Mountains & Glaciers Trace & Write Handwriting Workbook
Free printable Foundation handwriting resource
Mountains and glaciers handwriting explores 36 landscape and ice-related terms, including summit, ridge, glacier, moraine and U-shaped valley. Picture meanings support adult-led discussion before Foundation tracing and independent copying.
Preview what is inside
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Use the arrows or dots to see the front cover, one glossary page and one handwriting sheet. The two inside-page previews are watermarked; download the PDF for clean printable pages.
Compare other physical landscapes using Volcanoes & Earthquakes Trace & Write Handwriting Workbook. Connect meltwater and erosion with Rivers & The Water Cycle Trace & Write Handwriting Workbook.
Explore mountains and glaciers handwriting
The vocabulary includes familiar landforms and specialist terms associated with glacial landscapes. Weathering and erosion are separate entries, while corrie, tarn and arête need clear visual examples. Preserve the accent in arête and the capital U and hyphen in U-shaped valley when modelling the printed names.
What is included?
- 36 words: mountain, hill, summit, peak, slope, ridge, valley, cliff, rock, snow, ice, glacier, stream, lake, pass, range, foothill, plateau, altitude, contour, snowline, avalanche, crevasse, meltwater, moraine, erosion, weathering, scree, corrie, tarn, arête, pyramidal peak, hanging valley, U-shaped valley, ice sheet, iceberg.
- 8 picture-glossary pages with meanings and example sentences.
- 9 handwriting sheets using grey models, dotted letters and independent copying space.
- 21 PDF pages in total: front cover, instructions, glossary, handwriting sheets and two terms pages.
Teaching mountains and glaciers handwriting
Begin with a mountain photograph and locate summit, slope and valley. Read those entries and complete the writing strips. Introduce glacier and meltwater using a suitable diagram, then connect selected landform names with the taught features. Have pupils explain a term before labelling rather than copying a word without locating its feature.
Meanings in the mountains and glaciers handwriting glossary
mountain
Meaning: A very high area of land.
Example: The mountain has a high peak.
hill
Meaning: An area of land higher than its surroundings.
Example: The hill has a rounded top.
summit
Meaning: The highest point of a hill or mountain.
Example: The climber reaches the summit.
peak
Meaning: A pointed mountain top, or the mountain itself.
Example: The peak rises above the clouds.
slope
Meaning: A surface that rises or falls at an angle.
Example: The slope leads up the mountain.
ridge
Meaning: A long narrow line of high ground.
Example: The ridge joins two peaks.
valley
Meaning: Low land between hills or mountains.
Example: The river flows through the valley.
cliff
Meaning: A steep, often near-vertical rock face.
Example: The cliff has a steep rock face.
rock
Meaning: Solid natural material that forms much of Earth.
Example: The rock has a rough surface.
snow
Meaning: Soft ice crystals that fall from clouds.
Example: Snow falls as ice crystals.
ice
Meaning: Water in its solid state.
Example: Ice is water in its solid form.
glacier
Meaning: A large mass of ice that moves slowly over land.
Example: The glacier flows down the valley.
stream
Meaning: A small flowing body of water.
Example: The stream flows between stones.
lake
Meaning: A large area of water surrounded by land.
Example: The lake has reeds at its edge.
pass
Meaning: A lower route through a mountain range.
Example: The pass runs between two mountains.
range
Meaning: A group or chain of mountains.
Example: The range contains several peaks.
foothill
Meaning: A lower hill at the edge of a mountain range.
Example: The foothill stands below the mountains.
plateau
Meaning: A raised area of fairly flat land.
Example: The plateau has a broad flat top.
altitude
Meaning: Height above sea level.
Example: Altitude increases towards the summit.
contour
Meaning: A map line joining places of equal height.
Example: The contour curves around the hill.
snowline
Meaning: The lower limit of lasting snow in an area.
Example: The snowline crosses the mountainside.
avalanche
Meaning: Snow, ice or rock rushing down a mountain.
Example: The avalanche moves down the slope.
crevasse
Meaning: A deep crack in glacier ice.
Example: The crevasse splits the glacier surface.
meltwater
Meaning: Water produced by melting snow or ice.
Example: Meltwater flows from the glacier.
moraine
Meaning: Rock material carried or left by a glacier.
Example: The moraine forms a ridge of stones.
erosion
Meaning: The wearing away and removal of rock or soil.
Example: Erosion deepens the glacial valley.
weathering
Meaning: The breakdown of rock in place.
Example: Weathering breaks the rock apart.
scree
Meaning: Loose broken rock on a steep slope.
Example: Scree gathers below the cliff.
corrie
Meaning: A bowl-shaped hollow carved by a glacier.
Example: The corrie forms a hollow below the ridge.
tarn
Meaning: A small mountain lake, often in a corrie.
Example: The tarn fills the rocky hollow.
arête
Meaning: A sharp narrow ridge shaped by glaciers.
Example: The arête divides two steep hollows.
pyramidal peak
Meaning: A sharp mountain top eroded by glaciers on several sides.
Example: The pyramidal peak has steep faces.
hanging valley
Meaning: A smaller glacial valley above a deeper main valley.
Example: The hanging valley ends above a waterfall.
U-shaped valley
Meaning: A wide valley with steep sides and a rounded floor.
Example: The U-shaped valley has a broad floor.
ice sheet
Meaning: A huge mass of land ice covering a very large area.
Example: The ice sheet covers the land.
iceberg
Meaning: A large piece of ice floating in the sea.
Example: The iceberg floats in the sea.
Teaching and follow-up ideas
- Compare hill and mountain using the supplied meanings.
- Group snow, ice, glacier and meltwater around an ice-landscape discussion.
- Label a landscape sketch with summit, ridge and valley.
Support and challenge
Use short concrete terms such as rock, snow and ice first. Read crevasse and moraine aloud with the child, maintaining visible spelling models. Extend into a comparison of weathering and erosion using teacher-selected examples, separating the geographical explanation from handwriting accuracy.
Choosing pages to print
The mountains and glaciers handwriting practice sheets are PDF pages 11 to 19. Picture meanings appear on pages 3 to 10; select the entries that match the words on your chosen writing sheet. The last two PDF pages contain the terms of use.
For careful letter formation within landscape labels, refer to NSW Department of Education handwriting resources.
Resource licence
Free for personal, homeschool or single-classroom use under the terms included in the PDF. Resale, redistribution and uploading the file to another website are not permitted.
Questions about this workbook
Are specialist glacial landforms included?
Yes. The list includes corrie, tarn, arête, moraine, hanging valley and U-shaped valley, alongside more familiar landscape words.
What is in the mountains and glaciers handwriting PDF?
The 21-page file includes a cover, instructions, 8 glossary pages, 9 handwriting practice sheets and two terms pages.
Which mountains and glaciers words can pupils practise?
mountain, hill, summit, peak, slope, ridge, valley, cliff, rock, snow, ice, glacier, stream, lake, pass, range, foothill, plateau, altitude, contour, snowline, avalanche, crevasse, meltwater, moraine, erosion, weathering, scree, corrie, tarn, arête, pyramidal peak, hanging valley, U-shaped valley, ice sheet, iceberg.
What activity can follow mountains and glaciers handwriting?
Label a landscape sketch with summit, ridge and valley.
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