Glaciers and Ice Caps word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

Glaciers and Ice Caps word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

I made this glaciers and ice caps puzzle set for my 3rd and 4th graders during our Earth science unit. The kids knew ice was cold but had no idea that glaciers move or that ice caps hold most of the world's freshwater. So I put together a word search, a word scramble, and a crossword using words like glacier, ice cap, iceberg, ice sheet, polar, Antarctica, Arctic, Greenland, melt, frozen, freshwater, sea level, climate, erosion, and retreat. Nothing fancy — just puzzles to help the vocabulary sink in.

The PDF is four pages. Three puzzles plus one answer key page. The word search works well for quiet time after recess. The scramble gets them talking because they argue over the difference between a glacier and an iceberg. The crossword I use for partners. I added a couple simple ice and mountain drawings but nothing too busy.

Works for 2nd through 5th grade. Print and go. Sometimes I have early finishers explain why melting ice caps matter on the back. The kids actually ask for these now.