Alden School Science Vocabulary List

Transcription

1 Alden School Science Vocabulary List Grade 3 Life Science Plant Life Cycle Stem - Supports plants as well as transporting food, water and minerals. Leaf - Plant organ that contains chlorophyll and where photosynthesis takes place. Flower - Reproductive structure in some seed plants. Root Holds plants in place as well as absorbs water and minerals. Germinate To cause to sprout or grow. Soil Soil is made of tiny rocks and once living things. Photosynthesis- The process in green plants and certain other organisms by which carbohydrates are synthesized from carbon dioxide and water using light as the energy source. CO2 plus H2O using sunlight produces Glucose and Oxygen. Absorb To soak up, like a sponge. Environment All the living and non- living things that surround an organism. Organism All living things. Nutrient A substance usually found in a mineral needed for the healthy growth of living things. Decomposer Energy from waste of living organisms and dead or decaying organisms. Water Cycle an ongoing process in nature that recycles fresh water. Evaporation, Condensation, Precipitation and Accumulation.

2 Grade 3 Earth Science - Solar System Moon - The Earth s closest neighbor in space. Star An enormous glowing ball of gas found in our skies. Solar System A set of planets, moons, comets and asteroids that are held together by the gravity of a star. Sun A star in the center of our solar system. It gives Earth heat and light. Full Moon Phase of the moon when all the lighted half of the moon faces Earth. Tilt to lean Earth The third planet from the sun. Rotation the spin of something on its axis. It takes Earth 24 hours to make one rotation. Causes day and night. Revolution the movement of an object around another object. It takes one year for the Earth to make a revolution around the sun. Causes changes in the season. Planets Large bodies that revolve round the sun. Axis An imaginary line drawn through the center and both poles of a planet. Waning Second half of the lunar cycle in which the moon appears to get smaller. Waxing First part of the lunar cycle in which the moon appears to get larger.

3 Grade 3 Physical Science - States of Matter Solid- Matter that has a definite shape and volume Liquid Matter that has a definite volume but not a definite shape. It takes the shape of its container. Gas- Matter that does not have a definite shape or volume. Volume - The amount of three- dimensional space occupied by an object. Water Vapor Water in a gaseous state. Water A clear, colorless, odorless, and tasteless liquid. It is essential for most plants and animal life and the most widely used of all solvents. Melting To change from a solid state to a liquid state by adding heat. Freezing Changing from a liquid state to solid state by subtracting heat.

4 Grade 4 Life Science Animal Life Cycles Life Cycle Life cycle refers to a series of stages through which a living organism grows and changes. Prey - An animal hunted or caught for food. Characteristic A feature that helps to distinguish a person or thing. Migration An instinctive behavior in some animals in which they travel back to warmer climates for winter. Predator An animal that hunts and eats other animals. Mammal Vertebrates, warm- blooded, feeds milk to the young, partially covered with hair. Amphibian The word amphibian means both sides of life. It begins its life in the water and then finishes it mainly on land. Food Chain A single path of food (energy) from the sun to the plant to the consumer. Hibernation An adaptation in which an organism slows down during the winter. Inherited An essential characteristic possess at birth. Habitat a place in which a plant or animal lives. Adaptation A special characteristic of an animal that helps it survive and reproduce in its environment. Butterfly Stages: An adult butterfly lays an egg. The egg hatches into a caterpillar or larva. The caterpillar forms the chrysalis or pupa. The chrysalis matures into a butterfly. Metamorphosis Dramatic change in an organism s development that occurs after birth Reproduction The process by which a new organism (living thing) is produced

5 Trait - A genetically determined characteristic Instinct A behavior that animals are born knowing. Behavior that is not taught. Decomposer Organisms that gets its energy from waste of living organism and dead or decaying organisms. Producer An organism that changes the sun s energy into food for consumers, for example a plant. Consumer Energy from producers or other consumers.

6 Grade 4 Physical Science Magnets & Electricity Bulb- An incandescent lamp or its glass housing. Electrical energy is changed to heat and light energy in a bulb. Battery Cells that produce a direct current by converting chemical energy to electrical energy. Magnetic Field - A region with a detectable magnetic force. Magnetic Force The force exerted between magnetic poles, producing magnetization. Circuit A looping path of material that conducts electricity. Compass An instrument that uses a magnetized steel bar to indicate direction relative to the Earth s magnetic poles. Iron A metal attracted to magnets. Attract to pull something together using a force such as a magnetic force. Electricity The energy of moving charged particles. Conductor Material able to transmit (conduct) electricity easily. Repel To push away using a force such as a magnet. Like north/north or south/south poles repel. Insulator A material that does not transfer electricity or heat easily. Magnetism The ability to attract certain metals and to attract and repel other magnets. Electrical Energy Energy made available by the flow of electric charge through a conductor. Mechanical Energy the energy which is possessed by an object due to its motion. Energy The ability to cause motion or create change.

7 Grade 4 Earth Science - Rocks and Minerals/ Natural Disasters Mineral A non- living solid material that is formed in nature and has a crystal shape. Metamorphic Rocks a rock such as marble, formed when a large amount of heat and pressure are applied to other rocks. Igneous Rocks A rock, such as granite, formed by the cooling and hardening of magma. Sedimentary Rocks Rocks formed by Earth material that have been deposited by wind, water and ice. Mineral Properties: Mineral Luster The way the surface of a mineral reflects light Mineral Streak The color of the powder left behind when you rub a mineral against a white tile called a streak plate. Mineral Cleavage The splitting of a mineral yielding a smooth surface. Mineral Hardness A mineral s ability to resist being scratched. Mineral Color The color of a mineral under white light. Mineral Texture The feel of a mineral. Weathering The process in which materials such as rocks are broken down by things in nature such as wind and water. Sediments Solid fragments of inorganic or organic material that come from the weathering of rock and are carried and deposited by wind, water or ice. Diamond the hardest gemstone. Earthquake The movements of Earth s crust due to plate shifting. Erosion The process in which small particles of soil are broken down and carried away by glaciers, water and wind. Volcano- An opening in the Earth s crust through which molten lava, ash and gases are ejected. Landslide- The downward sliding of a relatively dry mass of Earth and rock.

8 Grade 5 Life Science Ecosystems and Biomes Habitat the area in nature that is home to a living thing Ecosystem all the living and nonliving things in one area and all their interactions Organism a living thing such as a plant or an animal Climate the average weather conditions of an area or region over a period of many years Species a group composed of all living things of the same type Population the act of putting harmful materials into the air, soil, or water Community all the different populations of organisms living together in one area Conservation the wise use of natural resources Endangered when a species is at risk of becoming extinct Extinct when a species has died out and there are no longer any of its kind alive on Earth Environment all the physical things and conditions, such as soil, air, climate, plants, and animals, that surround a living thing Fossil the preserved remains or traces of a once- living thing

9 Grade 5 Earth Science Weather, Solar System, Soil and Erosion Jet Stream A high- speed, meandering wind current moving from a Westerly direction at speeds often in excess of 250 miles per hour. Climate Weather over an extended period of time. Weather Atmospheric conditions at a given time and place. Water Cycle an ongoing process in nature that recycles fresh water. Evaporation, Condensation, Precipitation and Accumulation. Precipitation Any form of water such as rain, snow, sleet or hail that falls to the Earth s surface. Temperature The degree of hotness or coldness of a body or environment. Air Pressure The force exerted by the weight of the air. Humidity the amount of water vapor in the air. Measured by a hygrometer. Wind Speed How fast the wind is moving. Measured with an anemometer. Condensation When a gas turns into a liquid by cooling the gas. Evaporation When a liquid becomes a gas usually by heating the liquid. Rain Water condensed from atmospheric vapor and falling in drops. Hail Precipitation in the form of spherical or irregular pellets of ice larger than.2 inches in diameter. Sleet Precipitation consisting of generally transparent froze, or partially frozen raindrops. Snow Frozen precipitation in the form of white or translucent hexagonal ice crystals that fall in soft, white flakes. Fronts The interface between air masses of different temperatures or densities.

10 Stationary Front A transition zone between 2 nearly stationary air masses of different density. Cold Front The leading portion of a cold atmospheric air mass moving against and eventually replacing a war air mass. Warm Front A front along which an advancing mass of warm air rises over a mass of cold air. Gulf Stream A warm ocean current of the northern Atlantic Ocean off Eastern N. America Weathering The process in which materials such as rocks are broken down by things in nature such as wind and water. Sediments Solid fragments of inorganic or organic material that come from the weathering of rock and are carried and deposited by wind, water or ice. Erosion The process in which small particles of soil are broken down and carried away by glaciers, water and wind. Soil the mixture of sediment, humus, air, and water that covers most of the land on Earth s surface Sand the largest sediment particles that make up soil Rock a solid, nonliving, natural earth material composed of one or more minerals Sediment rock and mineral particles that are produced by weathering Humus decomposed remains of plants and animals in soil Clay the smallest sediment particles that make up soil

11 Grade 5 Physical Science Sound and Light Energy Energy The ability to cause motion or create change. Sound Energy A form of energy consisting of vibrations that travel and carry sound, perceived as hearing. Absorption the taking in of energy by an object Amplitude the amount of energy in a sound wave Compression part of a sound wave where air particles are pushed close together Decibel unit used to measure the loudness of sound Echo reflected sound that can be heard Pitch highness or lowness of a sound Sound wave compression wave that carries energy through matter Ultrasonic too high- pitched for the human ear to hear Vibrate to move rapidly back and forth Heat Energy Form of energy arising from the motion of all particles in a system. Light Energy A form of energy that allows us to see. Opaque not allowing any light to pass through Reflection the bouncing of light, heat, or sound off an object Refraction the bending of light as it moves from one material to another Transparent allowing nearly all light to pass through Kinetic energy the energy an object has due to its motion

12 Grade 3, 4 & 5 Technology/Engineering - Simple Machines/Complex Machines/Building and Design Simple Machines Machines that trade force for distance or distance for force. Effort Force The applied force Work the amount of effort it takes to accomplish something Compound/Complex Machines Two or more simple machines working together. Resistance A force that opposed motion. Fulcrum Pivot point of a lever. Wedge A simple machine that is a small inclined plane that is used as a tool. Screw a simple machine that is an inclined plane that curves around a pole or rod. Inclined Plane A simple machine that is a sloping surface, like a ramp. Lever A simple machine that is a stiff rod or pole that rotates around a fulcrum. Pulley- A simple machine consisting essentially of a wheel with a grooved rim in which a pulled rope can change the direction of the pull and lift the load. Gears A toothed machine part that meshes with another toothed part to transmit motion or to change speed or direction. Wheel and Axle A simple machine made up of two circular objects of different sizes. Engineering Design Process The five steps that engineers use to design something to solve a problem, to: Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, and Improve.

13 Problem In engineering, a need to desire that motivates the creation of a technology Design a plan for how to build a solution to a problem Prototype a special type of model that is a first draft of a technology. It is developed to test the function of a design. Redesign to change or improve one or more aspects of a technology, such as its cost, efficiency, looks or parts Solution An answer, design, or technology that solves a problem Technology any thing, system, or process that people create and use to solve a problem