the puzzle joins words into one string, then writes "New Mexico" on the board. On Friday, students make a fresh puzzle and quiz a partner by naming only the capital for each state they found.
Related sheets
You may also like the printable word search for other themes, the hard word search for a tougher grid, and the word search for adults, which opens on countries.
Sources
- USA.gov: state governments usa.gov