3rd Grade Science Vocabulary Words
Goal 1
*chlorophyll: the green coloring of leaves and plants
germinate: to begin to grow, as when the right conditions allow a seed to
develop
*oxygen: a gas that is in air and water
*plant: a living organism
root: a plant part that takes in water and grows under the ground
stem: a plant part that supports the plant
seed: a source for development or growth in a plant
seed Coat: the outer protective covering of a seed
seedling: a young plant
nutrients: providing nourishment
light: something that makes things visible
water: a transparent, odorless, tasteless liquid
*environment: the things that make up an area, such as land, water, and air
*investigate: to examine, study, or inquire
*adaptation: the act of adapting or adjusting
pollinate: to transfer pollen
carbon monoxide: a colorless, odorless gas
**lifecycle: all the stages in an organism’s life
growth: the process of developing
survival: to continue to live regardless of difficult conditions
reproduction: the way organisms make more of their own kind
**ecosystem: all the living and nonliving things in an environment and all
their interactions
**producers: an organism such as a plant that makes its own food
Goal 2
*soil: a mixture of tiny rock particles, minerals, and decayed plant and
animal materials.
color: a tint of shade that is not black or white. Red, blue, and yellow are
the main colors from which all other colors are made.
*properties: any characteristic of matter that you can observe.
*texture: how the surface of an object feels to the touch.
*capacity: the volume of a container measured in liquid units.
*classify: to place materials that share properties together in groups.
*compare: 1. to examine how two or more people or things are alike or
different.
2. to tell how one thing is like something else.
*characteristic: making one thing different from another; typical of a certain
kind. (Adjective) A quality or item that makes a
person or thing differentfrom another. (Noun)
clay: a type of soil made up of very small grains; it holds water well.
sand: tiny grains of worn or crushed rock, found mainly on seashores and
in deserts.
*humus: the part of the soil made up of decayed parts of once-living things.
loam: a type of topsoil that is rich in minerals and has lots of humus.
topsoil: the top layer of soil made up of the smallest grains and the most
humus.
discard: to throw away or give up something that is useless.
*recycle: to treat something so it can be used again.
compost: A mix of decaying leaves, vegetables, and other living matter.
*decay: n – a slow rotting of plant matter: The decay was on the ground.
v – to rot slowly: The oranges began to decay.
*decomposer: n -an organism that breaks down dead plant and animal
material.
Decomposers recycle chemicals so they can be used again.
*sediment: n – small pieces of matter that settle at the bottom of a liquid.
Dead leaves and other sediment lay at the bottom of the
pond.
*erosion: n – a slow wearing, washing, or eating away
The trees and grass helped prevent the erosion of soil on the
hill.
*deposition: n - the laying down of matter by a natural process
The deposition of leaves during fall happens every year
Goal 3
moon: n – a satellite of any planet.
The earth’s moon shines because it reflects light from the Sun.
stars: n – huge, hot spheres of gases, like the Sun, that give off their own
light
Stars shine very brightly.
sun: n – a star around which Earth and other plants revolve
The Sun is extremely hot during the summer.
planet: n – any of the eight large bodies that orbit the Sun. In order from
the Sunoutward, they are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars,
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, andNeptune.
We live on the planet Earth.
rotate: v – to turn or cause to turn around on an axis.
The moon rotates around the Earth from west to east once every
29 ½ days.
axis: n – a real or imaginary line through the center of a spinning object
The earth rotates around its axis.
Equator: n – an imaginary line around the earth located half way
between the North and South Poles.
The U.S. and Canada are located north of the equator.
phase: n – an apparent change in the Moon’s shape
The first phase of the moon is the New Moon.
revolution: n – movement in a circle around a central point or object.
The earth made one revolution around the Sun.
rotation: n – the act or process of turning on an axis.
The rotation of the earth takes twenty-four hours.
Solar System: n – the Sun and all the objects that orbit it:
Our solar system has eight planets.
tilt: to slope or slant
constellation: a group of stars that is shaped somewhat like an animal,
person, or object
atmosphere: gases that surround a body in space (ie. Earth)
galaxy: a very large group of stars
gravitation: the force that makes all the objects in the universe tend to
move toward one another
moon phase: (or lunar phase) refers to the appearance of the illuminated
portion of the moon as seen by an observer
universe: everything that exists, including the earth, the planets, and the
stars
reflect: the bouncing of light off a surface
absorb: to soak up (to take in)
observe: to use one or more of the senses to identify or learn about an
object or event
crescent: the shape of the moon as it appears in its first or last quarter, with
curved edges ending in points
waning: describes the moon between full moon and new moon, when the
sunlit portion is decreasing in size
waxing: describes the moon between new moon and full moon, when the
sunlit portion is increasing in size
telescope: a device that gives a clearer view of something far away
Goal 4
function: to serve a certain purpose
bones: a hard material that supports the skeletal system
support: to hold up or in position
protection: to cover or shield from
locomotion: the power to move from place to place
joints: place where two or more bones join together
hinge: allows movement in one area
ball and socket: allows bones to swing in almost any direction
gliding: formed when two bones that can move separately meet
movement: the act or process of moving
mechanical device: made or operated by a machine
muscles: tissue that is attached to bones to help them move
ligament: connect the bones in the joints of the body and help to keep them
in place