3rd Grade Essential Science Vocabulary
3.L.2.1 / 3.L.2.2 / 3.L.2.3 / 3.L.2.4
Root
Stem
Leaves
Flower
Seed
Seedling
Germination
Life Cycle
Stage
Survive
Environment
Environmental Conditions
Retention
Drought
Conditions
Synthesize
Component
Capacity
Texture
Soil
Sand
Humus
Clay
3.E.2.1. / 3.E.2.2
Saltwater
Freshwater
Landform
Volcano
Mountain
Valley
Canyon
Cavern
Island
Seas
Ecosystems / Plants
A plant part that absorbs water and grows under the ground
A plant part that supports the plant
Plant parts that are flat, typically green, and synthesizes food for a plant
A plant part that is often brightly colored, that usually lasts a short time, and
from which the seed or fruit develops
A small object produced by a plant from which a new plant can grow
A young plant that is grown from a seed
The process of a seed beginning to grow
All the stages in an organism’s life
Point or period in the growth or development of something
To continue to live regardless of difficult conditions
The conditions that surround someone or something
The conditions and influences that affect the growth, health, progress, etc., of
someone or something
The act of keeping something
A long period of time during which there is very little or no rain
The things that affect the way something is or happens or The type of weather
that occurs at a particular time
To make (something) by combining different things
One of the parts of something
The volume of liquid that can be held by an object
How the surface of an object feels to the touch
A mixture of tiny rock particles, minerals, & decayed plant and animal material
Tiny grains of worn or crushed rock, found mainly on seashores and in deserts
The part of the soil made up of decayed parts of once-living things
A type of soil made up of very small grains; it holds water well
Earth Systems, Structures and Processes
Water that is salty
Water that is not salty
A natural feature of the Earth’s surface
A mountain with a hole in the top or side that sometimes sends out rocks, ash, lava
An area of land that rises very high above the land around it and that is higher
than a hill
An area of low land between hills or mountains
A deep valley with steep rock sides and often a stream or river flowing through it
Pond
A cave, especially one that is large and mostly underground
An area of land that is surrounded by water
The saltwater that covers much of the Earth's surface (smaller than oceans)
A large natural flow of water that crosses an area of land and goes into an
ocean, a lake, etc.
A large area of water that is surrounded by land
An area of water that is surrounded by land and that is smaller than a lake
Stream
Natural flow of water that is smaller than a river
River
Lake
Glacier
Ocean
3.L.1.1 / 3.L.1.2
Bones
Muscles
Skin
Protection
Tissue
Nerves
Skeleton
Function
Internal
External
System
Survival
Properties
Nutrient
Produce
3.E.1.1 / 3.E.1.2
Solar System
Sun
Planet
Earth
Star
Moon
Constellation
Shadow
Rotation
Revolution
Axis
3.P.1.1 / 3.P.1.2 / 3.P.1.3
Speed
Gravity
Mass
Relative Speed
3.P.2.1 / 3.P.2.2 / 3.P.2.3
Solid
Liquid
Gas
Mass
Energy
Melt
Boil
Very large area of ice that moves slowly down a slope or valley or over a wide
area of land
The saltwater that covers much of the Earth's surface (larger than seas)
Structures and Functions of Living Things (Human Body)
A hard material that supports the skeletal system
Tissue that is attached to bones to help them move
The natural outer layer of tissue that covers the body of a person or animal
The state of being kept from harm, loss
The material that forms the parts in a plant or animal
One of the many thin parts that control movement and feeling by carrying
messages between the brain and other parts of the body
The structure of bones that supports the body of a person or animal
The special purpose or activity for which a thing exists or is used
Existing or occurring within your body
Existing of occurring outside your body
Group of related parts that move or work together
The state of continuing to live or exist especially in spite of difficult conditions
Special qualities or characteristics of something
Substance that plants, animals, and people need to live and grow
To make something
Earth in Universe (Objects in the Sky)
The Sun and all the objects that orbit it
The star that the Earth moves around and that gives the Earth heat and light
Large, round object in space (such as the Earth) that travels around a star (such
as the sun)
The planet on which we live
A huge, hot sphere of gas, like the Sun, that gives off their own light
The large round object that circles the Earth and that shines at night by
reflecting light from the sun (satellite of any planet)
A group of stars that forms a particular shape in the sky and has been named
An area of darkness created when a source of light is blocked
The act or process of turning on an axis
Movement in a circle around a central point or object
The imaginary straight line that something (such as the Earth) turns around
Forces & Motion
Rate of motion
The force that causes things to fall towards the Earth
A measure of how much matter is in an object
Your speed in relation to another point in space
Matter: Properties and Change
Firm or hard; not having the form of a gas or liquid
Substance that is able to flow freely
A substance (such as oxygen) that is like air and has no fixed shape
A measure of how much matter is in an object
Usable power
Change from a solid to a liquid usually because of heat
To become so hot that bubbles are formed in a liquid and rise to the top
3.P.3.1 / 3.P.3.2
Transfer
Convection
Conduction
Conservation and Transfer
Move from one place to another
Movement in a gas or liquid in which the warmer parts move up and the colder
parts move down
The movement of heat or electricity through something (such as metal or
water)