Earth Science Crossword: Grade 7 Deep Dive Set

Grade 7 Earth Science Deep Dive word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

I made this Earth Science deep dive puzzle set for my 7th graders during our geology and Earth systems unit. The kids knew the basics but kept mixing up the layers of the Earth —especially the difference between the lithosphere and asthenosphere . They also had trouble distinguishing weathering from erosion , and they always forgot whether "basalt" was oceanic or continental crust . So I put together a word search, a word scramble, and a crossword using vocabulary from the Earth science core: crust, mantle, outer core, inner core, lithosphere, asthenosphere, tectonic plates, continental drift, convergent boundary, divergent boundary, transform boundary, weathering, erosion, deposition, magma, lava, and the types of rocks in the rock cycle .

The PDF is four pages. Three puzzles plus one answer key page. The word search works well for quiet time after recess, and the scramble gets them talking because they argue about the spelling of "asthenosphere" or whether "lithosphere" and "crust" are the same thing (they're not—the lithosphere includes the crust and upper mantle) . The crossword I use for partners or as a review before a unit test, and I always have a diagram of Earth's layers and a plate boundary chart nearby for the kids who need the visual support to see the relationships between the concepts . I added a couple simple core, mantle, and crust drawings but nothing too busy.

Works for 7th through 8th grade. Print and go. Sometimes I have early finishers draw a cross-section of Earth's layers and label each one on the back, or name one type of plate boundary and what it creates (mountains, volcanoes, or earthquakes) . The kids actually ask for these now.