5th grade science picture vocabulary glossary.docx

5th Grade Science Vocabulary Glossary

2013-2014 School Year

Science Terms, Definitions and Pictures

AAccurate – Correct; true.

Adaptation – An inherited trait or learned behavior that helps an organism survive in its surroundings.

Adult – A fully grown organism that can reproduce.

Air Pressure – A force applied by the weight of air.

Alternative Energy Resource – Energy generated by natural processes that is renewable.

Analyze – Look at closely and carefully.

Aquarium – A plastic or glass container filled with water, fish, and other aquatic animals.

Atom – What all matter is made of.

Axis – A line, real or imaginary, around which something spins.

BBeach Erosion – The removal of beach

materials into the sea or lakes by the action of waves, tides, or wind.

Beaker – Cylinder shaped glass container used to mix or heat

liquids.


Biofuel – Fuel made from plants, animal wastes, and decomposing plant and animal tissue.

Birth – The beginning of life.

Boiling Point – The temperature at which a substance changes states from a liquid to a gas (the boiling point of water is 100° Celsius).

Bubble – Gas or air in a liquid.

Buoyancy – The upward force placed on an object by a liquid.

CCalculator – A device that performs math problems with numbers entered by hand.

Camouflage – Characteristics that blend in with the surrounding environment and increase chances of survival.

Canyon – A deep gorge in the surface of Earth formed by the erosion of moving water and sand.

Carbon Cycle – The movement of carbon on Earth by the processes of respiration and photosynthesis.

Carbon Dioxide – A gas produced by animals during respiration that plants use to make food, water and oxygen.

Career – Occupation requiring special skills or training.

Carnivore – An animal that gets energy by eating only other animals.


Carrying Capacity – The population size an environment can feed and support.

Celsius – A temperature scale that sets the freezing point of water at 0° and the boiling point at 100°.

Change – To make or become different.

Change of State – To change from a solid, liquid, or gas to another state, such as an ice cube melting.

Characteristic - A trait or feature that cannot be changed.

Chart – A picture that uses symbols to represent data.

Chemist – A person who uses scientific methods to study matter.

Classify – Group together based on similar traits.

Clay – Thick, heavy, and sticky soil made of tiny pieces of minerals.

Climate – Average weather conditions of a region year after year.

Closed Circuit – A pathway that allows an electric current to flow freely.

Cold Front - The location where a cold air mass is replacing a warm air mass.

Combine – To mix together.

Community – A group of living things sharing an environment.


Compass – An instrument that uses a small magnet to shows the directions North (N), South (S), East (E), and West (W).

Complete Metamorphosis – A type of development consisting of four distinct stages – egg, larva, pupa, and adult.

Compost – Plant remains that decay and are recycled as fertilizer.

Concentration – The amount of substance in a liquid.

Conclusion – An explanation based on your observation or measurement.

Condensation – Physical change in matter from a gas to a liquid.

Conductor – Material that allows electric current or heat energy to flow through easily.

Conservation – The wise use and protection of natural resources. To protect and avoid wasteful and destructive use.

Constant – Not changing; the same.

Consumer – An organism that gets energy by eating other organisms.

Craters – Bowl-shaped indents or cavities on the surface of a planet, moon, or asteroid that are caused by a collision with another object, such as a meteorite.

Critical Thinking – Looking very closely at all parts before drawing a conclusion.

Critique – Identify the problems and successes with an investigation and suggest solutions for improvement.


DData – Information collected during an experiment.

Day – The time during rotation when Earth faces the Sun, and it is lighted; this rotation gives the false appearance that the Sun travels from East to West across the sky.

Decay – To rot and break down into small parts.

Decomposer – An organism that gets energy by eating dead organisms, nonliving materials or waste.

Delta – A triangle-shaped (deposit) landform at the mouth of a river as it empties into another body of water.

Density – The mass of an object in liquid.

Deposition – The build up of land by depositing sediment and soil in a new location.

Direct Evidence – Evidence that comes from your measurements, tests, or observations.

Direction – The line or course along which something is moving.

Discovery – Something new that is learned.

Disperse – Scatter or send in several different directions.

Disposal – Getting rid of; throwing away.

Dissect – Cut open to observe.


Dissolve – Melt, make a solution out of, or turn into a liquid.

Diverse – Having a variety of many different types.

EEarth – A planet in the Solar System that supports life.

Earth’s Crust – Outer layer of Earth’s surface that is made of rock and is several miles deep.

Earthquake – A sudden release of energy under Earth’s surface that makes the ground shake or crack.

Ecosystem – A community of living and nonliving things in their natural environment.

Egg – The first stage in the life cycle of many organisms, including birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish, and insects.

Electric Circuit – The pathway through which electrical current flows.

Electric Current – The flow of electricity around a circuit.

Electrical Circuit – The pathway through which electrical current flows.

Electric Energy – Energy produced by the movement of electrons.

Electrical Energy – Energy produced by the movement of electrons.

Electromagnetism – Magnetism created by an electric current; examples are MRI and electric motor.


Electron – Tiny particles in an atom that have a negative charge.

Elodea – An aquatic plant.

Emergency – An event that requires immediate action or assistance.

Energy – What is needed to do work or cause change.

Energy Efficient – Uses less energy to produce results.

Environment – The living and nonliving things that are around an organism.

Environmentally Friendly – Does not damage the physical, chemical, and biological factors in which a living organism or community exists.

Erosion – The movement of weathered material on Earth’s surface by wind, water, or ice.

Erupt – To break open in a sudden and violent manner.

Evaluate – To compare the actual outcome of the experiment (results) with your predicted outcome (hypothesis).

Evaporation – Physical change in matter from a liquid to a gas.

Evidence – A sign of proof; figures, numbers, data, and logic.

Explanation – A reason, cause, or an answer.

Eye/Face Wash Station – Structure that flushes the eyes and face with water to remove chemicals, debris, or irritants.


FFire Blanket – A blanket made of specially-treated fabric that is used if clothing catches fire.

Fire Extinguisher – A piece of equipment that sprays chemicals to put out uncontrollable fires.

Flow – To move or travel smooth in a certain direction.

Food Chain – The path of food energy from one organism to another in an ecosystem.

Food Web – A connection of food chains with many food energy paths in an ecosystem.

Force – A push or pull that causes an object to move, stop, or change direction.

Fossil – Preserved parts or traces of animals and plants that lived in the past.

Fossil Fuel – Nonrenewable flammable material (coal, oil, natural gas) made from the remains of plants and animals buried in Earth’s crust that is used to produce heat and power.

Freezing Point – The temperature at which a substance changes states from a liquid to a solid (freezing point of water is 0° Celsius).

Freshwater – Water found in lakes, rivers, and streams that does not contain salt.

Friction – A force that slows or stops motion when objects rub together.


GGeneralization – A rule or pattern based on limited proof.

Generation – The lifespan of an organism.

Geothermal – Energy that comes from the natural heat inside the Earth.

Global Warming – A rise in the average temperatures of Earth’s air and oceans.

Goggles – An accessory that protects eyes from chemical or biological splatters and spills.

Graduated Cylinder – A container used to measure volume of liquids.

Graph – A drawing that shows two or more types of data are related.

Gravity – A natural force that causes two objects to pull toward each other depending on their mass and the distance between them.

Green – Friendly to the environment.

HHabitat – The place or environment in which an organism naturally lives.

Heat Energy – Energy that causes a change in temperature between materials.

Herbivore – An animal that gets energy by eating only plants.


Heredity – The passing of traits from parent to offspring during reproduction.

Hibernation – When an animal becomes still in an enclosed space and reduces bodily functions to save energy.

Humidity – The amount of water vapor in the air.

Humus – Decayed plant and animal remains.

Hydroelectricity – Electricity made from the energy of moving or falling water.

Hypothesis – An educated guess about the outcome of an investigation that can be tested.

IIlluminate – Light up.

Illustrate – Make clear or draw a picture of.

Impact – Direct effect or change on.

Imprint – A mark or depression made by pressure.

Incomplete Metamorphosis – A type of development consisting of three stages – eggs, nymph, and adult.

Indirect Evidence – Evidence based on an inference.

Inertia – The property of an object that resists movement by force.


Inference – An explanation based on what you already know or what you have seen.

Ingredient – A single part of a mixture or solution.

Inherited Trait – A characteristic that is passed from parents to offspring during reproduction.

Insulator – Material that slows down or stops electric current or heat from flowing.

Investigation – The search for an answer to a question.

KKaleidoscope – A tube that contains three mirrors that reflect many different designs of light passing through a colored disk on top.

Kinetic Energy – Energy in motion.

LLaboratory Apron – A garment that protects clothing from chemical or biological splatters and spills.

Landfill – A location for the disposal of waste.

Landform – Features on the surface of Earth such as mountains, hills, dunes, oceans, and rivers.

Landslide – The rapid falling of Earth’s materials down a slope.

Larva – The stage of Complete Metamorphosis during which the organism resembles a worm.


Laser – A device that gives off a very strong and directed beam of light.

Lava – The extremely hot, molten rock that is blown through a crack in the Earth’s surface when a volcano erupts.

Learned Behavior – Animal behavior that develops from observation or instruction rather than being passed down by heredity.

Lens – A clear piece of curved glass or plastic that bends passing light to focus or spread the light rays.

Life Cycle – The stages in an organism’s life from birth to death.

Light Energy – Radiant energy that our eyes can see from the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Light Spectrum – The small part of the electromagnetic spectrum that the human eye can see; violet, blue, cyan, green, yellow, orange, and red.

Limitation – When a model cannot be an exact representation of the object’s size or detail.

Liquid – Shapeless substance that flows like water and is wet.

Living Elements – A part of the ecosystem like a plant or animal that requires energy to survive and has basic needs that must be met.

Logical – Expected to happen.

MMagma – Hot, melted rock that is below the Earth’s surface.


Magnetism – The property of attraction to a magnet.

Magnify – Increase in size, power, or importance.

Map – A visual representation of an area.

Mass – The amount of matter in an object.

Matter – Anything that has mass and takes up space.

Measurement – The process of using tools to observe an object’s physical properties like mass, volume, temperature, etc.

Mechanical Energy – Energy produced by a machine or moving part.

Melt – Change in matter from a solid to a liquid.

Melting Point – The temperature at which a substance changes states from a solid to a liquid.

Microscope – An instrument that uses a lens to make tiny things look larger.

Migration – The seasonal movement of animals from one place to another.

Mimicry – The resemblance of an organism to another organism or to its surroundings that gives it a better chance of survival.

Mirror – Any object that has a reflective surface.

Mixture – A combination of two or more substances where each keep their own properties and can be easily separated.


Model – A limited representation of an object used to help us understand its structure or how it works. (Space): A copy of

something that represents it so we can study it.

Moon – A natural satellite that orbits a planet. Some planets have no moons; others have over 60 moons.

Moon Phase – What the Moon looks like at different times of the month.

Movement – A change in position or location.

NNatural Gas – A flammable material, without a definite form, produced from organic materials (remains of marine organisms) buried under layers of sediment found near oil deposits.

Natural Resource – Materials in the environment that are useful to people.

Niche – The role an organism plays in its environment.

Night – The time during its rotation when Earth faces away from the Sun, and it is dark; this rotation gives the false appearance that stars move across the sky.

Nocturnal – Active at night.

Nonliving Element – A part of the ecosystem that is not living, such as sunlight, air (includes oxygen and carbon dioxide), water, rocks, and soil.

Nonrenewable Resource – Materials from the Earth that cannot be replaced within a reasonable amount of time; for example, oil, coal, and natural gas.

Nymph – The stage of Incomplete Metamorphosis during which an insect eats


and grows and resembles a smaller version of the adult.

OOcean – One of five large bodies of salt water that cover 75% of Earth.

Offspring – New organisms that come from parents that have reproduced.

Oil – A flammable liquid produced from organic matter (remains of marine organisms) buried under layers of sediments for millions of years.

Omnivore – An animal that gets energy by eating both plants and animals.

Open Circuit – A pathway that prevents electric current from flowing freely or stops the flow.

Orbit – The path one object takes as it revolves around another object in space.

Organic Matter – The waste and remains of plants and animals.

Organism – A living thing.

Oxygen – A gas produced by plants during photosynthesis that animals use for respiration.

PPan Balance – A two-sided instrument that measures the mass of a solid substance.

Pattern – A design or form that is repeated.


Pendulum – A weight suspended from a string that swings freely.

Perish – Die.

Phenomenon – Something that happens or is sensed.

Photosynthesis – The process where plants use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to produce sugar and release oxygen.

Physical Change – Make different without changing what the material is made of, such as: cutting, folding, melting.

Physical State – The classification of matter as a solid, a liquid, or a gas.

Physical States of Matter – The classification of matter as a solid, liquid, or a gas.

Pitch – The speed of vibration.

Planet – A sphere made of rocks and gases that orbits a star.

Plants – A living organism that uses sunlight to make its own food.

Pollen – A fine, powdery substance transferred between certain plants during reproduction.

Pollution – Materials introduced into an environment that cause damage, discomfort, or instability.

Population – All the living things that belong to the same group and live in the same area.

Position – Where an object is located in space.

Potential Energy – Energy that is stored.


Precipitation – Rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls from clouds in the sky.

Predator – An organism that hunts and feeds on another organism.

Prediction – An idea about what the outcome of an investigation will be.

Pressure – The action of force by one object against another (in a geyser, hot water escapes from the pressure from under layers of Earth’s crust).

Prey – An animal that is hunted as food.

Prism – An object made of clear plastic or glass that bends light rays.

Problem Solving – Finding an answer or solution.

Procedure – A planned set of steps.

Producer – An organism that uses sunlight to make its own food for energy.

Property (Properties) - Appearances of an object including: mass, magnetism, physical state, relative density, solubility, and the ability to

insulate or conduct heat or electricity

Protective Gloves – An accessory that protects hands from heat, chemical and biological splatters, and spills.

Pupa – The stage of Complete Metamorphosis during which the organism seems to be at rest, and new body parts are forming.

RRecycle – Changing waste into a new and useable product.

Reduce – Lowering the amount of waste produced by a person or whole society.


Reflection – Energy waves bouncing off the surface of an object (mirrors or echoes return energy back to their source)

Refraction – Energy waves that bend (change direction and speed) as they pass from one type of object to another type.

Relative Density – Objects that are more dense sink in water; less dense objects float in water.

Renewable Resource – Materials from the Earth that can be replaced by nature within a relatively short period of time; example: trees.

Represent – Stand in for or symbolize.

Reproduction – The act of making something new.

Respiration – A process by which animals use oxygen and food to make energy and carbon dioxide.

Retain – To hold within, as soil does with water.

Reuse – Using a product more than once.

Rotation – A 24-hour period, or the time it takes Earth to make one complete rotation on its axis.

SSafety – Prevention against hurt, injury, or loss.

Safety Shower – Structure that rinses contaminants from the body.

Saltwater – Water found in oceans (and a few lakes) that contain 3-4% salt.


Sand Dune – Hills formed by the wind blowing sand.

Scientist – A person who uses scientific methods to study an object.

Season – Several months during the year that have similar weather.

Sediment – Small pieces of rock.

Sedimentary Rock – Rock made of layers of compressed organic and inorganic sediments.

Separate – To pick out one group of materials from another.

Shadow – A dark area caused when an object blocks light falling on a surface.

Shape – The outline or form of an object.

Sieve – Tool used to separate smaller from bigger pieces in a mixture.

Soil – Mixture of rock, plant, and animal remains and minerals; dirt.

Solar – Energy produced by the Sun.

Solar Energy – Energy that comes from the Sun.

Solar System – The Sun and the eight planets that revolve around it.

Solid – A firm or hard substance with no holes or spaces.


Solubility – Measurement of the ability of a solid to dissolve in a liquid.

Solution – A mixture of one substance dissolved evenly in another.

Sound Energy – Energy produced from vibration that you can hear.

Species – A group of organisms with similar characteristics that allow them to reproduce.

Sphere – A three-dimensional ball.

Spring Scale – An instrument that measures Earth’s gravitational pull on an object.

Stage – A specific time during life or growth.

Sun – The star at the center of the Solar System that provides heat and light to Earth; its enormous

gravity keeps the Solar System in orbit.

Sundial – Instrument that measures the time of day by using the position of the Sun.

Surface – The outermost covering or layer.

Survive – Stay alive or stay with.

Swing – Move through an arc back and forth.

System – Organized parts that form a unified whole.

T


Table – Data presented in rows and columns.

Telescope – An instrument that uses mirrors and/or lenses to gather and focus light from objects far away.

Temperature – How hot or cold something is.

Terrarium – A plastic or glass container in which plants grow.

Texture – What the surface or body looks and feels like.

Thermal Energy – Energy that causes a change in heat/temperature between materials.

Thermometer – A tool that measures temperature.

Tide – The rise and fall of the water in the ocean that is caused by gravity.

Time Line – Lists important events and the date they happened.

Tool – An object that helps you do work.

Trait – A characteristic of an organism.

Trend – The direction in which something tends to move toward.

Trial – A repeat of an observation or test.

Triple Beam Balance – A tool used to measure mass that features three beams with sliding masses.

Typical – Usual; average.


VVariable – A factor that can change in an experiment.

Vibration – Rapid movement back and forth.

Volcano – Created from the mixture of molten lava, ash, and gases from the middle of Earth that erupts through a crack in Earth’s surface.

WWarm Front – The location where a warm air mass is replacing a cooler air mass.

Waste – Without any use or benefit.

Water – Colorless, odorless, and tasteless liquid that all living things need to survive.

Water Cycle – The changes to water when it evaporates into the air, condenses into clouds, and then precipitates back down to Earth’s surface.

Waves – Moving ridges of water on the surface of the ocean caused by wind.

Weather – Describes the condition of the air outdoors, such as temperature, cloud cover, wind speed, and rainfall.

Weathering – The breakdown of rock into smaller particles from the effects of wind, water, and ice.

Weight – The heaviness of an object; force of gravity on mass = weight.


Wind Energy – Energy that comes from changing the power of moving air into a useful form.

5th grade science picture vocabulary glossary.docx

Documents

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freezing point of water

bubble gas

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weight of air

erosion of moving water

warm air mass