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5th grade STAAR prac
science vocabulary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| adaptation | a feature that helps a living thing survive in its environment |
| air mass | a large body of air with the same temperature and humidity throughout |
| air pressure | the weight of the atmosphere pressing in all directions at a certain place |
| altitude | an object’s height above Earth’s surface |
| analyze | to study something carefully in order to understand what it means |
| anemometer | a tool used to measure wind speed |
| Aristotle | a Greek philosopher who made many discoveries in life science, astronomy, and physics |
| atmosphere | the blanket of air that surrounds Earth |
| attract | |
| axis | an imaginary line that runs through Earth’s center from the North Pole to the South Pole |
| bar graph | a graph that shows numbers as bars of different lengths |
| barometer | a tool used to measure air pressure |
| behavior | a way in which a living thing acts or responds to its surroundings |
| biofuel | a fuel made from living things |
| boiling | the bubbling that takes place in a liquid when enough heat is added to change the liquid quickly into a gas |
| boiling point | the temperature at which a liquid boils |
| camouflage | a pattern or coloring that helps a living thing blend in with its surroundings |
| canyon | a deep, narrow valley with steep sides |
| carbon dioxide-oxygen cycle | the movement of carbon dioxide and oxygen gas through the environment of Earth |
| carnivore | |
| characteristic | a body feature that helps an organism survive in its environment |
| characteristic properties | properties of matter that do not change |
| circle graph | a graph that shows the parts of a whole as the parts of a circle |
| climate | the average weather of an area over a long period of time |
| closed circuit | a complete path for the flow of electricity |
| communicate | to share ideas and information |
| community | all the populations of organisms living in an ecosystem |
| competition | the struggle between two organisms to obtain the same resource in an ecosystem |
| compression | a region in which particles in air are bunched together |
| complete metamorphosis | the total change of form that some insects go through as they become adults |
| conclusion | a statement about what data seem to mean and observations |
| condensation | the change from a gas to a liquid |
| conduct | to transfer heat or electricity |
| conductor | a material that lets electricity or heat pass through it easily |
| conserve | to use something wisely, to avoid using it up |
| conservation | the careful use and protection of natural resources |
| consumer | 1) an organism that gets energy by eating other organisms 2) a person who buys merchandise |
| control | a feature that does not change in an experiment |
| continent | an enormous, slowly moving landmass that floats on Earth’s surface |
| crater | a large, hollow pit in the surface of the moon (or a planet) |
| data | pieces of information gathered during an investigation or experiment |
| decomposer | an organism that gets energy by breaking down dead organisms |
| delta | an area of sediment that builds up to form a flat piece of land where a river flows into an ocean or lake |
| density | the amount of matter in a certain amount of space |
| deposition | the process by which eroded rock is dropped in a new place |
| direction | the path that a moving object follows |
| dissolve | to mix evenly in a liquid. When a substance dissolves, it breaks into tiny pieces that seem to disappear. |
| drought | a long period of time of dryness that may occur when precipitation is less than normal |
| dune | a hill of sand deposited by wind |
| earthquake | the shaking that happens when rock in Earth’s crust breaks and slips |
| ecosystem | all the living and nonliving things in an area |
| electric current | a flow of electric charges through a circuit |
| electrical circuit | the path that an electrical current takes |
| electrical energy | the energy of moving electric charges |
| electromagnet | a magnet made by sending current through a wire wrapped around a metal object, such as a nail |
| empirical evidence | data or conclusions collected through personal observation or experience that can prove that a hypothesis is correct or incorrect |
| energy | the ability to make things move or change |
| environment | a living thing’s surroundings |
| erosion | the process by which weathered rock is picked up and moved |
| evaporation | the change from a liquid to a gas at the surface of the liquid |
| evolution | (the theory of) the series of gradual changes in a species over time |
| experiment | a controlled test to answer a scientific question |
| extinct | no longer found living on Earth |
| extinction | occurs when all the members of a species die off |
| flexible | easy to bend |
| flood | an overflow of water onto land that is normally dry |
| food chain | a model that shows the path of energy as it flows from one living thing to the next |
| food web | a diagram showing several food chains linked together |
| force | a push or pull |
| fossil | the remains or trace of an organism that lived in the past |
| fossil fuel | an energy resource that formed from the remains of plants or animals that died millions or years ago |
| freezing | the change from a liquid to a solid |
| freezing point | the temperature at which liquid freezes |
| friction | a force that acts between two objects that touch each other or rub together |
| front | a place where two different air masses meet |
| full moon | the phase of the moon that we see when the whole lit side of the moon faces toward Earth |
| gas | matter that does not have a fixed volume or shape |
| geologist | a scientist who studies Earth and its history |
| geothermal energy | |
| global warming | the thought increase in the average temperature of Earth |
| graduated cylinder | a tool used to measure the volume of a liquid |
| gravity | a force that pulls all objects toward each other |
| habitat | the place where a living thing is found naturally |
| hazard | anything that can be dangerous |
| heat | thermal energy moving from one object or substance to another |
| herbivore | an animal that eats only plants |
| hibernate | to go into a sleep-like state during winter |
| horizon | the line where the sky and Earth’s surface seem to meet |
| humus | a dark material in soil, formed from the remains of living things |
| hydroelectric energy | the energy of moving water used to make electricity |
| hypothesis | a possible answer to a scientific question |
| incomplete metamorphosis | the partial change of form that some insects go through as they become adults |
| inference | an explanation of something observed, based on knowledge |
| inherited trait | a characteristic that a living thing gets from its parents |
| insulator | a material that blocks the flow of electricity or heat |
| investigation | a careful study of something to answer a question about it |
| inexhaustible resource | a resource like sunlight that cannot be used up |
| landform | a feature of Earth’s surface |
| landslide | The sudden movement of rocks and soil down the side of a hill |
| larva | the early, immature stage in the life cycle of some animals |
| lava | Melted rock on Earth’s surface |
| learned behavior | A skill that an animal develops after it is born |
| length | A measure of how long something is, or the distance between two points |
| lens | an object used to refract light |
| life cycle | All the stages of a living thing from the beginning of life to death |
| light energy | Energy that we can see |
| line graph | a graph that uses a line to represent change |
| liquid | Matter that has a fixed volume but not a fixed shape |
| load | Any device that uses electricity |
| logical reasoning | a way of thinking that reviews information to draw conclusions |
| magnet | A metal object that can pull certain other metal objects toward itself |
| magnetic field | The area around a magnet where it can pull or push |
| magnetism | The attraction of magnets to objects that contain certain metals, such as iron |
| map | a type of illustration used to display locations |
| mass | The amount of matter that makes up an object |
| matter | Anything that has mass and takes up space |
| mechanical energy | The energy of moving objects |
| medium | A material through which light travels |
| melting | The change from a solid to a liquid |
| metamorphosis | The change in form that some animals go through as they become adults |
| meteorologist | A scientist who studies weather |
| microscope | a tool used to observe very small objects |
| migrate | To move from one place to another in a pattern |
| mirror | An object with a very smooth surface that forms images by reflecting light |
| mineral | nonliving natural materials with a regular structure, including metals, metal ores, and some kinds of rocks |
| mixture | Matter made up of two or more substances, each of which keeps its own properties |
| model | Something that represents a real object, event, or process |
| moon | A natural object that moves in an orbit around a planet |
| motion | A change in position over time |
| natural resource | Anything found in nature that is useful to people |
| new moon | The phase of the moon that we see when the whole lit side of the moon faces away from Earth |
| Newton | (Isaac Newton 1642 - 1727) was an English physicist and mathematician who made great contributions on laws of motion and gravity. |
| niche | the role an organism has in its ecosystem |
| nonrenewable resource | A natural resource that cannot be replaced easily |
| observation | information gathered with the senses |
| omnivore | an animal that eats both plants and animals |
| open circuit | an incomplete path for the flow of electricity |
| orbit | the curved path that a planet or other space body follows as it moves around another body in space |
| organism | a complete, individual living thing |
| paleontologist | a scientist who studies fossils |
| pan balance | a tool used to measure mass |
| pattern | a trend, or a change that repeats itself |
| phases | the different shapes of the lit half of the moon as seen from Earth during the lunar cycle |
| photosynthesis | the process by which plants, algae, and some bacteria use energy from sunlight to make their own food (change carbon dioxide and water into sugar and oxygen) |
| physical property | a feature of an object or substance that can be observed directly or measured with a tool |
| planet | a large round body in space that moves around a star |
| Plato | a Greek philosopher who believed that everything was made of four elements: earth, water, air, and fire |
| pole | a region of a magnet where the magnetic force is strongest |
| pollution | the release of harmful substances into the air, water, or soil |
| population | a group of organisms of the same kind that live in an ecosystem |
| position | the place where an object is located |
| precaution | something that is done to prevent an accident |
| precipitation | water that falls from the atmosphere as rain, snow, hail, or sleet |
| predator | an animal that hunts other animals for food |
| prediction | a statement about what is likely to happen in the future |
| prey | an animal that is hunted by other animals |
| prism | a clear, or see-through, object that separates white light into all the colors of the rainbow |
| producer | an organism that makes its own food by photosynthesis |
| pupa | a stage in metamorphosis when the organism is changing from larva to adult |
| quarter moon | the phase of the moon in which we see half of the lit side of the moon |
| rain gauge | a tool used to measure the amount of rain that falls |
| recycling | processing used materials to make new products, or to reuse materials |
| refraction | the bending of light that occurs when light passes from one material into another |
| renewable resource | a natural resource that can be replaced as it is used |
| repel | to push away |
| resistance | a physical property that opposes the flow of electric current |
| resource | any material that an organism needs for survival and obtains from its habitat |
| reproduce | to make new living things of the same kind |
| revolve | to move in a path around another space body, such as the sun |
| revolution | the movement of one object around another |
| rotate | to spin on an axis |
| rotation | the turning or spinning of an object around a central line, or axis |
| runoff | water that flows over the surface of the ground |
| scale model | shows an object at an exact fraction of its actual size |
| scavenger | an animal that feeds on the dead bodies of other animals |
| scientific method | a collection of steps used to explore questions and investigate the natural world |
| scientific process | see scientific method repeat |
| sediment | material that is eroded and deposited |
| sedimentary rock | rock that forms from layers of sediment that are compacted and cemented together |
| shadow | a dark area that forms when an object blocks light |
| soil | the thin layer of material on Earth’s surface in which plants can grow |
| solar energy | energy from the sun |
| solar system | the sun and all the planets and other objects that move around it |
| solid | matter that has a fixed volume and a fixed shape |
| solution | a mixture in which one substance dissolves in another |
| sound energy | energy that we can hear |
| sound wave | an alternating area of high and low air pressure that transmits energy through a medium, such as a solid, liquid, or gas |
| speed | a measure of how far an object moves in a certain amount of time |
| species | a group of one type of organism that can mate and produce fertile offspring |
| spring scale | a tool for measuring weight |
| star | a huge ball of hot gases that gives off its own light |
| state of matter | the form that matter has, such as solid, liquid, or gas |
| static electricity | a buildup of charge within an object that occurs when there are unequal positive and negative electric charges within a material |
| sunrise | the time of day when the sun appears to come up over the horizon |
| sunset | the time of day when the sun appears to fall below the horizon |
| support | to provide evidence in favor of something or helps one prove their inference. |
| survive | to stay alive |
| system | a group of parts that work together |
| symmetry | the sameness of form in the halves of an object |
| table | an arrangement used to display a large amount of information |
| temperature | a measure of how warm something – how much heat it contains |
| testable | able to be observed and measured |
| theory | an explanation of why something happens in nature |
| thermal energy | the energy of the moving particles that make up all matter |
| thermometer | a tool used to measure temperature |
| tide | a rise or fall of ocean water |
| time | a period that can be measured using a stopwatch, clock, and sometimes calendar |
| trait | a quality or characteristic of a living thing |
| trial | a single completed investigation |
| triple beam balance | a tool used to measure mass |
| validity | truthfulness |
| variable | anything that can change, or the characteristic that is tested in an experiment |
| variation | differences in members of a species due to inherited traits |
| vibration | the back-and-forth movement of an object |
| volume | the measurable amount of space any substance fills |
| volcanic eruption | the sudden escape of melted rock and gases at a volcano |
| volcano | an opening in Earth’s surface through which hot, melted rock and gases escape |
| waning | getting smaller, as in the lit part of the moon we see from Earth |
| water cycle | the movement of water between Earth’s surface and atmosphere |
| waxing | getting bigger, as in the lit part of the moon we see from Earth |
| weather | the condition of the atmosphere at a certain time and place |
| weathering | a process of the breaking down of rock into smaller pieces |
| weight | a measure of the pull of gravity on an object |
| wind energy | the energy of moving air |
| wind vane | a tool used to show wind direction |
Created by:
Shebro