Glossary —
Science Standard Articulated by Grade Level

abiotic

nonliving

absorb

to take up (e.g., plant roots absorb water)

adaptation

hereditary features of organisms that allow them to live in a particular environment

affect

to have an influence on

affluence

plentiful supply of material goods; wealth

applied science

research aimed at answering questions that have practical applications, e.g., determining the causes of diseases so that cures might be found

asteroid

small rocky body orbiting the Sun

atmosphere

gaseous envelope surrounding the Earth

atom

smallest particle of an element that retains the chemical nature of the element

barometric pressure

atmospheric pressure as indicated by a barometer, used especially in weather forecasting

basic science

research designed to describe or explain nature to satisfy one's curiosity

bias

statistical sampling or testing error caused by systematically favoring some outcomes over others

biodiversity

• number and variety of organisms found within a specified geographic region
• variability among organisms, including the variability within and between species and within and between ecosystems

biome

broad area of the Earth's surface characterized by distinctive vegetation and associated animal life; e.g., broad-leaf forest biome, grassland biome, desert biome

biotic

relating to life or living organisms

calorimetric

relating to the measurement of heat energy by means of temperature measurements

camouflage

concealment by disguise or protective coloring

carrying capacity

maximum number of individuals that a given environment can support for a sustained period of time

catalyst

substance, usually used in small amounts relative to the reactants, that modifies and increases the rate of a reaction without being consumed in the process

cellular respiration

metabolic processes which break down nutrients into usable energy

circuit

• closed path followed or capable of being followed by an electric current
• configuration of electrically or electromagnetically connected components or devices

cirrus

high-altitude cloud composed of narrow bands or patches of thin, generally white, fleecy parts

characteristic

distinguishing trait, feature, quality, or property

cladistics

system of classification that constructs evolutionary trees, showing how shared derived characters can be used to reveal degrees of evolutionary relationships between existing and extinct species

classification system

method of organization of objects or organisms using distinct characteristics or features

classify

to arrange or organize according to class or category

climate

average course or condition of the weather at a place usually over a period of years as exhibited by temperature, wind velocity and precipitation

comet

body of dust, ice, and gas, which orbits the Sun; the orbit is usually highly elliptical or even parabolic

community

group of plants and animals living and interacting with one another in a specific region under relatively similar environmental conditions

compound

substance formed from two or more elements chemically united in fixed proportions

conduction

process by which heat or electrical energy is transmitted through a material or body without gross motion of the medium itself

conifer

any of various mostly needle-leaved or scale-leaved, chiefly evergreen, cone-bearing gymnosperm trees or shrubs such as pines, spruces, and firs

conservation

Life science: the protection, preservation, management, or restoration of wildlife and of natural resources such as forests, soil, and water, to prevent exploitation, destruction or neglect
Physical science: a unifying principle of constancy of a quantity under specified conditions

constellation

formation of stars perceived as a figure or design, especially one of 88 recognized groups named after characters from classical mythology and various common animals and objects

consumer

organisms requiring complex organic compounds for food, which is obtained by preying on other organisms or by eating particles of organic matter

contrail

artificial cloud created by an aircraft, caused either by condensation due to the reduction in air pressure above the wing surface, or by water vapor in the engine exhaust

controlled investigation

investigation in which all but one variable remain constant

convection

transfer of heat energy in a gas or liquid by the circulation of currents of matter from one region to another

cumulus

dense, white, fluffy, flat-based cloud with a multiple rounded top and a well-defined outline, usually formed by the ascent of thermally unstable air masses

data

factual information, from observations, organized for analysis

decomposer

organisms such as bacteria and fungi that feed and break down dead organisms, returning constituents of organic substances to the environment

deformation

alteration of shape, as by pressure or stress

deposition

• act of depositing, especially the laying down of matter by a natural process
• something deposited; a deposit

eclipse

partial or complete obscuring, relative to a designated observer, of one celestial body by another

electron

negatively charged fundamental particle in an atom

element

any of more than 100 fundamental substances that consist of atoms of only one atomic number and that singly or in combination constitute all matter

environment

sum of all external conditions affecting the life, development and survival of an organism, including the biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) elements

erosion

group of natural processes, including weathering, dissolution, abrasion, corrosion, and transportation, by which material is worn away from the Earth's surface

eukaryotic

referring to a cell with a nucleus and other internal structure

experimentation

act of conducting a controlled test or investigation

extinct

no longer in existence

fertilization

• act or process of initiating biological reproduction by insemination or pollination
• union of male and female gametes to form a zygote

food chain

arrangement of the organisms of an ecological community according to the order of predation in which each uses the next as a food source

food web

totality of interacting food chains in an ecological community

force

K-6:  push or pull that changes the motion or shape of an object
7- HS: vector quantity that tends to produce an acceleration of a body in the direction of its application

formulate

to devise or invent

frequency

ratio of the number of times an event occurs in a series of trials of a chance experiment to the number of trials of the experiment performed; the number of cycles an oscillating system executes in one second

friction

force that resists relative motion between two bodies in contact

front (weather)

interface between air masses of different temperatures or densities

gas

state of matter that does not have a definite shape or volume and is much less dense than a liquid because its molecules are far apart compared to their diameters

genotype 

particular combination of genes in an organism

gravitation

universal force by which every body in the universe attracts every other body

gravity 

attraction of the mass of the Earth, the Moon or a planet for bodies at or near its surface

greenhouse gas 

atmospheric gas such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, and methane that allows incoming sunlight to pass through but absorbs infrared radiation radiated back from the Earth's surface, leading to the phenomenon whereby the Earth's atmosphere traps solar radiation

guided investigation

teacher-directed investigation

habitat 

place or environment where a plant or animal naturally or normally lives and grows

hazardous waste 

substance, such as nuclear waste or an industrial byproduct, that is potentially damaging to the environment and harmful to humans and other organisms

heredity

genetic transmission of characteristics from parent to offspring

heterogeneous

consisting of dissimilar elements or parts

homogeneous

uniform in structure or composition throughout

hydrosphere 

aqueous envelope of the Earth, including the oceans, all lakes, streams, and underground waters, ice, and the aqueous vapor in the atmosphere

hypothesis 

K-5:  statement of an anticipated result of an investigation
6-HS:  proposed relationship among observable phenomena or an inferred explanation for those phenomena

igneous 

relating to, resulting from, or suggestive of the intrusion or extrusion of magma or volcanic activity; rock formed from molten magma

inorganic 

involving neither organic life nor the products of organic life
Chemistry: of or relating to compounds not containing carbon

interdependence 

state of organisms depending on each other and the environment for survival

interpretation 

explanation

interrelationships 

interactions between two or more objects or organisms

invertebrate 

animal, such as an insect or mollusk, that lacks a backbone or spinal column

investigation 

inquiry, research, or systematic examination

involuntary 

not under the influence or control of the will; not voluntary; as, the involuntary movements of the body (involuntary muscle fibers)

isotope 

any of two or more species of atoms of a chemical element with the same atomic number and nearly identical chemical behavior, but with differing atomic mass and mass number and different physical properties

law

statement that summarizes, identifies, or describes a relationship among observable phenomena

lever

simple machine consisting of a rigid bar pivoted on a fixed point and used to transmit force, as in raising or moving a weight at one end by pushing down on the other

limiting factor 

conditions or resources that control the size of a population

liquid 

state of matter that does not hold a definite shape but occupies a definite volume because its molecules are in close contact

lithosphere 

outer part of the Earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle, approximately 100 km (62 mi.) thick

living 

state of being alive

lunar 

of, involving, caused by, or affecting the Moon

macroscopic 

large enough to be perceived or examined by the unaided eye; large compared to a microscopic object

mass 

property of a body that is a measure of its inertia and causes it to have weight in a gravitational field, that is commonly taken as a measure of the amount of material it contains

matter 

anything that possesses mass and occupies volume

mean 

average value of a set of numbers

meiosis 

type of cell division that occurs during the reproduction of diploid organisms to produce the gametes. The double set of genes and chromosomes of the normal diploid cells is reduced during meiosis to a single haploid set in the gametes. Crossing-over and, therefore, recombination occur during a phase of meiosis

metamorphic 

change in the constitution of rock; specifically, a pronounced change affected by pressure, heat and water that results in a more compact and more highly crystalline condition; a rock produced by these processes

meteor 

bright trail or streak that appears in the sky when a meteoroid is heated to incandescence by friction with the Earth's atmosphere; also called falling star, meteor burst, shooting star

microscopic 

too small to be seen by the unaided eye but large enough to be studied under a microscope; small compared to a macroscopic object

mimicry 

resemblance of one organism to another or to an object in its surroundings for concealment and protection from predators

mitosis

cell division; cell division in multicellular organisms occurs by mitosis except for the special division called meiosis that generates the gametes

mixture 

portion of matter consisting of two or more components in varying proportions that retain their own properties

model

schematic description or representation of a system, theory, or phenomenon that accounts for at least some of its known or inferred properties and may be used for further study of its characteristics

molecule 

smallest particle of a chemical substance that retains all the properties of the substance and is composed of one or more atoms

mutation 

change of the DNA sequence within a gene or chromosome of an organism

mutualism

close, prolonged association between organisms of two different species in which each member benefits; type of symbiotic relationship

natural selection

process by which, in a given environment, individuals having characteristics that aid survival will produce more offspring, so the proportion of individuals having such characteristics will increase with each succeeding generation.
Two mechanisms of natural selection include:

• gradualism - slow genetic modification (evolution) of a population over long periods of time
• punctuated equilibrium - relatively rapid evolution at a speciation event

neutron 

uncharged elementary particle that has a mass a little greater than that of the proton and is present in most atomic nuclei

nonliving 

objects that don’t reproduce, grow, react, or use food

nonstandard units of measure 

units of measurement based on everyday items (e.g., hands, feet, pace, candy, potato, paper clip) used as a precursor to learning and using standard units of measurement

mutualism

close, prolonged association between organisms of two different species in which each member benefits

nucleus

Physical science:  central region of an atom, which contains more than 99% of the atom's mass
Life science:  cellular organelle in eukaryotes that contains most of the genetic material

observation 

event that is experienced personally or enhanced through measurement or instruments

openness

mind set that allows a person to consider explanations of a phenomena

organic 

of, relating to, or derived from living organisms
Chemistry:  having to do with carbon compounds

organism 

living individual, such as a plant, animal, bacterium, protist, or fungus; a body made up of organs, organelles, or other parts that work together to carry on the various processes of life

revolution 

orbital motion about a point, especially as distinguished from axial rotation

RNA

(Ribonucleic acid) nucleic acids that contains ribose and uracil as structural components and is associated with the control of cellular chemical activities

rotation 

act or process of turning around a center or an axis; the turning of a body part about its long axis as if on a pivot

sedimentary 

of or relating to rocks formed by the deposition of sediment

sexual 

relating to, produced by, or involving reproduction characterized by the union of male and female gametes

simple investigation 

investigation involving a single variable

solid 

body of definite shape and volume; not liquid or gaseous

species 

class of individuals or objects grouped by virtue of their common attributes and their ability to mate and produce fertile offspring, and assigned a common name; a division subordinate to a genus

spectrophotometer 

instrument used to determine the intensity of various wavelengths in a spectrum of light

stimulus 

object or event that causes a response

stratus 

low-altitude cloud formation consisting of a horizontal layer of clouds

structures 

way in which parts are arranged or put together to form a whole; makeup
Life science:  arrangement or formation of the tissues, organs, or other parts of an organism; an organ or other part of an organism

subsystem

component of a system (e.g., a solar system is a subsystem of a galaxy)

symbiotic relationship

close, prolonged association between organisms of two different species that may, but does not necessarily, benefit each member; includes mutualism, commensalisms, and parasitism

system

• group of body organs that together perform one or more vital functions
• organized group of devices, parts or factors that together perform a function or drive a process (e.g., weather system, mechanical system)

technology

application of science, especially to industrial or commercial objectives; tools and techniques

temperature 

degree of hotness or coldness of a body or environment

theory

collection of statements (conditions, components, claims, postulates, propositions) that when taken together attempt to explain a broad class of related phenomena; inferred explanations for observable phenomena

transient 

not regular or permanent

U.S. customary units 

measuring system used most often in the United States (e.g., inches, pounds, gallons)

valid

correctly inferred or deduced from a premise

variable
 

characteristic with values (e.g., numbers, colors, sizes) that differ from one object, event, or situation in a group to the others; e.g., in a group of students, their heights differ, thus "height" is a variable

• independent:  manipulated variable in an experiment or study whose presence or quantity determines the change in the dependent variable
• dependent:  observed variable in an experiment or study whose changes are determined by the presence or quantity of one or more independent variables

volume 

measure of the capacity of a three-dimensional figure or object, measured in cubic units

voluntary 

normally controlled by or subject to individual volition, such as voluntary muscle contractions

weathering 

effect of exposure to the action of the elements

wedge 

piece of material, such as metal or wood, thick at one edge and tapered to a thin edge at the other for insertion in a narrow crevice, used for splitting, tightening, securing, or levering

wheel and axle 

simple machine made up of two coaxial cylindrical objects of different size in which the axle (a small wheel) is attached to the center of a larger wheel; the wheel and axle must move together to be a simple machine; a wheel and axle lifts or moves loads

Processes —

analyze

to examine methodically by separating into parts and studying their interrelations

classify

to arrange or organize according to category

compare

to examine in order to note the similarities or differences of

communicate

to convey information about; make known; express oneself in such a way that one is readily and clearly understood

conclusion

statement, or statements, that summarize the extent to which hypotheses have been supported or not supported

evaluate

to examine and judge carefully; appraise

infer

to conclude from evidence or premises

interpret

to explain the meaning of

justify

to demonstrate or prove to be just, right, or valid

measure

to ascertain the dimensions, quantity, or capacity of

observe

to be or become aware of, through one’s senses, and may include qualitative or quantitative data

predict

to forecast a future occurrence based on past observation or the extension of an idea

question

to ask

result

quantity or expression obtained by calculation

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