Ms. Wright, 7th Grade Science &
Ms. Hall, Media Specialist
Doing the puzzle is just the beginning!
Did you know that jigsaw puzzles were first used to teach geography?
Puzzles were really popular in North America in the early 1900s!
Some of today’s most incredible innovations are coming from the global community of makers. Learn about the new ideas being developed every day, and find out how you can join the maker movement @ the library! Explore Game Design, Robotics, Web Design, Coding, Maker Spaces, etc.!
In the address field of your browser type: www.sallowsgallery.ca <<correct link>>
Go to the Pastimes section and select Jigsaw Puzzles. <<correct link>>
Read all about the history of jigsaw puzzles.
When were puzzles invented? _______________
Look for the two pictures shown below:
Click on the images above and complete the puzzles to find the stories <<correct link>> behind the pictures.
Read each story <<correct link>>and answer these questions:
1. Why are the pumpkins in this picture black?
2. This picture was published in a magazine. What is the name of the magazine? What is the photograph called?
Who Invented the Jigsaw Puzzle?
Jigsaw puzzles were first created by an English mapmaker named John Spilsbury in the late 1760's. He glued a map of the world on a piece of wood and cut out the countries. Children would then put the pieces together to learn to identify the different countries and where they were in relation to other countries. In other words, jigsaw puzzles were invented not for entertainment, but for education. Mr. Spilsbury's puzzles taught geography. Jigsaw puzzles would be a child's learning toy until the early 20th century.
In the early 1900's, jigsaw puzzles became a form of daily amusement and activity for adults. These puzzles, however, were very expensive ($5 for a 500-piece puzzle in 1908 when a laborer earned about $50/month!). In time, the price became more and more reasonable and the popularity of puzzles continued to grow. By the time of the Great Depression in the early 1930's, 10 million puzzles were sold per week. Historians observe that the long, careful process of putting a puzzle together provided people many hours of escape from the troubles of the Depression years.
Let's puzzle! Return to those early days of Mr. Spilsbury's puzzles where the purpose of a puzzle is to teach. In the late 18th century, the lesson was geography. Today, educators know that the process of putting a puzzle together teaches many lessons all at once.
What will students learn by putting a puzzle together? Jigsaw puzzles are a one-stop cognitive development and character-building activity. There are few educational experiences that have the potential to teach such a varied range of thinking skills, as well as other useful skills such as patience and perseverance. Here is a list of just a few of the educational outcomes when students work on puzzles both individually and together.
Puzzles teach skills and character that will benefit a person throughout a lifetime. In 1767, they were used to teach geography. Today, puzzles teach our students lessons for a lifetime. After all, it is a great benefit to be a life-long learner!