absorption
a)The process in which one substance or living
thing takes in or soaks up another;
b)substance takes in or holds energy like heat,
light, or sound (the color black absorbs more than
the color white)
acquire
adaptation
alternative energy
aquarium
aquatic
atmosphere
axis
behavior
biofuel
biomass
boiling point
camouflage
canyon
capacity
To get (An animal will acquire a trait from its
parents)
A feature that helps a living thing survive in its
environment.
A source of energy used to make electricity
that does not require fossil fuels. Ex: wind,
solar, hydroelectric, biomass, geothermal
A glass or plastic tank in which you can keep
fish or other sea creatures.
Relating to water; an aquatic plant or animal
has adaptations that make it suited for living in
water (webbed feet, fins)
The layer of air that surrounds Earth.
An imaginary line that passes through Earth’s
center by its North and South poles.
Any way that an animal interacts with its
environment.
A fuel (wood or ethanol) made from once
living things.
Organic matter, such as wood, that is living or
was recently alive.
The temperature at which a heated liquid
changes to a gas or vapor. The boiling point of
water is 100◦ Celsius.
A color or shape that makes a living thing hard
to see.
A deep valley with very steep sides; usually
created by moving water and has a river
running through it.
The maximum amount that something can
contain.
carbon dioxide
Celsius scale
cementation
chlorophyll
circuit
climate
cloud
compaction
competition
complete metamorphosis
a gas that humans and animals produce and
release into the air when they breathe out.
Plants take this gas in to use during
photosynthesis.
A scale for measuring temperature where
0◦ is freezing/melting and
100◦ is boiling.
When sediment becomes rock because of
extreme heat and pressure deep under the
ground.
The green material in plants that absorbs light
energy from the sun, which plants use to
make food.
The path along which electrons can flow. If
the path is broken the flow will stop.
The average of all weather conditions through
all seasons over a period of time. Ex: Areas
close to the equator typically have a tropical
climate.
Condensed water vapor that rises from bodies
of water on Earth
Extreme pressure from weight being added to
overlying layers
The contest among organisms for the limited
resources (food, water, mate, territory) of an
ecosystem.
Changes in the life cycles of certain animals.
Has four (4) stages: egg, larva (caterpillar),
pupa, and adult. The stage after egg looks
completely different than the adult.
condensation
conduction
conductor
The process by which a gas changes back into
a liquid due to cooler temperatures. Ex: On a
cold glass, or clouds in the atmosphere.
the direct transfer of heat between objects
that touch
a material through which energy can flow; a
material that conducts electrons easily
conserve
constructive force
consumer
current
cycle
data
decomposer
decrease
delta
density
(metals)
to save or protect resources, or use resources
in a careful way
A force that creates or builds something (Ex:
wind building sand dune, volcano building new
land)
an organism in a community that must eat to
get the energy it needs
the flow of electrons from negatively charged
objects to positively charged objects
Any series of events or actions that happens
over and over again (day and night, the
seasons, the water cycle)
Facts, numbers, or words that provide you
with information
A consumer that breaks down the tissues of
dead organisms
To become less, smaller, or have fewer.
A flat, triangular area of sediment deposited
by a river as it enters the sea
The concentration of matter in an object; a
more dense material will sink below a less
dense one (Ex: vinegar is more dense than oil so it will
sink to the bottom in a container. That’s why we shake salad
dressing)
deposition
destructive force
The process of dropping, or depositing,
sediment in a new location
A force that destroys or breaks something
down (Ex: flooding causing a mudslide when the land
cannot absorb any more water)
disposal
dissolve
dune
The action or process of throwing away or
getting rid of something.
To add a solid or gas to a liquid so that the
solid or gas becomes evenly distributed
throughout the liquid
A mound or ridge of sand or other loose
sediment formed by the wind, especially on
earth
ecosystem
electromagnet
electrical energy
electron
energy
environment
erosion
evaporation
evidence
food chain
food web
force
the sea coast or in a desert.
The third planet from the sun in the solar
system
A community and its physical environment
together
a temporary magnet made by passing electric
current through a wire coiled around an iron
bar
the energy carried by moving electrons
through a conductor
a particle with a negative charge
the ability to cause changes in matter
Everything around a living thing (includes
climate, soil, water, food, and living organisms
the process of moving sediment from one
place to another
the process by which a liquid changes into a
gas by adding heat (on a stove or the Sun)
Facts or information that proves, or disproves,
whether something is valid
a process by which energy passes from one
living thing to another
a process that combines many food chains to
show how energy moves through an
ecosystem
a push or pull that causes an object to move,
stop, or change direction (Natural forces:
magnetism, gravity, friction)
formation
fossil
fossil fuel
freezing point
The action of forming or the process of being
formed.
the remains or traces of past life found in
sedimentary rock
A fuel formed from the remains of once living
organisms, found in sedimentary rock (Ex:
coal, oil, natural gas)
The temperature at which particles in a liquid
friction
function
gas
generator
geothermal energy
germination
glacier
gravity
habitat
hazard
heat
hibernation
will slow down and become a solid. The
freezing point of water is 0◦ Celsius.
A force that opposes, or acts against, motion
when two surfaces rub against each other.
Produces heat and slows motion
How something works in a particular way (Ex:
the function of your nose is to breathe and
smell).
the state of matter that does not have a
definite shape or volume
A machine that converts one form of energy
into another, especially mechanical energy into
electrical energy.
Energy that comes from hot rocks below
Earth’s surface. The rocks make water hot
enough to turn to steam, which will turn a
generator to produce electricity.
The sprouting of a seed
A large mass of ice that moves slowly down a
mountain or along a valley. As the glacier
scrapes Earth’s surface other landforms may
be created such as foothills, u-shaped valleys,
and lakes.
The natural force that attracts one object to
another. The greater the mass, the stronger
the pull. Earth’s gravity keeps the Moon
orbiting around it, and Earth orbits the Sun
due to its gravitational pull.
A place in an ecosystem where a population
lives.
Something that may cause unavoidable
danger.
A form of energy. May come from the Sun,
electricity, fire, friction and other sources.
An inherited trait of some animals to spend the
winter asleep or in an inactive state
hydroelectric energy
hypothesis
inclined plane
incomplete metamorphosis
Electricity generated from the force of moving
water.
A possible explanation for something
observed.
A sloping plank or ramp that makes it easier to
raise heavy loads.
Changes in the life cycles of certain animals.
Has three (3) stages: egg, nymph, and
adult. The nymph may molt many times, but it is 3 stages.
Nymph looks like the adult but does not have wings and
cannot reproduce.
increase
inherited trait
insulate
interact
instinct
investigate
kinetic energy
landform
larva
learned behavior
lens
lever
life cycle
To become larger, or to have more.
A characteristic that is passed down from
parents to offspring (physical or instinctive).
To use a material to block the flow of (heat,
sound, or electric) energy.
A kind of action that occurs as two or more
objects have an effect upon one another.
An inherited behavior that an animal does
without ever being taught to do it.
To research or study something to get facts or
information.
Energy that exists because something is
moving.
A physical feature on Earth’s surface.
A young animal with a body form very
different from the adult. The second stage of
complete metamorphosis.
A behavior an animal learns from its parents.
A piece of clear glass or plastic with at least
one curved surface. A lens bends rays of light
that pass through it, making an image look
larger, smaller, or different in some way.
A bar for lifting loads. The lever rests on a
fulcrum.
The series of changes in living things. Ex: frog
life cycle – egg, tadpole, adult, egg.
light energy
liquid
machine
magnetism
mass
matter
mechanical energy
medium
melting point
metamorphosis
mixture
moon
natural resource
niche
nonrenewable
nymph
Energy that we can see; passes easily through
gases in the air and passes through some
other kinds of matter.
The state of matter that has a definite volume
but no definite shape.
Something that makes work easier by
changing the size or the direction of a force.
The force of repulsion (pushing) or attraction
(pulling) between poles of magnets.
The amount of matter in an object.
Anything that has mass and takes up space.
Energy that is in motion (Ex: a rolling ball,
flowing water).
A substance’s physical state like solid, liquid or
gas. Light waves travel faster or slower when
moving from one medium through another.
The temperature at which a solid melts and
becomes a liquid. The melting point of ice is 0◦
Celsius.
a series of major changes in an animal’s body
form during its life cycle
A combination of two or more substances.
Substances may be easy to separate (like trail
mix) or difficult to separate (like lemon in
water).
Earth’s only natural satellite. The moon has no
life, atmosphere, wind, or water. The moon is
¼ the size of Earth and has much less gravity.
Any of the useful materials that people take
from Earth.
The role each population has in its habitat.
The way an organism interacts with living and
nonliving parts of its ecosystem.
A resource that cannot be readily replaced
once it is used (
The stage (during incomplete metamorphosis)
opaque
orbit
organism
oxygen
parallel circuit
pattern
photosynthesis
physical
physical properties
physical state
potential energy
precipitation
predator
pressure
prey
prism
in which the young animal looks like the adult.
A material that does not allow any light to pass
through.
The path an object takes as it revolves around
another object. Ex: the path Earth takes as it
revolves around the Sun is its orbital path.
Any living thing, plant or animal.
A gas that is a waste product plants release
into the air during photosynthesis. Humans
and animals must breathe this gas to stay
alive.
An electrical circuit split into separate
branches.
Something that repeats in a predictable way
(Ex: day/night, phases of the moon, seasons).
The process by which green plants use energy
from sunlight make food.
Relating to something you can see or touch.
Characteristics of a substance that can be
observed (using senses) or measured (mass,
magnetism, physical state: solid, liquid, gas,
density, solubility in water, ability to
conduct/insulate thermal or electrical energy.
The form matter takes at a given time: solid,
liquid, gas
Energy that exists because of its position or
condition.
Any form of water (rain, hail, sleet, snow) that
falls from clouds.
An animal that hunts other animals for food.
The force acting over a given area of a
surface.
Animals that other animals hunt for food.
A transparent solid of glass, plastic or quartz
that can bend or reflect light. The prism
separates light into the colors of the rainbow.
process
producer
pulley
pupa
recycle
reflect
refract
reliable
renewable
resource
Retain/retention
revolve
rotate
screw
season
A series of actions or steps taken in order to
accomplish something.
An organism that makes its own food (green
plants).
A wheel with a rope, chain, or belt passed over
it. A load is attached to one end and the other
end is pulled.
the stage (during complete metamorphosis) in
which the body form of a young animal
changes from the larva to the adult
to use something again
When light energy bounces off a flat, smooth
object.
When light rays bend as they pass through
different substances at an angle.
Accepted as true or correct because the same
results were found after several trials or
experiments.
A resource that can be replaced after it has
been used.
Materials and energy that make life on Earth
possible (air, land, water, minerals, fuels,
energy from the sun, living things that provide
food.
To hold back.
To travel in a closed path around an object
such as Earth does as it moves around the
sun.
To move around a central point or axis. Ex:
The Earth rotates around an imaginary axis
that runs from the North to the South pole.
This rotation causes day and night.
A kind of simple machine. It is an inclined
plane that twists around a central axis.
One of the four (4) periods of the year- spring,
summer, autumn, and winter. Caused by
sediment
sedimentary rock
series circuit
shadow
soil
solar energy
solar system
solid
solubility
soluble
solution
sound energy
species
Earth’s tilt as it orbits the sun.
Material (sand, clay and rocks) that settles to
the bottom of a liquid like a river, lake or
ocean.
A kind of rock that forms when sediment is
under intense heat and pressure (deep in the
Earth) for a long period of time.
An electric circuit in which the parts are
connected one after the other. Electricity
follows a single path and all parts share the
same current.
The dark image or shade cast by an object
where it blocks the light.
The covering of most of the earth’s land
surface. It is made by the breakdown of rocks
into small particles, plus material from dead
and decaying plants and animals.
Energy given off by the sun which can be
turned into light, heat, and electricity.
The sun and the planets, moons, asteroids,
comets, and dust particles that are in orbit
around the sun.
A substance with a definite shape.
The ability of one substance to be dissolved in
another substance.
Able to be dissolved. Ex: Salt is soluble in
water.
A mixture where a solid, liquid, or gas is
dissolved in another solid, liquid, or gas.
Energy produced by vibrations, or a rapid
shaking back and forth, and can be heard.
Sound energy can travel through the air, as
well as some solids and liquids.
a group of similar living things that can
produce offspring who can also produce
offspring
structure
A body part of an animal (Ex: beak, gills,
webbed feet) that is inherited by an animal
from its parent.
sun
A huge ball of gases (star) that provides Earth
with most of its heat and light energy. The
earth and other planets of our solar system
are in orbit around our sun due to the
gravitational pull of its great mass.
A number of separate parts that work together
to perform a function or do a certain job. Ex:
your body, a car, a plant.
An instrument that magnifies distant objects,
or makes them appear larger. (parts: objective
lens, eyepiece)
A glass or plastic container in which small
plants or land animals are kept. When sealed,
the water cycle may be observed, but aquatic
animals would not live in a terrarium.
How something would feel to the sense of
touch: rough, smooth, soft
Energy from vibrating/moving particles (Fast
moving particles will produce more heat,
slower particles will produce less heat).
The regular rise and fall of ocean water caused
by the pull of the moon and sun’s gravity.
To lean at an angle or sloping position. Causes
the seasons as Earth revolves around the Sun.
A characteristic of an organism which is
inherited.
To move from one place to another.
Letting some light pass through. Ex: umbrella,
sheer curtains.
Letting light through so things on the other
side can be clearly seen. Ex: windows.
A device in which a flowing liquid or gas turns
system
telescope
terrarium
texture
thermal energy
tide
tilt
trait
transfer
translucent
transparent
turbine
U-Shaped Valley
valid
variable
volume
water cycle
weather
weathering
wedge
wheel and axle
wind energy
wind turbine
a set of blades.
A valley formed when a glacier scrapes away
the sides of mountains as gravity pulls it down
Reasonable or logical
A condition in an experiment that can be
changed to affect the result.
The amount of space that an object takes up.
The continuing movement of water from Earth’s
surface to the air and back to Earth. The water on
Earth evaporates, changing into water vapor (gas),
and rises into the atmosphere. The gas cools, and
condenses into tiny drops of liquid water and form
clouds. The drops get heavy and fall (gravity) as
precipitation. The water evaporates and begins again.
The changing conditions of temperature,
rainfall, pressure, humidity, wind, and clouds
in one area at one time.
The breaking up of rocks on Earth’s surface by
rain, ice, changes in temperature, and growing
plants.
A simple machine with 2 or more sloping
surfaces.
A simple machine (Ex: doorknob)
An alternative energy source using wind to
move turbines
A machine used to harness the energy of the
wind to generate electricity.