UNITS OF STUDY FOR THE YEAR WITH VOCABULARY
UNIT 1 – Animals
2. invertebrate – animal without a backbone
3. adaptation – body part or behavior that helps an animal meet its needs
4. camouflage – color or pattern that helps an animal blend in
5. mimicry – an animal looks like another animal
6. hibernation – long deep sleep
7. migration – movement to one region and back again
8. metamorphosis – process of change; egg to an adult
9. organism – living thing that requires basic needs
10. oxygen – gas animals inhale
UNIT 2 – Plants
1. root – plant part that anchors the plant in place and absorbs water and nutrients from the soil.
2. stem – plant part that gives support and transports water
3. leaves – plant part that makes food and gives off water
4. flower – plant part that makes new seeds
5. fruit – plant part that protects the seeds
6. photosynthesis – process by which a plant makes its own food
7. chlorophyll – green pigment in leaves
8. pollination – when pollen is carried from stamen to pistil
9. carbon dioxide – gas animals exhale
10. germinate – to sprout
UNIT 3 – Ecosystems/ Environmental Science
1. producer – makes own food
2. consumer – eats other living things for energy
3. decomposer – breaks down organisms
4. predator – animal that hunts
5. prey – animal being hunted
6. herbivore – animal that eats plants
7. carnivore – animal that eats meat
8. omnivore – animal that eats both plants and meat
9. environment – everything surrounding the animal
10. habitat – meets animals’ needs
UNIT 4 – Earth: Soil/ Rocks
1. soil – earth material made up of weathered rock, humus, water and air
2. rock – earth material made up of one or more minerals
3. igneous – type of rock formed from magma or lava that cools and hardens
4. sedimentary – type of rock formed when layers of sediment compact and cement
5. metamorphic – type of rock formed from heat and pressure
6. rock cycle – when one rock turns into another rock
7. fossil – preserved clue to the past
8. crust – outer earth layer that we walk on
9. mantle – middle, thickest earth layer
10. core – center layer of the earth
UNIT 5 – Water/ Air
1. evaporation – liquid to a gas
2. condensation – gas to a liquid
3. precipitation – water falling to the ground; rain, snow, sleet or hail
4. water cycle – constant recycling of water
5. air pressure – amount of air pressing down on earth’s atmosphere
6. atmosphere – blanket of air surrounding the earth
7. greenhouse effect – earth’s atmosphere trapping energy from the sun
8. buoyancy – the ability to float
9. density – causes an object to sink
10. air mass – huge body of air
UNIT 6 – Earth Changes
1. volcano – sudden earth change where lava is released
2. earthquake – sudden change of the vibrating of the Earth’s surface
3. tornado – sudden change of a funnel cloud causing great damage
4. hurricane – sudden change of a huge storm forming in ocean
5. mudslide – sudden change of huge bodies of land sliding down of a mountain side; usually causes from flooding
6. weathering – breaking down of sediment
7. erosion – gradual wearing away of the Earth’s surface by wind, water, wave or ice
8. deposition – the depositing of sediment; creates sand dunes
9. sediment – bits of rock
10. flooding – natural disaster causes by excess rain
UNIT 7 – Weather
1. thermometer – weather tool used to measure temperature
2. barometer – weather tool used to measure air pressure
3. anemometer – weather tool used to measure wind speed
4. rain gauge – weather tool used to measure rainfall
5. hygrometer – weather tool used to measure humidity
6. wind vane – weather tool used to measure wind direction
7. front – when two air masses meet
8. humidity – the amount of water vapor in the air
9. weather – condition of the air at a specific time and place
10. climate – pattern of weather over a long period of time
UNIT 8 – Space
1. rotation – the earth spins on its axis
2. revolution – the earth travels around the sun
3. solar – “sun”
4. star – huge burning ball of gas
5. planet – large body that revolves around a central star
6. lunar – “moon”
7. solar system – a central star with planets around it
8. moon cycle – the pattern of shapes the moon makes throughout each month
9. waxing – “larger”
10. waning – “smaller”
UNIT 9 – Matter
1. solid – state of matter with definite shape and definite space
2. liquid – state of matter with definite space and shape of its container
3. gas – state of matter with NO definite shape and NO definite space
4. physical change – change in matter in size, shape or state; no need matter is created
5. chemical change – change in matter where new matter is created
6. mixture – two or more parts of matter that can be separated
7. solution – two or more parts of matter that cannot be separated
8. mass – the amount of matter in an object
9. volume – the amount of space an object takes up
10. matter – everything that has mass and takes up space
UNIT 10 – Force
1. force – a push or a pull
2. motion – change in position
3. friction – a rubbing force that causes an object to slow down or stop
4. kinetic – energy in motion
5. potential – energy that is stored up
6. work – when an object is moved
7. acceleration – a change in speed (faster or slower)
8. simple machine – makes work easier
9. inclined plane – a simple machine that creates a ramp
10. speed – the amount of motion in a given time
UNIT 11 – Electricity/ Magnets
1. open circuit – a circuit with gaps and will NOT light up
2. closed circuit – a circuit without gaps and will not light up
3. series – one path for electricity
4. parallel – two or more paths for electricity
5. magnet – a object that attracts materials made of steel or iron
6. electromagnet – a temporary magnet made from electricity
7. attract – opposite poles “pull” together
8. repel – some poles “push” apart
9. conductor – allows electricity to flow through easily
10. insulator – does not allow electricity to flow through easily
UNIT 12 – Energy
1. transparent – allows all light to pass through
2. translucent – allows some light to pass
3. opaque – blocking of light
4. reflection – bouncing of light
5. refraction – bending of light
6. absorption – soaking in light
7. conduction – transfer of thermal energy when two objects touch
8. convection – transfer of thermal energy through a liquid or a gas
9. radiation – transfer of thermal energy from the sun
10. energy
Eco-Friendly/ FUN WEEK
1. eco-friendly – practices that are beneficial for the Earth
2. natural resources – objects that are found in nature
3. renewable – natural resources that can be replaced
4. nonrenewable – natural resources that CANNOT be replaced
5. recycle – turning an item into another item
6. reduce – to lessen
7. reuse – to use an item again
8. compost – creating soil using food and yard scraps