UNITS 1-6 -- 4TH GRADE SCIENCE
CUMULATIVE STUDY GUIDE
1. Astronomy – the science of celestial objects, space, and the universe.
2. Celestial – relating to the sky, or outer space, as observed in astronomy.
3. Obtain – to get or acquire something.
4. Magnify – to make an object appear larger.
5. Orbit – the curved path of a celestial object or spacecraft around a star, planet, or
moon.
6. Revolve – to move in a path around another object (objects in orbit do this.)
7. Rotate – to move in a circle around an axis or center.
8. Axis – an imaginary line through the center of an object.
9. Solar System – the sun and all other celestial bodies that orbit it.
10. Planet – a large body that orbits the sun and does not produce light.
11. Dwarf Planet – a celestial body that resembles a small planet, but is neither a true
planet nor a natural satellite.
12. Star – a ball of hot gases that gives off light and other forms of energy.
13. Sun – the star around which the earth, and all other celestial bodies within the solar
system, orbit.
14. Moon – a small body that orbits a planet.
15. Constellation – a group of stars that form an apparent pattern.
16. Outer Planets – Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune; or the Gas Giants.
17. Inner Planets – Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars; or the Terrestrial Planets.
18. Terrestrial Planets – a planet composed of rocks or metals.
19. Gas Giants – a large planet composed mainly of hydrogen and helium.
20. Telescope – a tool that is used to make distant objects appear larger.
21. Space Probe – a craft that carries instruments to explore outer space.
22. Astronomical Unit – the distance between the earth and the sun (AU).
23. Develop – to grow and become more advanced and elaborate.
24. Construct – to build or craft an idea.
25. Evaluate – to form an idea of the amount, number, or value of.
26. Seasons – the four divisions of the year, resulting from the earth’s changing position
while orbiting the sun.
27. Moon Phases – when the moon presents specific reoccurring appearances.
28. New Moon – a moon phase where the moon’s nearside receives no sunlight.
29. Crescent Moon – a moon phase where the moon appears as a thin shape.
30. Gibbous Moon – a moon phase where the moon’s nearside is almost completely
illuminated.
31. Quarter Moon – a moon phase where half of the moon is illuminated.
32. Full Moon – a moon phase where the moon’s nearside is completely illuminated.
33. Waxing – to grow in size, or illumination.
34. Waning – to decrease in size, or illumination.
35. Equator – an imaginary line drawn around the earth equally between the north and
south poles, dividing earth into northern and southern hemispheres.
36. Hemisphere – half of a celestial sphere.
37. Weather – the state of the atmosphere at a place and time.
38. Weather – the state of the atmosphere at a place and time.
39. Climate – the usual weather conditions of a region occurring throughout the year.
40. Meteorologist – a scientist specializing in the study of weather and climate.
41. Forecast – to predict or calculate in advance what type of weather is coming.
42. Prediction – a reasoning statement made about the future.
43. Temperature – a measure of heat or cold.
44. Water Cycle – earth’s water constantly changing from one state of matter to another.
45. Evaporation – when energy from the sun causes liquid water to change into water
vapor.
46. Condensation – when water vapor in the atmosphere is changed back into liquid water.
47. Precipitation – water droplets that fall from the sky.
48. Ice – water in its solid state.
49. Water – water in its liquid state.
50. Water Vapor – water in its gaseous state.
51. Thermometer – an instrument for measuring temperature.
52. Rain Gauge – an instrument for collecting and measuring the amount of rainfall.
53. Barometer – an instrument for measuring air pressure.
54. Wind Vane – an instrument for measuring the direction of wind.
55. Anemometer – an instrument for measuring the speed of wind.
56. Cirrus Clouds – clouds that form high in the sky and appear as narrow feathery bands.
57. Stratus Clouds – clouds that form low in the sky and appear as flat sheets.
58. Cumulus Clouds – large clouds that appear puffy and cotton-like.
59. Ecosystem – a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical
environment.
60. Organic Matter – composed of the remains of plants, animals, and their waste.
61. Environment – the surroundings or conditions that a person, animal, or plant lives or
operates.
62. Producer – organism that uses the sun’s energy to make its own food.
63. Consumer – organism that eats other living things to get energy.
64. Pollinator – an animal that causes plants to make fruit or seeds by moving pollen from
one part of a flower to another.
65. Habitat – the natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.
66. Adaptation – a feature that helps a living thing survive in its environment.
67. Niche – the role and position a species has in its environment.
68. Camouflage – an adaptation that allows a living thing to blend into its surroundings.
69. Mimicry – an adaptation in which one kind of organism looks like another kind.
70. Hibernate – when animals go into a state that is like a deep sleep during cold winter
months.
71. Migrate – when animals move to another place to meet their basic needs.
72. Decomposer – organisms that break down dead or decaying organisms.
73. Microorganism – an organism that can be seen only with the aid of a microscope.
74. Food Chain – a diagram that shows how food energy moves from one organism to
another in a given environment.
75. Food Web – a model that shows interconnecting food chains within an ecosystem.
76. Decay – to decompose or rot.
77. Species – a group of the same kind of organism that reproduces in nature and produces
offspring.
78. Era – a period of time marked by distinctive events.
79. Extinct – the complete loss of one kind of living thing.
80. Paleontologist – a scientist who studies fossils and other types of evidence to learn
about life in the past.
81. Fossil – the preserved remains of a prehistoric organism.
82. Community – all the living things in an environment.
83. Population – the number of organisms of the same species that live in a particular
geographic area at the same time.
84. Reproduction – to make more of its own kind.
85. Seed Dispersal – when the seeds of a plant are carried to a new place.
86. Temperate Zone – the area or region between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic
Circle, or between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle.
87. Photosynthesis – when plants use the energy of sunlight to make food.
88. Herbivore – an animal that eats plants to survive.
89. Carnivore – an animal that eats other animals to survive.
90. Omnivore – an animal that eats plants and other animals to survive.
91. Predator – an animal that hunts other animals for food.
92. Prey – an animal that is hunted for food.
93. Scavenger – an animal that feeds on dead organisms.
94. Light – energy that you can see.
95. Sound – energy that you can hear.
96. Energy – the ability to do work or cause a change.
97. Lens – a piece of glass or other transparent substance for concentrating or dispersing
light rays.
98. Prism – a transparent solid body, often having triangular bases, used for dispersing light
into a spectrum or for reflecting rays of light.
99. Absorb – to take in or soak up.
100. Reflect – the bouncing of light from an object’s surface.
101. Refract – the bending of light as it passes from one object to another.
102. Shadow – a dark area where light from a light source is blocked by an opaque object.
103. Opaque – impenetrable to light.
104. Translucent – when light can pass through, but objects on the other side cannot be
seen clearly.
105. Transparent – when light can pass through, and objects on the other side can be seen
clearly.
106. Amplitude – the distance that a wave dips down or rises higher than its center point.
107. Frequency – how often an event repeats itself over a set amount of time.
108. Medium – a substance that makes possible the transfer of energy from one location to
another, especially through waves.
109. Pitch – how high or low a sound is.
110. Vibrate – a rapid, back-and-forth movement.
111. Volume – the level of loudness of a sound.
112. Wave – a vibration that travels through space and matter transferring energy from one
place to another.
113. Wavelength – the distance between two peaks, or wave crests, in a wave.
114. Force – a push or a pull.
115. Motion – a change in position.
116. Mechanical Energy – stored energy of an object, plus its energy of motion.
117. Gravity – a force that pulls things toward the center of earth.
118. Friction – a force that acts when two surfaces rub together.
119. Speed – the distance an object moves in a period of time.
120. Velocity – the rate of change in an object’s position with respect to time.
121. Position – the location of an object relative to a reference point.
122. Repel – to push away.
123. Matter – anything that has mass and takes up space.
124. Mass – the amount of matter in an object.
125. Simple Machine – includes tools that make work easier by allowing pushing and pulling
over increased distances.
126. Compound Machine – a machine consisting of two or more simple machines operating
together.
127. Pulley – a simple machine that uses grooved wheels and a rope to raise, lower, or move
a load.
128. Wheel and Axle – a simple machine that uses a round circle with a rod attached in the
middle to help it lift or move loads.
129. Inclined Plane – a slanting surface connecting a lower level to a higher level.
130. Wedge – an object with at least one slanting side ending in a sharp edge, which cuts
materials apart.
131. Screw – an inclined plane wrapped around a cylinder which holds things together or
lifts materials.
132. Lever – a long, sturdy body that rests on a support and is used to move a heavy load
with one end when pressure is applied to the other.
133. Magnet – an object that is able to pull some metals toward it.
134. Magnetic Field – the area around a magnet where there is a pulling force.