Third Gradeby

Serena Georges

Science Vocabulary Words

adaptations

A part of animal’s body or way that an animal behaves that helps it survive

carnivore

An animal that eats other animals

chemical

change When a screw or nail begins to rust it is a

chemical change

A change that forms a different kind of matter

classify

Group items by specific characteristics, color, shape, size, etc.

community

A population of organisms that live in an ecosystem

condensation

The changing of a gas into liquid

consumer

A living thing that eats other living things as food

core

The center of the Earth

crust

The Earth’s outermost surface

decomposer

A living thing that breaks down dead organisms for food

desert

An ecosystem where there is very little rain

Earth

The third planet from the Sun

earthquake

The shaken of the Earth caused by movement of the crust and mantle

ecosystem

The living and nonliving things in an environment

environment

The things, living and nonliving, that surround a living thing

evaporation

The process by which a liquid changes into a gas

extinct

Describes a species that is gone forever

food

chain

The path of food from one living thing to another

food

web

A model that shows how a food chain overlaps

force

A push or pull

forest

An areas in which the main plants are trees

fossil

Something that lasted from a living thing that died long ago

fossil

fuels

A fuel formed from the remains of once living organisms

fresh water

Water that has very little salt in it

gas

A form of matter that does not have a definite shape or a definite volume

glaciers

A large, slow-moving river of ice, form by compacted layers of snow

grassland

An ecosystem made up of large, flat areas of land that are covered with grass

gravity

A force that pulls objects towards each other

habitat

A place where a population lives in an ecosystem

herbivore

An animal that eats plants

hibernate

To enter a deep sleep in which life activities slow down

humus

The part of the soil made up of the decayed parts of once living things

inclined

plane

A simple machine that has a flat surface set at an angle to another surface

inexhaustible resource

A natural resource such as air or water that can be used over and over and can’t be used up

inner

core

The central part of the Earth’s core

inclined plane

A simple machine made of a flat surface set at an angle to another surface

inherit

To receive traits from parents

instinct

A behavior an animal knows how to do without being taught

landform

A natural shape or feature of the Earth’s surface

lever

A bar that moves on or around a fixed point

liquid

A form of matter that has volume that stays the same, but can change its shape

loam

A type of topsoil that is rich in minerals and has lots of humus

magnet

An object that attracts certain materials, such as iron, steel, nickel or cobalt

magnetism

The force of repulsion (pushing) or attraction (pulling) between poles of magnets

magnetic pole

The end of a magnet

magnetic field

The space all around a magnet where the force of the magnet can act

mantle

The layer of the Earth between the crust and the core

matter

Anything that takes up space

mass

The amount of matter in an object

migrate

To travel as a group from one place to live in another

mimicry

An animal’s imitation of another animal or object in order to avoid predators

mineral

An object that is solid, is formed by nature and has never been alive

motion

A change in position

mountain

A landform; a place on Earth’s surface that is much higher than the land around it

natural

resource

Material found in nature and that is used by people

nonrenewable

resource

A resource such as coal or oil that can be used up

omnivore

An animal that eats both plants an animals

observation

When you observe an object using your senses or record data about the object using scientific instruments.

orbit

The path an object takes as it moves around another object in space

Earth orbits the Sun.

predict

To say what will happen using clues to support my guess

physical

change

A change to matter in which no new matter is formed

physical

property

Anything you can observe about an object using your senses

plain

A landform; a flat area of Earth’s surface

planet

A large body of rock or gas that orbits the sun

plates

Part of the Earth’s crust that is broken up into huge areas that drift atop the mantle

plateau

A landform; a flat area higher than the land around it

population

A group of the same kind of living thing that all live in one place at the same time

precipitation

The water that falls to Earth as rain, snow, sleet or hail

predator

An animal that hunts another animal for food

prey

An animal that hunted by a predator

producer

A living thing that makes its own food

push

A force used to move or change an object’s position

pull

A force used to move or change an object’s position

recycle

To reuse a resource to make something new

reflection

The bouncing of a light off an object

refraction

The bending of light when it moves from one kind of matter to another

renewable

resources

A resource that can be replaced in a human lifetime

revolution

The movement of one object around another object

reusable

resources

A resource that can be used over and over and can’t get used up like air and water

rotation

The spinning of an object on its axis

salt water

Water that has a lot of salt in it

scientific

method

Steps scientists take to answer a question or solve a problem.

simple

machines

A tool that helps people do work

solar

system

The Sun and the objects that orbit around it

solid

A form of matter that takes up a specific amount of space and has a definite shape

soil

A loose material in which plants can grow in the upper layer of the Earth

speed

The measure of how fast something moves over a certain distance

star

A hot ball of glowing gases, like our sun

temperature

A measure of how hot or cold something is

thermometer

A tool used to measure temperature

topsoil

The top layer of soil made up of the smallest grains and the most humus

trait

A body feature that an animal inherits; it can also be some things an animal does

tropical rain

forestA hot, wet forest where trees grow very tall and their leaves stay green all year

valley

A landform; a lowland area between higher lands, such as mountains

vibrate

To move quickly back and forth, producing sound

volcano

An opening in Earth’s surface from which lava flows

volume

The amount of space matter takes up

water cycle

The movement of water from Earth’s surface into the air and back to the surface again

weathering

The process by which rock is worn and broken down

weight

The measure of the pull of gravity on an object

wind

The movement of air

work

The measure of force that it takes to move an object a certain distance