ELEMENTARY SCIENCE VOCABULARY
STANDARD 4: LIVING ENVIRONMENT
KEY IDEA 1: LIVING THINGS ARE BOTH SIMILAR TO AND DIFFERENT FROM EACH
OTHER AND FROM NON-LIVING THINGS
Living
Non-living
Characteristics
Functions
Nature
Classify
Animals
Plants
Thrive
Nutrients
Air
Water
Light
Grow
Breathe
Reproduce
Waste
Die
Life Processes
Variations
KEY IDEA 2: ORGANISMS INHERIT GENETIC INFORMATION IN A VARIETY OF WAYS THAT
RESULTS IN CONTINUITY OF STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION BETWEEN PARENTS AND
OFFSPRING
Inherit
Genetic
Structure
Function
Parents
Offspring
Traits
Classify
Acquired
Learned
Environment
Generation
Resemble
Plants
Animals
KEY IDEA 3: EVOLUTION (INDIVIDUALS ORGANISMS AND SPECIES CHANGE OVER TIME)
Plants
Animals
Change/Evolve
Habitats
Organisms
Species
Survival
Behaviors
Physical adaptations
Differences
Structures
Functions
Growth
Reproduction
Wings, legs, fins
Shelter
Predators
Mouth, teeth, jaws, tongue
Claws, shells, spines, feathers, fur, scales, colors
Seasons
Regulate
Energy
Roots
Nutrients
Leaves
Sunlight
Stems
Stalks
Trunks
Flowers
Fruit
Seeds
Germinate
Adapted
Dispersal (wind, water, animal)
Variations
Coloration
Attraction
Camouflage
Defense mechanisms
Movement
Hibernation
Migration
Competition
Mates
Advantage
KEY IDEA 4: THE CONTINUOITY OF LIFE IS SUSTAINED THROUGH REPRODUCTION AND
DEVELOPMENT
Plants
Animals
Continuity
Reproduction
Development
Offspring
Species
Life cycle (stages of life)
Life span
Sequential
Characteristics
Organism
Death
Growth
Seed
Young plant
Mature plant
Egg
Larva
Pupa
Adult
Evidence
Repair
Maintenance
Size
Energy
KEY IDEA 5: ORGANISMS MAINTAIN A DYNAMIC EQUILIBRIUM THAT SUSTAINS LIFE
Organisms
Dynamic equilibrium
Similarities
Differences
Life functions
Fish
Insect
Mammals
Birds
Amphibians
Reptiles
Plants
Animals
Fungi
Physical features
Survival
Behaviors
Specimens
Environment
Leaves
Light
Seasonal change
Germinate
Perspiration
Heart rate
Breathing rate
Eye blink
Shivering
Salivating
Senses
Mates
Movement
Characteristics
Camouflage
Shedding
Hibernating
Hunting
Migrating
Communicating
Health
Growth
Development
Exercise
Sunlight
Shelter
Heat
Harmful substances
KEY IDEA 6: PLANTS AND ANIMALS DEPEND ON EACH OTHER AND THEIR PHYSICAL
ENVIRONMENT
Plants
Animals
Physical
Survival
Environment
Organisms
Relationships
Sun
Energy
Life cycle
Physical cycles
Earth
Non-living
Producers
Predators
Prey
Food chain
Decomposers
Recycling
Behavior
Manufacture
Heat energy
Water cycle
KEY IDEA 7: HUMAN DECISIONS AND ACTIVITES HAVE HAD A PROFOUND IMPACT ON
THE PHYSICAL AND LIVING ENVIRONMENTS
Decisions
Activities
Impact
Physical environment
Living environment
Dependent
Natural environment
Constructed environment
Cultivating
Populations
Plants
Animals
Resources
“POWER” VOCABULARY WORDS:
Plants
Animals
Organism
Living
Non-Living
Characteristics
Structure
Function
Reproduce
Growth/Grow
Environment
Survival
Offspring
Physical
Energy
Sun/Sunlight
Life cycle
Species
Survival