5th Grade Earth Science Words:
soil:
The science word for dirt. It’s made mostly of rocks, minerals, and
decomposing matter (humus). It usually contains air & water too.
weathering:
When rocks are broken into smaller pieces by wind, water,
tree roots, or other things.
erosion:
When soil or little bits of rock are carried away by wind or water.
deposition:
When the little bits of rock are dropped down again someplace new.
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igneous rock:
Rock formed by melting and then cooling off.
sedmentary rock:
Rock formed when little bits of rock and soil pile up and get
squished together by pressure.
metamorphic rock:
Rock formed by heat and pressure.
magma:
Molten (melted) rock under the Earth’s surface.
lava:
Magma that flows out onto the surface of the Earth from a volcano.
inner core:
The very center of the Earth, made of a ball of solid iron.
outer core:
The layer right above the inner core, made of liquid iron.
crust:
The top layer of the Earth’s surface, made mostly of rock.
We live on the crust.
mantle:
The layer of Earth right under the crust, made of molten rock (magma).
tectonic plates
Big pieces of the Earth’s crust that float around on top of the mantle.
Pangaea
The giant continent that existed when the Earth formed. It has broken up
into the continents we know today.
earthquake
When tectonic plates get stuck on each other, then suddenly slip, it
causes the plates to jump violently, causing great tremors (shaking)
topographic map
A map that shows landforms by using contour lines of elevation.
Can you name the
Earth’s layers?
1.
2.
3.
4.
crust
mantle
outer core
inner core