K-2 Science Vocabulary by Standard
No list of specific vocabulary is given in the state core. These words are culled
from the core standards and were chosen because they occur over and over in
many grade levels. At the kindergarten level it is enough that students hear these
words used in context by their teachers. By first grade students should be able to
use the words correctly in their own conversations about science. By second
grade students should be able to determine what process they are using when
engaging in science. There is no expectation that students be able to read or
write these words in the lower grades.
Please be sure you are using variations of these words to ensure students
understand them in all their forms. For example, use observation as well observe,
classified as well as classify, and plural and singular forms where appropriate.
Students may understand what the word “warm” means but not relate it to
“warmth” or “warming.” Being explicit in how you approach these terms will help
students make connections in their meanings.
Standard 1 – Processes of Science
1. choice
6. conclusion
2. classify
7. data
3. collect
8. describe
4. communicate
9. different
5. compare
10. fair test
11. graph
12. identify
13. investigate
14. observe
15. question
Standard 2 – Earth and Space Science
1. air
11. hot
2. cloudy
12. lake
3. cold
13. larger
4. cool
14. moon
5. day
15. night
6. Earth
16. ocean
7. fall
17. part
8. foggy
18. pond
9. hail
19. rain
10. half
20. river
21. rock
22. seasons
23. sleet
24. smaller
25. snow
26. soil
27. space
28. spring
29. star
30. stream
16. report
17. similar
18. sort
31. summer
32. sun
33. sunny
34. warm
35. water
36. whole
37. windy
38. winter
Standard 3 – Physical Science
1. back and
7. fast
forth
8. float
2. change
9. force
3. circular
10. heated
4. color
11. living
5. cooled
12. mixed
6. curved
13. motion
Standard 4 – Life Science
1. alive
6. eat
2. baby
7. environment
3. basic needs
8. food
4. breathe
9. grow
5. dead
10. habitat
14. move
15. nonliving
16. object
17. pull
18. push
19. shape
20. sink
11. life
12. life cycle
13. offspring
14. parent
15. resemble
21. size
22. slow
23. straight
24. texture
25. zigzag
16. senses
17. space (area)
18. survive
This list is necessarily incomplete. If you find words your students are using often
in your teaching of the science core, please jot them down here. We can make
our list better for ourselves and other teachers. Thanks, Julianne Paul 9/4/14