5 Free Printable Antarctica Worksheets for Kids
Dive into the icy realms of Antarctica with our free printable Antarctica worksheets. Designed to enlighten students and curious minds about the most remote continent on Earth.
These free geography worksheets are perfect for classroom activities, homeschooling lessons, or just for fun. Providing a comprehensive understanding of Antarctica’s geography, ecosystem, and historical exploration.
Whether you’re looking to label maps, discover fascinating facts, or learn about the intrepid explorers who ventured into this frozen wilderness, our printable Antarctica continent worksheets have got you covered.
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Fun facts about Antarctica for kids
Fun and interesting facts about Antarctica that kids will enjoy:
- Antarctica is home to the emperor penguin. The largest species of penguin, which can grow up to four feet tall!
- Despite the cold, some creatures still manage to survive in Antarctica. Such as the Antarctic fur seal and the Weddell seal.
- Antarctica is the only continent without any countries, cities, or permanent residents. It’s like a giant ice wilderness!
- The ice on Antarctica is so thick (up to 4.7 km in some places!) that it actually depresses the continent’s bedrock by more than 1 km.
- Antarctica is the driest continent on Earth. With some areas getting less precipitation than the Sahara Desert.
- The South Pole, located in Antarctica, receives 24 hours of sunlight during the summer and 24 hours of darkness during the winter!
- If you were to visit Antarctica, you would need to bring your own food and supplies. As there are no restaurants or grocery stores on the continent.
- Some scientists believe that there may be hidden lakes and rivers beneath the ice in Antarctica, which could potentially support life.
- Antarctica is a great place to study climate change, as the ice holds a record of the Earth’s past climate going back thousands of years!
- The first explorers to reach the South Pole were Roald Amundsen of Norway and his team in 1911. Beating the British explorer Robert Falcon Scott and his team by just a few weeks.
Free printable map of Antarctica
Draw a compass rose over the map of Antarctica, and then label the areas shown.
Nearly all of the areas, ice shelves, or seas are named after explorers who discovered them.
I highly recommend you play the mapology world map game to add to this unit study.
Check out the best geography board games too!
Antarctica fact sheet
There are 10 questions about the continent of Antarctica.
- How many countries are in Antarctica? 0
- How many permanent residents are there in Antarctica? 0
- How big is the continent of Antarctica? 5.275 million mi²
- What is the total population of Antarctica? at any given time up to 5,000 scientists
- What is the tallest mountain in Antarctica? Mount Vinson
- What is the average temperature in Antarctica? -71 degrees Fahrenheit
- What oceans are in Antarctica? Southern (Antarctic) Ocean.
- What is the biggest river in Antarctica? The Onyx River
- Is Antarctica a desert? Why or why not? YES. A desert is defined by the amount of precipitation (rain, snow, mist, and fog) in an area.
- What countries have territories in Antarctica? 7 countries (Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom) maintain territorial claims in Antarctica. But the United States and most other countries do not recognize those claims.
For even more fun learning about the world, I highly recommend the World card game.
Antarctica word search
The Antarctica words can be found, horizontally, vertically, diagonally, frontwards, or backward! Just to make it that much more difficult.
I have also added the word search answers, as some of the words are a little tricky to find!
Tip: I recommend either using a highlighter pen or circling around the letters. Do not cross the letters out if you have found a word, as it may be used in another word!
The 18 words to find are:
- Antarctica
- Glacier
- Blizzard
- Global
- Warming
- Frostbite
- Atmosphere
- Climate
- Cold
- Amundsen
- Ice Shelf
- Iceberg
- Latitude
- Expedition
- South Pole
- Continent
- Penguins
- Whales
Free printable word searches are an excellent school activity for when the kids just need a break. They are educational, but more importantly, they are fun.
Famous explorers word scramble
There are no clues in our free word scramble, other than the 12 words to unscramble are famous Antarctica explorers.
The 12 explorers to find are: (I have included an answer sheet with the download.)
- James Clark Ross
- Richard Evelyn Byrd
- Roald Amundsen
- Ernest Shackleton
- Charles Wilkes
- Douglas Mawson
- Bellinghausen
- William Bankes Amery (not an explorer but included as the Amery Ice Shelf was named after him.)
- Wilhelm Filchner
- Carl A. Larsen
- David Brunt
- James Weddell
This free word scramble printable is great either for the classroom, the library, or homeschooling.
Free printable explorer worksheets
The last worksheet is all about the most famous Antarctica explorers they all have named something on the continent. Whether it is an ice shelf, a sea, or a land.
The students need to research one of the explorers and then write a biography about them.
I have added links to resources they can use:
- Roald Amundsen (interesting fact – Roald Dahl was named after him!)
- Ernest Shackleton
- James Clark Ross
- Richard Evelyn Byrd
- Charles Wilkes
- Bellinghausen
- Douglas Mawson – named the William Bankes Amery after a British civil servant who represented the UK government in Australia.
- Wilhelm Filchner
- Carl A. Larsen
- James Weddell
Books about Antarctica for kids
These are the best geography books for kids:
- Except Antarctica a hilarious picture animal book
- A kid’s guide to Antarctica
- Antarctica a continent of wonder
- Dreamy Antarctica
- Where is Antarctica?
- The Frozen Worlds: The Astonishing Nature of the Arctic and Antarctic (The Magic and Mystery of Nature)
WANT ALL OF THE CONTINENTS WORKSHEETS NOW?
Arctic animals worksheets
Dive deeper into the fascinating world of polar habitats with our curated collection of educational worksheets. This comprehensive suite not only explores the icy landscapes of Antarctica but also ventures into the Arctic realm, offering a closer look at its iconic inhabitants.
- Parts of a penguin worksheet: A worksheet dedicated to the study of penguin anatomy, providing insights into their efficient bodies designed for cold weather survival and adept swimming.
- Penguin memory game printable: An engaging printable game that challenges students to match pairs of penguins. Enhancing memory skills while reinforcing knowledge about different penguin species.
- Life cycle of a penguin worksheet: This worksheet offers a detailed look at the lifecycle of penguins, tracing their journey from egg to adulthood, and discussing the survival tactics these birds employ in the harsh Antarctic climate.
- Parts of a polar bear worksheet: A detailed worksheet dissecting the physical structure of polar bears. Enabling students to understand the unique adaptations these animals have developed to thrive in frigid environments.
- Polar bear life cycle worksheet: An informative worksheet that outlines the stages of life a polar bear undergoes, from birth through adulthood, highlighting the challenges and milestones they encounter.
Need to print later? Add this to your Pinterest board or share it on Facebook. You’ll have it handy whenever you’re ready to use it!
Download the free printable Antarctica worksheets
This printable Antarctica worksheet is free to print but is for personal or classroom use only. Scroll to the bottom of the page to get the pdf file.
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Last Updated on 3 September 2024 by Clare Brown