Theme 3 Vocabulary 3rd Grade
Dogzilla
Pages 268-269
Irresistible: too difficult to stay away from
Ancient: very old
Crater: the hole in the top of a volcano
Page 271
Terrifying: causing much fear
Creature: a living being, especially an animal
Dreadful: shocking, very unpleasant
Page 272
Heroic: very brave or daring
Monstrous: extremely large, enormous
Page 274
Colossal: very big, enormous, huge
Page 278
Tremendous: very great in size, large
Fiery: very hot, like a fire
Page 280
Horrifying: causing much fear
Etched: clearly or firmly fixed
Confidence: feeling sure of oneself
Go With the Flow
Pages 286-287
Eruption: explosion; a sudden, forceful bursting forth of a material
Layer: a coating, or sheet of material covering a surface
Lava: hot, melted rock that flows from a volcano
Insert: to put, set, or fit into
Foam: to form very small bubbles
The Mysterious Giant of Barletta
Page 295
Statue: an image, often of a person or animal, usually made of stone, metal,
or wood
Mysterious: hard to explain
Giant: an imaginary creature that is much larger and stronger than normal
Zia: (TSEE-uh) Italian word for aunt
Square: an open area in a town’s center
Page 297
Sisters: female members of a religious group; nuns
Hailed: greeted by signaling or calling out to
Buona notte: (BWO-nuh NOH-teh) Italian for good night
Colosso: (co-LOHS-so) Italian word for giant
Page 300
Pedestal: the base on which a statue stands
Page 303
Un miracolo: (OON meer-ACK-o-lo) Italian word for a miracle
Scurried: moved quickly
Buona fortuna: (BWO-nuh for-TOO-nuh) Italian word for good luck
Strode: walked with long steps
Page 305
Minuscolo: (mee-NOO-sko-lo) Italian word for tiny
Debole: (DEB-o-leh) Italian word for weakling
Weakling: a person without strength or power
Page 306
Dumbstruck: so shocked that one can’t speak
Bellowed: spoke loudly and powerfully
Page 308
Che bella festa: (KAY BELL-luh FESS-tuh) Italian word for what a
wonderful party
Grazie: (GRAHT-zee-ay) Italian word for thank you
Eyes on Rome
Pages 362-363
Ancient: very old
Authentic: true or real
Eternal: lasting forever
Obelisk: a tall, pointed, four-sided column built as a monument
Dwarfed: made to look or seem smaller
Pages 364-365
Custom: the way something is usually done by group of people; a habit or
tradition
Galleries: buildings or rooms for showing art
Piazza: a square; an open area in a city where people can gather
Consequences: things which could happen as the result of an action
Raising Dragons
Page 320
Chores: everyday jobs or responsibilities around a home, like washing
dishes or feeding animals
Page 323
Perch: a place to sit or rest
Page 325
Appetite: a strong desire for food; hunger
Page 330
Hitched: fastened an animal to a piece of farm equipment
Plow: to turn over dirt, often in long rows, so that seeds can be planted
Sown: planted seeds
Tended: took care of
Page 332
Harvested: picked and brought in a crop
Page 334
Shelling: removing the outside covering
Atlas: a book of maps
Page 339
Farewell: another word for good-bye
Departing: leaving, going away
Real Life Dragons
Pages 344-345
Rainforest: a thick forest in a hot region with high rainfall
Scales: a hard covering, made up of small, thin, platelike parts, used for
protection on a fish or reptile
Prey: an animal hunted by another for food
Saliva: the watery fluid in the mouth that helps make chewing and
swallowing food easier
Infection: a sickness that can be passed from one animal or person to another
The Garden of Abdul Gasazi
Page 352
Parlor: a room where visitors are entertained
Exhausted: very tired
Page 354
Discovered: found
Tremendous: very large or powerful
Page 356
Ignored: paid no attention to
Galloped: ran fast, like a horse
Page 358
Awesome: causing wonder, fear, and respect
Convinced: made to believe or feel certain
Page 360
Impossible: not able to happen
Page 362
Disappeared: passed out of sight; vanished
Page 364
Blurted: said suddenly and without thinking
Incredible: too unlikely to be believed