Fossils and Paleontology Word search, scramble and crossword

Fossils and Paleontology Word search, scramble and crossword

I made this fossils and paleontology puzzle set for my 3rd and 4th graders during our Earth science unit. The kids loved dinosaurs but got bored when I tried to teach them words like amber, cast, and mold. So I put together a word search, a word scramble, and a crossword using words like fossil, paleontologist, amber, cast, mold, imprint, excavation, sedimentary, trilobite, and extinct. Nothing fancy — just puzzles to keep them engaged.

The PDF is four pages. Three puzzles plus one answer key page. The word search is good for quiet time after lunch. The scramble gets them talking because they can never spell "paleontologist" right. The crossword I save for partners. I added a couple simple bone and brush drawings but nothing too busy.

Works for 2nd through 5th grade. Print and go. Sometimes I ask early finishers to pick one fossil type and explain how it forms on the back. The kids actually like these.