Vocabulary List

system - plants, animals, and their surroundings

Earth - the planet we live in
solar system - system in space with all the planets and the Sun
core - all the way inside Earth; hottest layer
mantle - middle layer in Earth between crust and core
crust - outer layer of Earth
atmosphere - thin layer of invisible air surrounding earth
oxygen - air we breathe in; we need oxygen to live
carbon dioxide - air we breathe out
resources - things we need on Earth in order to live
natural resources - things we need already found on Earth
forest - an area filled with trees and plants
rainforest - a forest that gets a lot of rain
ocean - a large body of salty water
freshwater - water that is not salty and is drinkable
food chain - process in which every animalplant depends on one another for food
herbivore - an animal that only eats plants
omnivore - an animal that eats plants and animals
carnivore - an animal that only eats meat
organism - a living thing
autotrophs - organism that makes its own food !producers"
heterotrophs - organisms that eat other organisms for food
decomposers - organisms that break down dead things
bud - closed up leaves that eventually become a flower
environment - surrounding where a plant, animal, or human lives
photosynthesis - when plants use sunlight to grow and make energy
aerobic - re#uires oxygen
anaerobic - does not re#uire oxygen
cellular respiration - when plants or humans take in oxygen to make carbon dioxide
ecosystem - a large connection of living things
meadow - an area with a lot of grass and sometimes flowers
primary consumer - an animal that eats plants
secondary consumer - an animal that eats herbivores
tertiary consumer - an animal that eats secondary consumers
keystone species - important species in an environment
nutrients - stuff in fruits, veggies, and plants that help us grow
algae - little living bacteria underwater that make oxygen for us to breathe
kelp - large brown seaweed
global warming - when the Earth gets warmer every year
littering - throwing trash on the floor instead of the trashcan
water pollution - when water has bad stuff in it that can make one sick
air pollution - when dirty stuff gets put into the air
recycling - taking old materials and making new things from them
clear cutting - cutting down all trees in an area
automobiles - cars and buses with four wheels
reuse - using something more than once
reduce - making less of something
deforestation - transforming a forest into a land without trees
habitat destruction - ruining a place where animals and plants live
forest fires - natural fires that some plants need to grow
biofuel - fuel made from living things that are healthier for the environment
waste - things we don$t need or want anymore