4th Grade Science Vocabulary
Word
analyze
conclusion
data
describe
dispose
evidence
goggles
identify
investigate
observe
predict
record
recycle
reuse
Word
circuit
closed circuit
conductor
current
electricity
electromagnet
insulator
open circuit
Unit: Investigations
Definition
to observe something carefully in order to understand it
the last part
science information
saying or drawing what you see, hear, touch, taste or smell
to place or set in a particular order; arrange
information or facts that make you believe something is true
a pair of tight-fitting eyeglasses, often tinted or having side shields,
worn to protect the eyes from hazards such as wind, glare, water,
or flying debris.
to tell what something is
to gather information
to see, hear, touch, taste or smell
to say what you think will happen
to write or draw
to use again, especially to reprocess
to use again, especially after salvaging or special treatment or
processing.
Unit: Electricity
Definition
a path through which electricity can flow
is a circuit where the path is complete so that current will flow; a
closed circuit is also called a complete circuit
a material that allows energy to flow well
the flow of electric charge
the flow of electrical power or charge
a temporary magnet made by coiling wire around an iron core;
when current flows in the coil the iron becomes a magnet
a material that does not allow energy to flow well
is a circuit where the path has been interrupted or "opened" at
some point so that current will not flow; an open circuit is also
called an incomplete circuit
Word
conduction
conductor
convection
energy
force
friction
gravity
heat transfer
insulator
light energy
light ray
magnetism
mechanical energy
opaque
radiation
sound energy
thermal energy
translucent
transparent
vibrate
Word
conclusion
control
energy
force
friction
gravity
hypothesis
magnetism
mechanical energy
reliable
result
valid
variable
Unit: Forms of Energy
Definition
movement of heat between two objects at different temperatures
that are in contact with each other
a material that allows energy to travel well
movement of heat when warmer areas of a liquid or gas rise to
cooler areas in the liquid or gas
the ability to do work or cause change
a push or pull on an object
a force caused by objects rubbing together that slows down or
stops motion
a force that pulls objects toward each other
the flow of heat energy between substances at different
temperatures (conduction, convection, radiation)
a material that does not allow energy to flow well
form of electromagnetic energy that is visible to the human eye
beam of light that is moving in a straight line from a source
a force that pulls magnetic material across a distance
energy of motion or position of an object
does not allow light to pass
Movement of heat and light that travels in electromagnetic waves
in all directions from its source; does not require a medium to flow
energy produced by vibrations as they travel through a specific
medium
heat energy; generated by the constant motion of particles in
matter
allows light to pass through partially; scatters light
permits the uninterrupted passage of light
to move back and forth
Unit: Effects of Forces
Definition
the act of making up your mind about something based on
evidence; is a decision which is reached after considering the
evidence
serves as the standard for comparison when a variable is changed
the ability to do work or cause change
a push or pull on an object
force caused by objects rubbing together that makes them slow
down or stop
a force that pulls objects toward each other
a tentative explanation for a phenomenon, used as a basis for
further investigation
a force that pulls magnetic material across a distance
energy of motion or the for motion
having similar results in different experiments or trials
an outcome that ends in a particular way
well-grounded; based on evidence
a factor that is subject to change, especially one that is allowed to
change in a scientific experiment to test a hypothesis
**Italicized words indicate investigation vocabulary words.
Word
delta
deposition
erosion
flow
fossils
glacier
limitations
valley
weathering
Unit: Changes
Definition
fan shaped deposit of Earth materials at the mouth of a stream or
river
process by which eroded Earth materials settle in another place
movement of weathered material by water, wind, or other forces
movement of material such as mud, lava, ice or water
remnant or trace of an organism of a past geologic age, such as a
skeleton or leaf imprint, embedded and preserved in the Earth's
crust as casts, impressions, and molds, and as frozen perfectly
preserved organisms
huge mass of ice slowly flowing over a land mass, formed from
compacted snow in an area where snow accumulation exceeds
melting
the extent allowed, as to area, amount, time, quantity, sequence,
etc.
long, narrow region of low land between ranges of mountains, hills,
or other high areas, often having a river or stream running along
the bottom
process by which Earth materials are broken down by natural
forces
Unit: Soil
Word
capacity
clay
humus
Definition
the amount that can be held or contained
sedimentary material with very small grains
dark-brown or black organic substance made up of decayed plant
or animal matter, provides nutrients for plants, and increases the
ability of soil to retain water
soil composed of a mixture of sand, clay, silt, and organic matter
space in rock and soil
to keep or hold in a particular place
sedimentary material consisting of very fine particles in size
between sand and clay
the appearance and feel of a surface
loam
pore
retain
silt
texture
Word
conserve
conservation
fossil fuels
natural resources
nonrenewable resource
recycle
renewable resource
reuse
Unit: Earth’s Resources
Definition
to protect from loss or harm; preserve
the protection and preservation of natural resources
non-renewable resources created from organic materials and heat
and pressure
natural item from Earth that that can be used
resources that cannot be easily replaced once they are used (such
as oil, natural gas, or coal)
to pass through a system for further use
resource that can be replenished once they are used
to use again
Word
absorb
accumulation
condensation
evaporation
groundwater
infiltration
percolation
precipitation
surface run-off
water cycle
Word
air mass
air pressure
anemometer
barometer
cirrus cloud
cloud
cold front
cumulus cloud
fog
forecast
front
haze
high pressure
hurricane
low pressure
pattern
stratus cloud
symbol
Unit: Water Cycle
Definition
to take in
collection of water in bodies of water such as lakes, seas, and
oceans
water vapor cools and changes to liquid water, forms clouds
the sun heats water and changes it to water vapor
water below the Earth’s surface
movement of water through the soil surface
movement of water though the soil, and it's layers, by gravity
water falls back to the earth in the form of rain, hail, sleet, or snow
water flowing over the ground into rivers, lakes, or oceans, gravity
pulls it downhill
continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of
the Earth
Unit: Weather
Definition
large volume of air that has the characteristics of the area where it
forms
force exerted on the Earth’s surface by the weight of the air above
the surface.
tool to measure wind speed
tool to measure air pressure
high thin clouds, wispy like feathers or mares’ tails, fair weather
visible body of very fine water droplets or ice particles suspended
in the atmosphere, condensed water vapor
the boundary line between a warm air mass and the cold air
pushing it from beneath and behind as it moves
large puffy clouds, usually fair weather, may become dark storm
clouds
condensed water vapor in cloudlike masses lying close to the
ground
a prediction that tells us what the weather is going to be like
boundary separating two masses of air of different densities, and is
the principal cause of weather
moisture, dust, smoke, and vapor in the air that that makes it hard
to see
area where the atmospheric pressure is greater than that of the
surrounding area; usually associated with clear skies and calm
weather
a severe tropical storm having winds greater than 74 miles per
hour; starting near the equator traveling in a northerly direction
area where the atmospheric pressure is lower than that of the area
surrounding; normally produces clouds, precipitation, and other
bad weather such as tropical storms
a customary way of operation or behavior
dark, low clouds in layers, rain and/or storms
a printed or written sign used to represent something
thermometer
thunderstorm
tornado
warm front
weather
wind vane
Word
crescent moon
ebb
fall
flow
full moon
gibbous moon
gravity
moon phases
new moon
orbit
quarter moon
revolve
season
shadow
spring
summer
tides
waning
waxing
winter
tool to measure temperature
a storm caused by strong rising air currents with heavy rain,
thunder, lightening, wind, and sometimes hail
violent storm with winds whirling around a small area of extremely
low pressure that appears as a dark funnel-shaped cloud causing
damage along its path
the boundary between a mass of warm air that rises over and
replaces a mass of cooler air
the state of the atmosphere at a given time and place, with respect
to variables such as temperature, moisture, wind velocity, and
barometric pressure
tool to measure wind direction
Unit: Interactions and Cycles
Definition
the phase when less than half of the lit half of the Moon is visible
the flowing back of the tide from high to low water
occurs after summer and before winter when the Earth tilts neither
toward nor away from the Sun; daylight and nighttime hours are
about equal
the rising of a tide from low water to high water
the phase when the entire lit half of the moon is visible appearing
as a complete circle
the phase when more than half but less than the entire lighted half
of the Moon is visible
a force that pulls objects toward each other
the apparent change in the shape of the moon as it passes through
the lunar cycle
the phase when the side of the Moon facing Earth is dark and not
visible
the path that an astronomical object such as a planet or moon
follows around a larger astronomical object such as the Sun
the phase when half of the lighted half of the Moon is visible
move in a circular motion around another object
a division of the year based on distinctive weather conditions;
summer, fall, winter, spring
a darkened shape on a surface that falls behind somebody or
something blocking the light
occurs after winter and before summer when the Earth tilts neither
toward nor away from the Sun; daylight and nighttime hours are
about equal
occurs when the hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun resulting in
more direct sunlight and longer days
the cyclic rise and fall of the ocean or another body of water
produced by the gravitational pull of the Moon
decrease gradually in size
increase gradually in size
occurs when the hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun resulting
in less direct sunlight and shorter days
Unit: Characteristics
Definition
Word
adaptation
a structure or behavior that helps an organism survive in its
surroundings
the shape, color, or pattern of an animal that helps it blend in with
its surroundings
keep safe from danger, attack, or harm
to scatter in different directions
to make possible
the living and non living conditions around a plant or an animal
the natural environment in which a plant or animal lives
a deep sleeplike state when an animal’s body processes slow
down
the seasonal movement of animals from one location to another
an organism that looks like another kind of organism or object in its
environment so it can escape predators or catch prey
a living thing
to stay alive
camouflage
defense
disperse
enable
environment
habitat
hibernation
migration
mimicry
organism
survive
Word
Unit: Learned Behaviors and Inherited Traits
Definition
behavior
generation
inherited trait
instinctive behavior
learned behavior
likenesses
offspring
trait
Word
egg
germination
larva
metamorphosis
pupa/chrysalis
sapling
seed
seedling
sprout
something that an organism does to get the things it needs to live
all of the offspring who were born around the same time
a characteristic that is passed from parents to their offspring
a behavior that an animal inherits from its parents also called an
instinct
a behavior that an animal develops by observing other animals or
by being taught
characteristics in an organism that make them similar to their
parents
new organisms that come from parent organisms
a characteristic of an organism
Unit: Life Cycles
Definition
an object that contains a developing animal
process in which a plant begins to sprout
the small, wormlike stage in the life cycle of some insects
describes the life cycle of an organism whose form changes
significantly at each stage of its life cycle
stage in the life cycle of a metamorphic insect during which it
changes from its larval to adult form
a young tree
a structure produced by a plant that contains a tiny undeveloped
plant and a supply of food for the plant
a young plant that is grown from a seed
to begin to grow; give off shoots or buds
Word
carbon dioxide
chlorophyll
consumer
dependent
flow of energy
food web
interdependence
photosynthesis
producer
Word
natural hazard
deforestation
Word
Unit: Interdependence and Food Webs
Definition
a colorless, odorless gas made of carbon and oxygen
the part of a plant that makes it appear green
an organism that gets energy by eating another organism
needs another organism to survive and thrive
the transfer of energy through food webs beginning with the Sun
a combination of food chains that interact and overlap in an
ecosystem
the relation between two or more organisms where each one
benefits from the other
the process of using the energy in sunlight to make food from
water and carbon dioxide
an organism that makes its own food
Unit: Interactions and Changes
Definition
is a threat of a naturally occurring event that will have a negative
effect on people, living things, or the environment (eg., flood,
tornado, hurricane, volcanic eruption, earthquake, or landslide, etc)
deforestation is the clearance of forests by logging and/or burning
Unit: Physical Properties
Definition
condensation
cooling
evaporation
float
freeze
heat
heating
liquid
the process of changing from a gas to a liquid
taking heat energy away from a substance
the process of changing from a liquid to a gas
to remain on the surface or within a liquid
is the change from a liquid to a solid state by loss of heat
is the energy of moving particles
adding heat energy to a substance
a state of matter that has a definite volume but takes the shape of
its container
magnetism
mass
matter
melt
physical properties
a force that pulls magnetic material across a distance
the amount of matter in an object
anything that has mass and takes up space
is the change from a solid to a liquid state by addition of heat
attributes that can be observed, measured, or changed without
turning into a new substance
sink
solid
state of matter
temperature
volume
to fall or drop to the bottom of a liquid
a state of matter that has a definite shape and volume
a form that matter can take such as solid, liquid, or gas
a measure of how hot or cold something is
the amount of space occupied by a three-dimensional object or a
substance
Word
dissolve
mixture
solubility
solute
solution
solvent
strainer/sieve
substance
Unit: Mixtures and Solutions
Definition
the process of evenly mixing a solute in a solvent to form a solution
a combination of two or more materials that can be separated
the ability of a substance to dissolve in another substance
a substance that is dissolved in another to form a solution (ex: salt)
a mixture with one substance within a solution is spread out so
evenly into another substance that you cannot tell the two
substances apart.
a substance that dissolves another to form a solution (ex: water)
a tool used to separate substances by their particle size
a specific kind of matter