Theme 6 Vocabulary 6th Grade
The Adventures of Sojourner
Page 551
monitoring: supervising; keeping watch over
descent: an instance of going down
Page 553
belly-flop: a dive in which the front of the body hits flat against the surface of the water
painstaking: requiring great and careful efforts
Pages 554-555
transmit: to send an electronic signal, as by radio
engineers: people specially trained to design and build machines and systems
retracted: pulled back or in
rehearsals: practice sessions
array: an impressively large number or group
barnacles: small, hard-shelled sea animals that attach themselves to underwater objects
rover: a vehicle designed to explore the surface of a planet
analysis: the separation of a substance into its parts in order to study each part
Page 556
stereoscopic: seeing objects in three dimensions
3-D: three dimensional; having to do with visual images in which there is the illusion of depth
and perspective
virtual reality: a computer simulation of a three-dimensional space
interpreted: determined or explained the meaning of something
Pages 558-559
sensors: sensitive devices that respond to changes in the environment
maneuvers: controlled changes in the movement or direction of a vehicle
predicament: a situation, especially an unpleasant or troubling one, from which it is difficult to
remove oneself
navigation: the practice of planning and controlling the course of a craft
lasers: devices that emit a very narrow and intense beam of light or other radiation
panorama: a view or picture of everything visible
Pages 560-561
unforgiving: relentless; steady and persistent
uncontaminated: not made impure by contact or mixture
perilous: dangerous
auxiliary: supplementary; backup
Page 562
tempered: lessened in harshness or severity
bits: the smallest amounts of information a computer can recognize
Little Brother, Big Idea
Pages 566-567
aeronautics: the design and construction of aircraft
inflatable: capable of being expanded with gas or air
Page 568
innovation: something newly introduced
skeptical: doubting or disbelieving
Page 568 continued
intuition: the power of knowing or understanding something without reasoning or proof
Franklin R. Chang-Diaz
Pages574-577
astronaut: a person trained to fly in a spacecraft
aeronautics: the design and construction of aircraft
laboratory: a room or building equipped for scientific research or experiments
demonstrated: showed clearly
satellite: any of various objects launched to orbit Earth
cosmonauts: astronauts
simulate: to pretend in an imitation of something
rocketry: the science of designing, building, and flying rockets
Pages 578-579
methodically: in a careful, orderly way
income: money received for labor or services
scholarship: a grant of financial aid awarded to a student for attending college
Pages 580-581
temporary: not permanent
visa: a document that gives a person approval to travel through a specific country
plight: a situation of difficulty or peril
rectify: to set right; to correct
physics: the science of matter and energy and of how they relate to one another
Pages 580-581 continued
laid off: dismissed or suspended from a job
engineering: the use of scientific and mathematical principles to design and build structures,
machines, and systems
Pages 582-583
thermonuclear: relating to the fusion of atomic nuclei at high temperatures; or, the energy
produced in this way
fusion: a nuclear reaction in which light nuclei combine to form heavier nuclei, releasing large
amounts of energy
qualifications: skills or other traits that suit a person for a particular job or activity
dormant: not active but capable of renewed activity
soliciting: seeking to obtain
applicants: people who request employment or acceptance
Pages 584-585
preliminary: introductory
visionary: dreamer
avionics: the science and technology of electronics as applied to aircraft and spacecraft
integration: the act or process of bringing parts together into a whole
Page 586
renovation: the act of restoring something to an earlier condition
BUILD AD LAUNH A APER ROCKET!
Page 590
efficient: acting or producing effectively with a minimum of waste, expense, or effort
uniform: always the same; not changing
beneath BLUE WATERS
Page 598
submersible: a craft that operates under water
oceanographers: scientists who specialize in the study of the sea
Pages 600-601
hydrothermal: relating to hot water
menagerie: a collection of wild animals
mesopelagic: having to do with ocean life in the “middle ocean”, at a depth of 600-3000 feet
Page 602
panoramic: visible over a wide area
prow: the forward part of a ship’s body; the bow
starboard: the right-hand side of a ship as one faces forward
Page 604
bioluminescence: the emission of light by certain living organisms
tentacles: long, elastic, narrow limbs of an animal, used to feel, grasp, or move
Page 604 continued
crustacean: one of a large group of hard-shelled animals that have jointed parts and live mostly
in the water
sparse: not dense or crowded
Pages 606-607
gelatinous: like gelatin; thick and slow to flow
undulates: moves in a smooth, wavy motion
Page 609
tether: a rope or chain that is secured to an object or animal, allowing it a limited range to move
about
unfathomable: impossible to measure
SHARKS UNDER ICE
Pages 612-613
frigid: extremely cold
insulated: covered with a material that prevents the passage of heat outward
cavernous: resembling a cavern; huge and deep
Pages 614-615
parasites: organisms of one kind that live on a different kind of organism from which they get
their nourishment
copepods: (KOH puh pahdz) very small water animals, related to the shrimp, that exist in huge
numbers in the sea and are a main source of food for many other animals
elusive: tending to avoid or escape from others
lubricant: a slippery substance used to coat the surfaces of moving parts, to reduce friction and
wear
Out There
Pages 620-621
jetty: a stone, earthen, or wood structure projecting into a body of water to protect a harbor
steerage way: the minimum amount of speed required for a boat to be steered
knots: units of speed, each one equal to one nautical mile (1.15 miles) per hour
visibility: the greatest distance over which it is possible to see
buoy: an anchored float, often with a bell or light, used on a lake or ocean to mark sage passages
or to warn of danger
stern: the rear part of a shop or boat
derelict: a piece of property, usually a ship at sea, that has been deserted by its owner
Pages 622-623
cabin cruiser: a large motorboat with a cabin equipped with living facilities
port side: the left side of a boat as one faces forward
galley: the kitchen on a boat
bow: the front section of a boat
cleat: a piece of metal or wood with projecting arms on which a rope can be wound
berths: spaces at a wharf for boats to dock or anchor
coroner: a public official who investigates any death not clearly due to natural causes
fore: toward or near the front, or bow, of a boat
aft: toward or near the rear, or stern, of a boat
Pages 624-625
sergeant: a police officer ranking just below a captain, lieutenant, or inspector
Lock Ness Monster: a legendary sea creature said to live in a loch, or lake, in Scotland
Pages 624-625 continued
render: to provide
deputy: an assistant
charged: accused; blamed
Page 627
UFOs: unidentified flying objects
abandoned: permanently left behind; deserted
contaminated: made impure or unclean by mixture or contact
civilian: having to do with life outside the military or government
Pages 628-629
inquiries: quest for information
posted: informed
Library of Congress: the main public library in the United States, located in Washington, D.C.
starboard: the right side of a ship as one faces forward
wheelhouse: an enclosed section above the main deck of a ship, on the bridge, from which the
ship is steered
incident: a disturbance or mishap
bridge: a platform or enclosed area above the main deck of a ship from which the ship is
controlled
Page 630
oceanographic: having to do with the exploration and scientific study of the ocean
discount: to doubt the truth of something or regard it as a wild exaggeration
kraken: a huge sea monster in Norwegian legend
larvae: immature stage of certain animals (plural form)
beam: the width of a ship at widest part
harpooning: using a spear with a long head to hunt whales and large fish
Page 630 continued
grizzled: streaked with or partly gray
wharf: landing place where shops tie up and load or unload
afterdeck: the part of a ship’s deck near the rear
Pages 632-633
scoff: to express mocking contempt or derision; jeer
laughingstock: a person who is made fun of; an object of ridicule
bulkhead: one of the walls that divides the cabin of a ship into compartments
trade journal: a newspaper or magazine having to do with a particular business or industry
preliminary: an examination that is preparatory to one that is longer or more complex
Exploring the DEEP
Pages 636-637
marine: of or relating to the sea
grouper: any of various large, mostly tropical ocean fishes
Page 639
trawlers: boats that drag special fishing nets along the sea bottom
dredge: to bring up with a dredge, a machine equipped with an underwater scooping or suction
device
fertilizers: materials added to soil to increase its ability to support the growth of plants
algae: various green, red, or brown organisms that grow mostly in water and range from single
cells to large spreading seaweeds
aquatic: consisting of , relating to, or being in water