Living On Ice

Many people and animals live in the Arctic.

Indigenous people called the Inuit live in the Arctic regions of Canada and Greenland. 

Polar bears and seals live on sea ice and swim in the icy water.

SOLVE THE PUZZLES
To find out how people and polar bears live on ice, put these story puzzles in order. You will see how the changing climate is challenging their ways of life.

An Inuit man sees changes.

An Inuit man on a boat pulling a large fish from the river

An Inuit man sees changes.

Drag and drop the pictures into the order that makes sense. When you think you've got it right, check your answer. Then watch the video!

Number one inside a square.
Number two inside a square.
Number three inside a square.
Number four inside a square.
Number five inside a square.
A fisherman on a small boat casts a net out into the water.
A fisherman on a small boat reaches into a net on the side of the boat.
A fisherman's hand pulls a caught fish out of a net on the side of a small boat.
A fisherman in a small boat holds a fish out of the water.
A fisherman's hand tossing a caught fish into a box alongside two more fish.
Illustration of an uneven circular shape with text "Good Work!" and a colorful cluster of stars inside.

Check Your Answer

Polar bears weather the winter.

Illustration of a polar bear emerging from a hole in the snowy ground.

Polar bears weather the winter.

Drag and drop the pictures into the order that makes sense. When you think you've got it right, check your answer. Then watch the video!

Number one inside a square.
Number two inside a square.
Number three inside a square.
Number four inside a square.
Number five inside a square.
Illustration of a polar bear's head visible in a hole in the snow, its den.
Illustration of a polar bear's head emerging from a den in the snow.
Illustration of a polar bear halfway emerged from its den.
Illustration of a polar bear fully emerged from its den.
Illustration of a polar bear walking in the snow.
Illustration of an uneven circular shape with text "Good Work!" and a colorful cluster of stars inside.

Check Your Answer

Polar bears need ice to survive.

Polar bear standing on an ice floe in the water.

Polar bears need ice to survive.

Drag and drop the pictures into the order that makes sense. When you think you've got it right, check your answer. Then watch the video!

Number one inside a square.
Number two inside a square.
Number three inside a square.
Number four inside a square.
Number five inside a square.
A polar bear standing on an ice floe bends its head and looks at the water.
A polar bear standing on an ice floe dips one front paw in the water.
A polar bar standing on an ice floe dips its front paws in the water.
A polar bear on an ice floe bending with its face in the water.
A mostly submerged polar bear swims in icy waters.
Illustration of an uneven circular shape with text "Good Work!" and a colorful cluster of stars inside.

Check Your Answer

Arctic sea ice is shrinking.

Map showing Arctic sea ice cover in March 2000 between Greenland, Asia, and North America.

Arctic sea ice is shrinking.

Drag and drop the pictures into the order that makes sense. When you think you've got it right, check your answer. Then watch the video!

Number one inside a square.
Number two inside a square.
Number three inside a square.
Number four inside a square.
Number five inside a square.
Map of Arctic sea ice cover at 7.4 million square kilometers.
Map of Arctic sea ice cover at 7.3 million square kilometers.
Map of Arctic sea ice cover at 7.0 million square kilometers.
Map of Arctic sea ice cover at 6.3 million square kilometers.
Map showing Arctic sea ice cover at 5.7 million square kilometers.
Illustration of an uneven circular shape with text "Good Work!" and a colorful cluster of stars inside.

Check Your Answer

Image Credits:

Sea ice, courtesy of NOAA. Video: "Polar bears weather the winter": Footage by David O. Brown, courtesy of the Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology; "Polar bears need ice to survive": Footage by David O. Brown, courtesy of the Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology; "An Inuit man sees changes": Footage courtesy of the International Institute of Sustainable Development; "Arctic sea ice is shrinking": Images created using data from the National Snow and Ice Data Center; Illustrations: Polar bear illustrations by Chris Burda