Landforms
landforms / shapes of the Earth’s surface; example include valleys, mountains, plains, and canyonsarchaeologist / a scientist who studies material remains, such as fossils, to learn about the past
fossil / a trace, imprint, or remains of a plant or animal of the past preserved in the Earth’s crust
weathering / the process in which rocks are either broken into smaller pieces (physical or mechanical weathering) or changed into other kinds of minerals (chemical weathering)
physical weathering / also known as mechanical weathering, it is the process that breaks rocks apart without changing their chemical composition; can be caused by moving water, ice, and/or plant roots
chemical weathering / the decomposition of rocks due to chemical reactions occurring between the minerals in rocks and the environment; caused by chemicals found in water, acids, and oxidation
canyon / a V-shaped valley eroded by a river
delta / a fan-shaped deposit at the mouth of a river
dune / a mound, hill, or ridge of wind-blown sand
erosion / the process by which soil and rock are removed from the Earth’s surface, transported, and deposited in other locations
floodplain / the land that gets covered by water from a stream or river during a flood
meander / a curve or loop in a river
mountain / high,uplifted area with steep slopes
plateau / nearly level area that has been uplifted
sediment / eroded Earth materials
valley / a low area between hills and mountains, often where a river flows
acid rain / rain containing acids that form in the atmosphere when industrial gas emissions combine with water
erosion / the process of carrying away Earth materials by water, wind, or ice
deposition / the act or process by which wind, water, or ice lays down (deposits) sediment in a different location
glacier / a huge mass of ice slowly flowing over land; formed from compacted snow in an area where snow accumulation exceeds melting
limestone / a type of sedimentary rock consisting of the mineral calcium carbonate
basin / a low area in which sediments are often deposited
channel / the course or path water takes over the Earth’s surface
deposition / the process by which eroded Earth materials settle out in another place
meander / a curving channel; a curve or loop in a river
alluvial fan / the fan-shaped landform made up of deposited sediments at the bottom of a slope
gravity / the force that pulls objects toward the Earth
landslide / the usually rapid downward movement of rock or Earth material on a slope
slope / a surface of which one end or side is at a higher level than another; the angle or slant of a stream channel or land surface
flash flood / the result of heavy or excessive amounts of rainfall within a short period of time which causes water to rise and fall rapidly
flood / an overflow of water onto normally dry land; the inundation of a normally dry area caused by rising water in an existing waterway, such as a river, stream, or drainage ditch (It’s important to note that flooding is a longer term event than flash flooding; it may last days or weeks - consider the aftermath of hurricanes)
floodplain / the area around a river that is covered by water flowing over the riverbank during a flood
lava / molten rock on the Earth’s surface
lava flow / stream of molten or hardened lava coming out from a volcano or crack in the Earth’s surface
magma / molten rock under the Earth’s surface
strata / layers of lava flows
volcano / a vent in the crust of the Earth or another planet or a moon; usually molten or hot rock, steam, and gas come out of the vent; also, a hill or mountain made up of hardened lava flows
earthquake / a sudden and violent shaking of the ground, sometimes causing great destruction, as a result of movements within the Earth’s crust or volcanic activity
fault / a crack in the Earth’s crust where earthquakes usually occur
plates / sheets of rock that make up Earth’s outer crust
seismic waves / vibrations that are sent out from an earthquake; these vibrations cause surface waves, which we feel as shaking and movement on the surface of the Earth
fossil / the preserved remains of a once-living organism
mold fossil / an impression of an organism preserved in rock; a hollow space is left in the rock once the organism has decomposed (If the hollow space is filled will sediment and minerals, a cast fossil is formed.
cast fossil / a positive imprint of an organism preserved in rock as a result of sediment and minerals filling a mold fossil
petrified / “turning into stone”; minerals dissolved in water replace all or part of an organism, as the water evaporates over time, only the hardened minerals remain
trace fossils / fossilized evidence of the behavior of once-living organisms such as footprints; an impression of a footprint fills with sediment and is buried and becomes solid rock over time
preserved remains / a once-living organism protected from decay because it was surrounded by amber, tar, or ice
fossil record / fossils and their placement within the Earth’s rock strata; the fossil record provides information about the history of life on Earth, for instance what the once-living organisms looked like, where and when they lived, and how they evolved.
inference / a conclusion based on evidence
strata / layers of rock
relative age / the geologic age of a fossil, rock, or landform relative to other fossils, rocks, or landforms (At the elementary level, relative age can be as simple as “older than” or “younger than” when making comparisons.)
geologic time / a period of time covering the formation and development of the Earth
3D Scanner / uses laser technology to create three-dimensional computer models
aerial photography / images of the Earth’s surface taken from an elevated position such a an airplane, helicopter, or drone
CT Scan
(Computerized Tomography) / a series of x-ray beams passed through a specimen to create a cross-sectional image of the specimen’s structure
GPS
(Global Positioning System) / a method to navigate Earth (find locations) using information gathered by a system of satellites
satellite imaging / pictures taken by satellites of Earth or other planets
satellite / an artificial body placed in orbit around the Earth or other planet in order to collect information, such as pictures, or for communication
Earth Materials
geology / the scientific study of Earth’s history and structuregeologist / a scientist who studies the Earth and the materials of which it is made
property / a characteristic such as color, size, shape, texture
diameter / the distance across a circular object
circumference / the distance around a circular object
depth / the thickness of an object from top to bottom
meter tape / a tool which measures linear dimensions
balance / a tool which measures mass
mass / a measure of how much matter is in an object
rock / Earth material made up of different ingredients called minerals
mineral / an ingredient of rocks that cannot be broken down any further
dissolve / when some substances mix with water, they break down into such tiny pieces that they seem to disappear
crystal / the solid form of a material that can be identified by its shape or pattern
evaporate / water changing from a liquid state to a gaseous state (a physical change)
hardness / a mineral property; the resistance of a mineral to being scratched
scratch test / a procedure geologists use to determine the hardness of minerals
Moh’s scale / a numerical scale geologists use to help identify and rank minerals according to their hardness
quartz / one of the most common minerals in Earth’s crust; it cannot be scratched with a paperclip; it has a glassy luster
fluorite / a mineral that comes in a variety of colors including white, blue, green, and violet; fluorite can be scratched with a paperclip; it usually glows under a blacklight
calcite / another of the most common minerals on Earth; it can be scratched with a penny; it is a major mineral in common rocks such as limestone and marble, which are valued as building materials
gypsum / a mineral that is formed when seawater evaporates under arid conditions; it can be scratched with a fingernail; it has a pearly, glassy, and sometimes fibrous luster
streak / color of crushed mineral powder; often visible on a streak plate/tile
cleavage / the process by which a mineral breaks or splits along a definite line
luster / a physical property which describes how a mineral reflects light; luster can be described in the following ways:
· dull - not bright or shiny; does not reflect light
· glassy - shiny and smooth
· opaque - not able to let light pass through
· translucent - able to let some light pass through
· transparent - clear; able to let light pass through
· waxy - having the appearance of wax; dull
basalt / a dark rock formed by cooling lava
limestone / a sedimentary rock that contains the mineral calcite
marble / a rock that derives from limestone as a result of pressure, temperature, and time
sandstone / a sedimentary rock mostly made of sand
vinegar / a weak acid that can be used to test for the presence of calcite
evidence / signs or facts on which a conclusion can be based; in this investigation, the presence of white, needlelike crystals in the evaporation dish support our conclusion that calcite is present
granite / a rock made up of several minerals including feldspar, hornblende, mica, and quartz
feldspar / a group of related minerals; most abundant minerals in the Earth’s crust; they usually have a smooth, glassy, or pearly luster
hornblende / a mineral that is usually black but can also be dark green or brown; it has a glassy luster
mica / a mineral with an interesting cleavage: it pulls apart in paper-thin, flexible sheets
cemented / to unite or make firm as it by cement
compacted / pressed together
igneous rocks / volcanic rocks formed from molten Earth materials
lava / liquid rock on the surface of the Earth, usually as a result of a volcanic eruption
magma / liquid rock beneath the Earth, usually the source of a volcano’s lava flow
metamorphic rocks / sedimentary or igneous rocks that have been transformed by pressure, heat or the intrusion of fluids
rock / an Earth material made up of solid mineral crystals
sedimentary rocks / rocks made from compacted and cemented sediments
body fossils / preserved remains of body parts such as teeth, shells, or bones
cast fossils / a positive imprint of an organism preserved in rock
fossil / the preserved remains of organisms that lived long ago
mold fossils / a negative imprint of an organism preserved in rock
trace fossils / fossilized evidence of the behavior of organisms that lived long ago; these can include footprints, eggs, nests, or droppings
Magnetism and Electricity:
attract / to pull toward one another, as opposite poles of two magnets pull toward one anotherforce / a push or pull
lodestone / a form of the mineral magnetite that is naturally magnetic or has become magnetized (This word is introduced in the FOSS Science Story Magnus Gets Stuck.)
magnet / an object that sticks to iron
magnetism / a property of certain kinds of materials that causes them to attract to iron or steel
repel / to push away, as similar poles of two magnets push away from one another
induced magnetism / the influence of a permanent magnet’s magnetic field on a piece of iron, which makes the piece of iron act like a magnet
temporary magnet / a piece of iron that behaves like a magnet when it is touching a permanent magnet
graph / organizes data visually to show a relationship between two things; in this case the number of washers needed to break the force of attraction between two magnets and the number of spacers in between the two attracting magnets
intersection / a point at which two lines cross; in this case, students will reference the intersection on the graph to predict how many washers might be needed to break the force of attraction between two magnets with two spacers between them
prediction / and educated guess based on data or previous experience
compass / an instrument that uses a freely moving magnetic needle to indicate direction
detector / a tool that helps you identify or locate something
circuit / a pathway for the flow of electricity (relate circuit to circle)
circuit base / structure that holds the components needed to build a circuit
closed circuit / a complete circuit that allows the flow of electricity
D-cell / a source of electricity; battery
electricity receiver / a component that uses the electricity from a source to make something happen; in this case, the light bulb is the receiver
electricity source / something that provides electric energy to make something happen; in this case, the D-cell battery
filament / material in a light bulb (usually a thin wire) that glows when heated by an electric current
open circuit / an incomplete circuit that does not allow the flow of electricity
schematic diagram / a drawing that represents a circuit
switch / a device used to open and close circuits
conductor / a material, commonly a metal such as copper or aluminum, through which electricity with flow; in this investigation the nail was a conductor
insulator / a material that prevents the flow of electricity, commonly plastic, rubber, glass, or air; in this investigation the straw was an insulator
lightning / a flash of light caused by a discharge of static electricity between two clouds or from a cloud to the Earth
static electricity / positive and negative electric charges that are separated from each other and are not moving
series circuit / a circuit with only one pathway for current flow
parallel circuit / a circuit that splits into two or more pathways before coming together at the D-cell
coil / wire wound repeatedly around a central core
core / the material around which a coil is wound; in this lesson, the core is a rivet with a rounded head
electromagnet / a piece of iron that becomes a temporary magnet when electricity flows through an insulated wire wrapped around it
key / A switch that completes the circuit in a telegraph system
technology / Applying the results of scientific research
telegraph / A device for sending coded messages by signals produced by closing and opening an electric circuit
Animal Studies