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Grade 4

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ISBN 13: 978-0-02-286134-6

ISBN 10: 0-02-286134-3
Vocabulary Cards
Vocabulary Cards help build word knowledge and
understanding of Science Glossary terms by:
• providing an opportunity for vocabulary preview,
review, and reinforcement
• fostering language development skills
• supporting the acquisition of academic language for
English learners
Vocabulary Cards can be placed in your classroom
Science Center.
 abiotic factor
(āªbī otºik fakºtәr)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Purestock/Superstock

Photograph by © AGE Fotostock/Superstock

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(ә brāºzhәn)
abrasion
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: A nonliving part of the ecosystem.

Example: Hot temperatures and rainfall are abiotic

factors in the desert ecosystem.

Ask: How does a change in the abiotic factors in

an environment affect the animals that live
there?

to form shapes in rocks?

Ask: What does wind carry that casuses abrasion

weathering that wears down rock.

Example: Wind abrasion is a form of physical

layer.
Define: The peeling or scraping away of an outer

Vocabulary Routine
 accommodation
(ә käªmә dāºshәn)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Raymond Gehman/CORBIS

Photograph by © Steve Weston

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(akºtiv vol cāºnō)

volcano
active
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: An individual organism’s response to a

change in the ecosystem.

Example: One type of accommodation is a change in

the type of food an organism eats.

Ask: What happens when animals cannot use

accommodation to survive when their food
source suddenly disappears?

volcano?
right now still be considered an active
Ask: How could a volcano that is not erupting

Example: Mt. Saint Helens is an active volcano.

Define: A volcano that still erupts from time to time.

Vocabulary Routine
 adaptation
(aªdapªtāºshәn)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Ron Sanford/CORBIS

Photograph by © Greg Harris

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(alºjē)
algae
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: A special trait that helps an organism sur-

vive in its environment.

Example: A fish’s gills are an example of adaptation.

Ask: How is a hummingbird’s beak an example of

an adaptation that helps it get food?

Ask: How do algae act like green plants?

and lakes.
Example: Algae usually float on the surface of ponds

environment.
Define: A plant-like producer in a water

Vocabulary Routine
 alternating
current
(ôlºtәr nā ting kûrºәnt)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Ken Cavanagh/Macmillan-McGraw Hill

Photograph by © M.I. Walker/NHPA

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(әmēº bә)
amoeba
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: Electrical current that flows through a

circuit, first in one direction, then in the
opposite direction.

Example: Most generators that make electrical energy

produce an alternating current, or AC.

Ask: Where would you find alternating current in

a source you often use?

surround food?
Ask: How does an amoeba change its shape to

food.
Example: An amoeba can change its shape to catch

some ways.
Define: A type of protist that acts like an animal in

Vocabulary Routine
 anthracite
(anºthrә sīt)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Andrew J. Martinez/Photo Researchers

Photograph by © Macmillan-McGraw Hill

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(ә trakt)
attract
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: To pull or draw towards.
Example: An object with positive electrical charge will
attract an object with negative electrical
charge.
Ask: Why would a balloon attract your hair after
being rubbed with wool?
helps to make it a harder coal?
Ask: Where is anthracite found inside Earth that
soft coal.
Example: Anthracite burns cleaner and longer than
Define: A hard, natural type of coal.
Vocabulary Routine
 bacteria
(bak tîrºē ә)
© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Michael Abbey/Photo Researchers
Photograph by © Macmillan-McGraw Hill
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
(akºsis)
axis
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: A real or imaginary line through the center

of a rotating object.

Example: The geographic North and South poles of

Earth are located at the ends of the planet’s
axis.

Ask: How are the ends of Earth’s axis like the

ends of a giant bar magnet?

dead tree?
Ask: Why do bacteria break down the parts of a

humans.
Example: Bacteria can be both helpful and harmful to

but no nuclei.
Define: Microorganisms that have cell membranes

Vocabulary Routine
 barrier island
(baºrēªәr īºlәnd)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Joseph R. Melanson/Aero Photo Inc.

Photograph by © Stuart Westmorland/CORBIS

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(bīºō masª)
biomass
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: A long, narrow strip of land formed along

the ocean shore by deposition.

Example: Ocean waves constantly reshape

barrier islands.

Ask: Why does a barrier island re-form after

being destroyed in a huge storm?

main source of energy and matter?

Ask: How is the biomass in an environment the

many environments.
Example: Plants make up most of the biomass in

an environment.
Define: A measure of the amount of living things in

Vocabulary Routine
 camouflage
(kamºә fläzhª)
© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Daniel J. Cox/The Image Bank/Getty Images, Inc.
Photograph by © Digital Vision/Getty Images, Inc.
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
fakºtәr) (bī otºik
biotic factor
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: An adaptation that allows an animal to
blend into its surroundings.
Example: Camouflage allows some animals to hide
from predators.
Ask: How would its camouflage leave an
animal at risk if it went outside its normal
surroundings?
Ask: What animals are biotic factors in a pond?
Example: Fish are biotic factors in the ocean.
Define: A living part of the ecosystem.
Vocabulary Routine
 canyon
(kanºyәn)
© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Galen Rowell/CORBIS
Photograph by © Sandra Williams
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
(kaºnә pēª)
canopy
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: The part of a forest just below the upper-

most branches of the tallest trees.

Example: Most rainforest animals live in the canopy

because of the sunlight and food found
there.

Ask: How do the body parts of monkeys help

them live in the forest canopy?

Ask: Why are canyons often curved?

Example: Canyons are the results of river erosion.

Define: A deep, narrow valley with steep sides.

Vocabulary Routine
 carnivore
(kärºnә vôrª)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Frank Lane Picture Agency/CORBIS

Photograph by © Roland Birke/Peter Arnold, Inc.

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(sel)
cell
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: An animal that eats other animals.

Example: Hawks that eat mice are carnivores.

Ask: What happens to an animal population

when the carnivore that preys upon it
becomes extinct?

of only one cell?

Ask: What are some organisms that are made up

Example: Your body is made up of trillions of cells.

Define: The smallest unit of life.

Vocabulary Routine
 chemical
weathering
(kemºi kәl wethºәr ing)
© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by (Chain): © Tony Arruza/CORBIS;
(Rock): © Wally Eberhart/Visuals Unlimited
Photograph by © Royalty-Free/CORBIS
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
(shaªpә ralº)
chaparral
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: The process in which rocks break down due
to chemical changes to the minerals.
Example: When oxygen reacts with iron and forms
rust, chemical weathering occurs.
Ask: How are limestone caves formed by
chemical weathering?
strikes nearby?
Ask: Why is a chaparral likely to burn if lightning
and warm.
Example: A chaparral environment is usually very dry
and trees.
Define: An area with dense thickets of small shrubs
Vocabulary Routine
 chlorophyll
(klôrºә filª)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Blue Line Pictures/Iconica/Getty Images, Inc.

Photograph by © Kevin Schafer/CORBIS

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(sinºdәr kōn vol cāºnō)

cinder-cone volcano
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: A volcano shaped like a cone.
Example: The magma in a cinder-cone volcano is
usually quite thick.
Ask: What causes lava to burst out of a
cinder-cone volcano?
Ask: How do plants use chlorophyll and sunlight?
Example: Chlorophyll gives plants their green color.
sunlight.
Define: A material in plants that helps them take in
Vocabulary Routine
 circuit
breaker
(sәrºkәt brāºkәr)
© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Ken Cavanagh/Macmillan-McGraw Hill
Photograph by © Argosy Publishing
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
(sәrºkәt)
circuit
Switch
Source
Power
Load
Connector
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: Something that switches off a circuit when
the current gets too high.
Example: A circuit breaker can help prevent electric
shock or fire hazards.
Ask: How do you turn a circuit breaker back on
after it switches off when the current gets
too hot?
circuit?
Ask: What is the role of a switch in an electric
connectors, and a switch.
Example: A simple circuit has a power source,
Define: The path along which electric current flows.
Vocabulary Routine
 cleavage
(klēºvij)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Ken Cavanagh/Macmillan-McGraw Hill

Photograph by © Sam Tomasello

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(klīºmit)
climate
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: The way a mineral splits or breaks along flat

surfaces.

Example: The cleavage of quartz is uneven.

Ask: How would you test the cleavage of a rock?

Ask: What is the climate like at the North Pole?

Example: Most pond animals need a rainy climate.

Define: The typical weather patterns of a region.

Vocabulary Routine
 closed circuit
(klōzd sәrºkәt)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Argosy Publishing

Photograph by © Comstock/Superstock
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(kәmºpәs)
compass
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: An instrument that tells direction using
Earth’s magnetic forces.
Example: A compass needle is a thin magnet that
lines up with Earth’s magnetic field and
points north.
Ask: Why does a compass needle point north?
closed circuit?
Ask: What can cause a break or interruption in a
flow.
Example: A closed circuit allows electric current to
Define: A complete, unbroken electrical circuit.
Vocabulary Routine
 competition
CAUAC01_L3_28437.indd 52-53 8/11/06

(komªpi tishºәn)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Greg Harris

Photograph by © Joseph Baylor Roberts/NGS Images

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(käm päºzәt vol cāºnō)

composite volcano
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: The struggle among living things for the

same resources.

Example: There is great competition for mice as food

in a woodland food chain.

Ask: Which animal in a food chain faces the least

amount of competition?

composite volcano?
Ask: How can you describe the shape of a

eruptions.
periods of alternating quiet and explosive
Example: A composite volcano usually forms during

Define: A volcano made up of layers of lava and ash.

Vocabulary Routine
 conglomerate
(kәnªglomºәr it)
© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Breck P. Kent/Animals Animals/Earth Scenes
Photograph by © Lester Lefkowitz/CORBIS
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
(kәn dukºtәr)
conductor
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: A material through which heat or electricity

flows easily.

Example: Metals such as copper and silver are

good conductors.

Ask: Why is a copper pan a good conductor

of heat?

conglomerate?
Ask: What binds small rocks together in a

Example: Conglomerate is usually coarse and chunky.

been lumped together.

Define: A substance formed from rocks that have

Vocabulary Routine
 consumer
(kәn süºmәr)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Eye Of Science/Photo Researchers

Photograph by © Royalty-Free/CORBIS
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(känºtùr plouºing)
contour plowing
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: A farming method that cuts into the soil
across a hillside rather than up and down
the hillside.
Example: Contour plowing helps farmers reduce
erosion.
Ask: What type of erosion does contour plowing
resist the most?
sun or a horse eating grass?
Ask: Which is a consumer, grass growing in the
Example: Consumers cannot make their own food.
Define: An organism that eats other organisms.
Vocabulary Routine
 crater

crater
(krāºtәr)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Macmillan-McGraw Hill

Photograph by © Sebastian Quigley

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(krәst)
crust

crust
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: The outermost layer of Earth.
Example: Earth’s crust is made up of huge, moving
slabs of rocks called plates.
Ask: What is a sudden change in the position of
parts of Earth’s crust called?
ground when it hits Earth?
Ask: Why does a meteor leave a crater in the
the vent.
Example: On a volcano, a crater often forms around
Define: A cup-like shape in the earth.
Vocabulary Routine
 crystal
(krisºtәl)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Siede Preis/Getty Images, Inc.

Photograph by © Yann Arthus-Bertrand/CORBIS

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(delºtә)
delta
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: The geometric shape a mineral forms

when its atoms and molecules are in fixed
patterns.

Example: Some crystal shapes can be like cubes or

hexagons.

Ask: Why do some minerals have a crystal

shape?

large body of water?

Ask: Why do deltas spread out as they meet a

Example: Most deltas are composed of sediment.

mouth, or end, of a river.

Define: An area of land caused by deposition at the

Vocabulary Routine
 desert
(deºzәrt)
© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Purestock/Superstock
Photograph by © NASA
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
(depªәzishºәn)
deposition
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: The dropping off of weathered rock at the

end of erosion.

Example: Deposition may leave sand and soil miles

away from its original location.

Ask: What size particles of sand and rock would

mostly likely be found at a deposition spot
on a river?

Ask: Why are desert ecosystems so dry?

dry conditions.
Example: Animals in the desert must be adapted to

water.
Define: An ecosystem with few plants and little

Vocabulary Routine
 direct current
(di rektº kûrºәnt)
© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Ken Cavanaugh/Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
Photograph by © Argosy Publishing
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
(dīºә framª)
diaphragm
N S
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: The part of a loudspeaker that vibrates and

produces sound waves.

Example: The diaphragm on most loudspeakers is

made of either paper or plastic.

Ask: Why is a diaphragm in a loudspeaker made

of thin but sturdy material?

or electrical devices?
Ask: How is direct current abbreviated on signs

or DC.
Example: Most batteries produce a direct current,

in just one direction.

Define: Electrical current that flows through a circuit

Vocabulary Routine
 dormant volcano
(därºmәnt vol cāºnō)
© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Digital Vision/PunchStock
Photograph by © Chris Cheadle/Getty Images, Inc.
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
(disºchärj)
discharge
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: A release of electrical energy from one

object to another.

Example: Static electricity will discharge from a

charged object to a lesser charged object.

Ask: How is lightning produced by a discharge of

electricity?

erupting?
Ask: Why do some dormant volcanoes stop

volcano.
Example: Hawaii’s oldest island Kauai is a dormant

Define: A volcano that is quiet and no longer erupts.

Vocabulary Routine
 drought
(drout)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Walter Bibikow/Index Stock

Photograph by © Royalty-Free/CORBIS
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(dīºnә mō)
dynamo
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: Something that generates a great amount of
energy.
Example: Dynamos can produce electricity for many
homes.
Ask: How is moving water used in a dynamo to
generate electricity?
extended drought?
Ask: Why do animals and plants suffer during an
ecosystem.
Example: A drought can have deadly effects on an
Define: A long period with little or no rain.
Vocabulary Routine
 earthquake
(әrthºkwāk)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © David Ryan/Lonely Planet Images

Photograph by © Sam Tomasello

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(ekºō sisªtәm)
ecosystem
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: All the living and nonliving things that
interact in an environment.
Example: The forest and the ocean are different
ecosystems.
Ask: What kinds of animals live in a rainforest
ecosystem?
Ask: Where do most earthquakes occur?
sudden shifts of Earth’s plates.
Example: Earthquakes can be caused by volcanoes or
crust.
Define: A sudden shaking or trembling in Earth’s
Vocabulary Routine
 electrical engineer
(i lekºtrik әl enªjә nir)
© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by Jeff Greenberg/Photoedit
Photograph by © Macmillan-McGraw Hill
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
chärj) (i lekºtrik әl
electrical charge
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: A person who plans and constructs
electrical systems.
Example: An electrical engineer might figure out how
to power all the lights and air conditioning
in a shopping mall.
Ask: In which school subjects would you need
to do well in order to be an electrical
engineer?
negative electrical charge?
Ask: What happens between two objects with a
will repel an object with the same property.
Example: Something with a positive electrical charge
something has a positive or negative charge.
Define: A property of matter that tells whether
Vocabulary Routine
 electromagnet
(i lekªtrō magºnit)
© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Jeremy Walker/Photo Researchers
Photograph by © Argosy Publishing
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
kûrºәnt) (i lekºtrik
electric current
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: A magnet formed when electric current
flows through wire coiled around an iron
rod.
Example: When the current stops in an
electromagnet, the iron bar is no longer
magnetic.
Ask: Why are electromagnets used to pick up
huge mounds of scrap metal?
Ask: What moves in the flow of electric current?
a river.
Example: Electric current moves in one direction like
Define: A flow of electrical charges.
Vocabulary Routine
 element
(elºә mәnt)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Colin Keates/Natural History Museum, London/DK Images;
(Rings): © Douglas Whyte/CORBIS

Photograph by © Sandra Williams

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(i mәrºjәnt)
emergent
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: A tree that rises above the forest around it.
Example: The tops of the tallest trees form the
emergent layer of the rain forest.
Ask: What are the winds and sunlight like in the
emergent layer of a forest?
platinum?
Ask: How do humans use an element like
Example: Oxygen, carbon, and iron are all elements.
Define: A basic building block of all matter.
Vocabulary Routine
 endangered
(en dānºjәrd)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Tom Mchugh/Photo Researchers

Photograph by © Greg Harris

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

pirºә mid) (enºәr jē

energy pyramid
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: A diagram that shows the amount of
energy at each level of the food web in an
ecosystem.
Example: Humans are usually at the top of the energy
pyramid; insects are near the bottom.
Ask: Which level of the energy pyramid gets its
energy directly from the Sun?
to become an endangered species?
Ask: What factors caused the California condor
becomes an endangered species.
Example: When very few of a kind of animal exist, it
Define: Close to extinction.
Vocabulary Routine
 environment
(en vīºrәn mәnt)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Robert Holmes/CORBIS

Photograph by © Joe Bator/CORBIS

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(iªrōºzhәn)
erosion
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: All the living and nonliving things that sur-

round an organism.

Example: Plants need an environment in which they

can get sunlight, water, carbon dioxide, and
other nutrients.

Ask: What organisms make up the largest

amount of living things in an environment?

Ask: How do ocean waves cause beach erosion?

and wind.
Example: Erosion can be caused by rainfall, waves,

one place to another.

Define: The transportation of weathered rock from

Vocabulary Routine
 eruption
(i rәpºshәn)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Donna & Steve O’Meara/Superstock

Photograph by © Mi Walker/NHPA
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(yü glēºnә)
euglena
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: A violent outburst or outpouring.

Example: The eruption of a volcano forces melted

rock, gases, and rock out of the vent.

Ask: How does an eruption build up the surface

of Earth?

Ask: How does euglena act like a plant at times?

Example: Euglena is also classified as a kind of algae.

plant and an animal.

Define: A type of protist that behaves like both a

Vocabulary Routine
 extinct
(ek stingktº)
© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Jim Linna/Photodisc/Getty Images, Inc.
Photograph by © Steve Vidler/Superstock
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
(eksªfō lē āºshәn)
exfoliation
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: A kind of physical weathering in which

layers of rock peel off.

Example: Rocks that are partly buried may show signs

of exfoliation on the exposed surfaces.

Ask: How could you compare exfoliation to

peeling an onion?

some animals to become extinct?

Ask: Why do changes to an ecosystem cause

their ecosystem may become extinct.

Example: Animals that cannot adapt to changes in

Define: All dead; no more left alive on Earth.

Vocabulary Routine
 extrusive
(eks trüºsiv)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Doug Sokell/Visuals Unlimited

Photograph by © Kevin Schafer/Peter Arnold Inc.

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(folt)
fault
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: A kind of igneous rock formed when magma

cools and hardens above Earth’s surface.

Example: Extrusive igneous rock may form in a matter

of hours.

Ask: What causes lava to cool and become

extrusive rock when it reaches Earth’s
surface?

at a fault?
Ask: What movement of Earth’s crust is common

Example: Earthquakes are common along faults.

plates come together.

Define: A break or crack in Earth’s crust where two

Vocabulary Routine
 filament
(f iºlә mәnt)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Boden/Ledingham/Masterfile

Photograph by © FK Photo/CORBIS
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(f lәd)
flood
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: The flow of water over the banks of a body
of water and across land.
Example: Large amounts of rainfall can cause floods
along rivers.
Ask: Why can scientists predict a flood after
there have been heavy rains?
when its filament breaks?
Ask: Why does an incandescent light go out
up and glows as it resists electric current.
Example: The filament in an incandescent light heats
Define: A thin wire.
Vocabulary Routine
 food chain
(füd chān)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by (Bacterium): © Eye Of Science/Photo Researchers; (Gopher): © Joe Mcdonald/CORBIS; (Mountain Lion): © Robert W. Ginn/Photoedit;
(Mustard): © Ian Rose/Frank Lane Picture Agency/CORBIS; (Sun): © Royalty-Free/CORBIS; (Weasel): © Steve Kaufman/Peter Arnold Inc.

Photograph by © Greg Harris

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

web) (füd
food web
5:41:35 PM 8/11/06 52-53 P4_CAUAC01_L3_28437.indd
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: The path that energy takes from one

organism to another in the form of food.

Example: A food chain shows how energy goes from

the Sun to a plant to an insect to a bird.

Ask: What energy source usually begins a

food chain?

chain?
connections between animals than a food
Ask: Why does a food web have more

part of more than one food chain.

Example: A food web shows that some animals are

environment.
Define: The food chains that link together in an

Vocabulary Routine
 forester
(fôrºest әr)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Jeff Greenberg/Alamy

Photograph by © Sandra Williams

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

flôr) (fôrºәst
forest floor
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: Someone who takes care of a forest or

wilderness area.

Example: A forester might interact with hikers,

campers, and hunters.

Ask: Why would a forester make decisions about

which trees to cut down in a wilderness
area?

forest floor?
Ask: Why do many decomposers live on the

reaches it.
floor because of the lack of sunlight that
Example: Not many plants grow on the forest

Define: The ground level of a forest ecosystem.

Vocabulary Routine
 fungus
(fungºgәs) n. sing.,
fungi
(funºjī) pl.
© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © AGE Fotostock/Superstock
Photograph by © Naturfoto Honal/CORBIS
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
(fosºәl)
fossil
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: The remains of a living thing from many

years ago.

Example: Most fossils are found in sedimentary rock.

Ask: Why do scientists find many fossils in rock

that was once the bottom of an ocean?

growing on bread?
Ask: Why do you see the fungi called mold

woodland environment.
Example: Fungi are one kind of decomposers in a

dead or dying plants.

Define: A plant-like organism that breaks down

Vocabulary Routine
 fuse
(fūz)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Paul Silverman/Fundamental Photographs

Photograph by © DK Images
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(jem)
gem
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: A device that melts if too much electric cur-

rent is flowing through a circuit.

Example: When a fuse melts, it must be replaced to

restore power to the circuit.

Ask: Why does a fuse have a glass top?

Ask: Why are gems used to make jewelry?

Example: Diamonds, rubies, and emeralds are gems.

Define: A mineral valued for its beauty.

Vocabulary Routine
 permanent
magnet
N

shaft
wire loop
S
generator
(jenºәr rāªtәr)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Chris Laurens/Alamy; © Argosy

Photograph by © Carsten Peter/NGS Images

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(jә olºә jist)

geologist
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: A device that creates alternating current

when an electric coil spins between the
poles of a magnet.

Example: An electric generator changes motion into

electrical energy.

Ask: What kind of generators do humans depend

upon most?

find materials in Earth’s crust?

Ask: What types of industries hire a geologist to

classify them.
Example: Geologists use the properties of rocks to

Earth’s history.
Define: A scientist who studies rocks to learn about

Vocabulary Routine
 gneiss
(nīs)
© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Marli Miller/Visuals Unlimited; © Alfred Pasieka/Photo Researchers
Photograph by © Jack Stephens/Alamy
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
(glāºshәr)
glacier
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: A type of metamorphic rock.
Example: Gneiss is formed when granite is heated
under great pressure.
Ask: What is one way to identify gneiss as a
metamorphic rock?
Ask: How are glaciers in cold areas on Earth?
valleys over time.
Example: Glaciers cut into landforms and create
Define: A large mass of moving ice.
Vocabulary Routine
 gravity
(graºvi tē)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Warren Marr/Panoramic Images/NGS Images

Photograph by © Joe Polillio/Macmillan-McGraw Hill

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(härdºnis)
hardness
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: The pulling force between two objects.

Example: The gravity between your body and Earth

prevents you from floating into space.

Ask: How does the force of gravity cause

landslides?

Ask: How would you test the hardness of talc?

hardness.
Example: Diamond has the highest degree of

resists scratching.
Define: A property of minerals that tells how well it

Vocabulary Routine
 herbivore
(hûrºbә vôrª)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Alex Brigish/Index Stock

Photograph by © Mike Digiorgio

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(hә rīºzәn)
horizon
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: A layer of soil that is distinct from the layers
above and below it.
Example: Each horizon has its own properties.
Ask: Why is each soil horizon different from the
others around it?
consumer in a food chain?
Ask: Why is an herbivore considered a primary
Example: Deer, rabbits, and cows are all herbivores.
Define: An animal that eats mainly plants.
Vocabulary Routine
 Kauai
Oahu
Molokai
Maui

Hawaii

hot spot

hot spot
(hot spot)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Steve Weston

Photograph by © Royalty-Free/CORBIS
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(hūºmәs)
humus
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: A place where magma has partially melted

through Earth’s crust.

Example: Plates moving over hot spots may give rise

to volcanoes.

Ask: How does a hot spot produce a series of

volcanoes over time?

Ask: How does humus become part of the soil?

rock and humus.

Example: Each layer of soil has different amounts of

Define: Decayed plant or animal material in soil.

Vocabulary Routine
 igneous rock
(igºnē әs rok)
© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Siede Preis/Getty Images, Inc.; (Feldspar): © B. Runk & S. Schoenberger/Grant
Heilman Photography; (Granite): © Ken Cavanagh/Macmillan-McGraw Hill; (Hornblende): © Breck P.
Kent/Animals Animals/Earth Scenes; (Mica): © Charles D. Winters/Photo Researchers
Photograph by © Marty Lederhandler/AP/Wide World Photos
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
(hīºbrid)
hybrid
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: A type of rock formed when melted rock
cools and hardens.
Example: Igneous rock, such as granite, can be found
near a volcano.
Ask: Why does it take such a long time for
igneous rock to form underground?
pollution?
Ask: How does a hybrid car cut down on air
tricity as power sources.
Example: A hybrid car uses both gasoline and elec-
together.
Define: Having two or more different things mixed
Vocabulary Routine
 intrusive
(in trüºsiv)
© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Photolink/Getty Images, Inc.
Photograph by © David Hebden/Alamy
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
(inºsә lā tәr)
insulator
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: A kind of igneous rock formed when magma
cools and hardens below Earth’s surface.
Example: Intrusive igneous rock may take thousands
of years to form.
Ask: If you were told that a rock was an intrusive
igneous rock, what would that tell you about
its history?
and gloves as insulators?
Ask: Why do electricians wear thick rubber boots
insulators.
Example: Wood, rubber, and glass are good
energy, such as heat, electricity, or sound.
Define: Something that slows or stops the flow of
Vocabulary Routine
 kelp
(kelp)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Chuck Davis/Stone/Getty Images, Inc.

Photograph by © Phil Schermeister/CORBIS

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(landºfôrm)
landform
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: A natural feature on Earth’s surface.
Example: Plains, mountains, and valleys are all
landforms.
Ask: What type of landform does a river carving
out soil create over time?
when the sea otter population declined?
Ask: Why were kelp forests almost destroyed
Example: Kelp is usually large and brown in color.
Define: A type of seaweed.
Vocabulary Routine
 landslide
(landºslīd)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Kevin Djansezian/AP/Wide World Photos

Photograph by © American Museum Of Natural History

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(läºvә)
lava
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: The rapid, downhill movement of large

amounts of rock, soil, and other material.

Example: An earthquake might cause landslides in

mountainous areas.

Ask: What force causes a landslide to more

down a mountainside?

Earth’s surface?
Ask: What are some of ways that lava reaches

Example: Lava often flows when a volcano erupts.

Define: Magma that reaches Earth’s surface.

Vocabulary Routine
 lava rock
(läºvә rok)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Scientifica/Visuals Unlimited

Photograph by © Evan Sklar/Botanica

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(lēf)
leaf
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: Another name for pumice, an extrusive

igneous rock.

Example: Lava rock is very light in weight with many

tiny holes.

Ask: What causes the many tiny holes in

lava rock?

Ask: Where do leaves connect to a tree?

Example: The leaves of most plants are green.

the Sun.
Define: The part of a plant that collects light from

Vocabulary Routine
 levitation
(leªvi tāºshәn)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Bernd Mellmann/Alamy

Photograph by © Miles Ertman/Masterfile

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(lītºning)
lightning
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: A large spark caused by the discharge of
static electricity in a thunderhead.
Example: Lightning can jump from one cloud to
another or from a cloud to the ground.
Ask: Why does lightning tend to strike tall
objects like antennas or trees?
go very fast?
Ask: Why does levitation help Maglev trains to
above the ground.
Example: Maglev trains use magnets for levitation
off the ground.
Define: The act of lifting something or being lifted
Vocabulary Routine
 luster
(lusºtәr)
© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © TH Foto-Werbung/Photo Researchers
Photograph by © Argosy Publishing
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
(loudºspēªkәr)
loudspeaker
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: A device that changes electrical energy into

sound.

Example: Headphones are small loudspeakers with

tiny electromagnets that make them work.

Ask: What does the electromagnet in a

loudspeaker produce?

of a mineral?
Ask: What are some ways to describe the luster

minerals.
Example: Luster is one of several properties of

Define: The way light reflects off a mineral’s surface.

Vocabulary Routine
 magnet
(magºnet)
© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Andrew Lambert/Leslie Garland Picture Library/Alamy;
© Ken Cavanagh/Macmillan-McGraw Hill
Photograph by © Sebastian Quigley
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
(magºmә)
magma
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: An object that can attract iron and produce
a magnetic field.
Example: When you bring two magnets together, they
will either attract or repel each other.
Ask: What happens when you bring the south
pole of a magnet near the north pole of
another magnet?
Ask: What causes magma to turn into solid rock?
rock.
Example: Magma flows like liquid even though it is
Define: Hot, molten rock below Earth’s crust.
Vocabulary Routine
 mechanical
energy
(mi kaºni kәl enºәr jē)
© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © SSPL/The Image Works
Photograph by © DK Limited/CORBIS
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
fēld) (mag netºik
field
magnetic
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: The region of positive and negative

attractive forces surrounding a magnet.

Example: Earth has a magnetic field similar to a bar

magnet.

Ask: What shape would iron filings assume in the

presence of a magnetic field?

energy in a vacuum cleaner?

Ask: What source of power produces mechanical

power tools, toys,and cars.

Example: A motor can produce mechanical energy in

Define: Motion, or the energy in moving objects.

Vocabulary Routine
 microbiologist
(mīªkrō bī äºlәjist)
© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © American Museum Of Natural History
Photograph by © Sebastian Quigley
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
(metªә môrºfik rok)
metamorphic rock
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: A person who studies microorganisms.
Example: A microbiologist might study the small
organisms that cause disease.
Ask: Where do microbiologists find the tiny
organisms they study?
metamorphic rocks?
Ask: What types of rock can become
metamorphic rock marble.
Example: Under pressure, limestone becomes the
or pressure.
Define: Rock whose form has been changed by heat
Vocabulary Routine
 microorganism
(mīªkrō ôrºgә nizªәm)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Wolf Fahrenbach/Visuals Unlimited

Photograph by © Rob Lewine/CORBIS

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

microphone

(mīºkrә fōnª)
microphone
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: A device that converts sound into electrical
signals.
Example: Magnets in a microphone turn your voice
into signals that can be sent to other
locations.
Ask: Where is the microphone in a telephone?
have?
Ask: How many cells do most microorganisms
Example: Protists and bacteria are microorganisms.
a microscope.
Define: An organism that is too small to see without
Vocabulary Routine
 mimicry
(mimºi krē)
© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Mervyn Rees/Alamy; © Andrew Hewitt/Alamy
Photograph by © Photodisc/Getty Images, Inc.
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
(mīºkrә skōpª)
microscope
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: When one organism imitates the traits of
another.
Example: Some insects use mimicry to look like other
insects and fool predators.
Ask: How is a non-poisonous frog with the same
coloring as a poisonous frog an example of
mimicry?
object?
average classroom microscope make an
Ask: How much larger than normal size can the
Example: You can see bacteria using a microscope.
larger.
Define: A tool that makes small objects appear
Vocabulary Routine
 Mohs’ Hardness Scale
bOZQ A]TbSab
   bOZQ
TW\US`\OWZ  Ug^ac[
# !  QOZQWbS
Mohs’
^S\\g "  TZc]`WbS
! #  O^ObWbS
hardness
UZOaa $  TSZRa^O`
## %  _cO`bh
scale
abSSZTWZS (mōz härdºnis skāl)
&  b]^Oh
$#
'  Q]`c\Rc[
RWO[]\R
 RWO[]\R
 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
6O`RSab Photograph by (Diamond): © Lawrence Lawry/Photo Researchers; (File): © Image Farm Inc./Alamy;
(Fingernail): © Andy Crawford/DK Images; (Glass): © Wally Eberhart/Visuals Unlimited;
(Penny): © Randy Allbritton/Getty Images, Inc.; (Talc): © Ben Johnson/Photo Researchers
Photograph by © Ken Cavanagh/Macmillan-McGraw Hill
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
(minºәr әl)
mineral
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: A table that shows the hardness of minerals.
Example: On the Mohs’ hardness scale, talc has a
value of 1 and diamond has a value of 10.
Ask: How would you test a mineral for hardness
by using the Mohs’ hardness scale?
find?
Ask: What colors of the mineral quartz might you
rocks.
Example: Some minerals are the building blocks of
Define: A natural, nonliving substance.
Vocabulary Routine
 wire loop
N
shaft
permanent S
magnet
motor
(mōºtәr)
© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Topham/The Image Works
Photograph by © A. & F. Michler/Peter Arnold Inc.
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
(mōld)
mold
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: A device that changes electrical energy into
mechanical energy.
Example: Electric motors are used in everyday devices
such as refrigerators, air conditioners, and
electric trains.
Ask: Where does the motor on an electric car get
its electrical energy?
forest?
Ask: Where might you see mold growing in a
alone.
Example: Many foods grow mold over time if left
Define: A type of fungi.
Vocabulary Routine
 normal fault
(nôrºmәl folt)
© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Steve Weston
Photograph by © Vaughn Youtz/CORBIS
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
(mudºslīd)
mudslide
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: Land that becomes too full of water and

slides down a slope.

Example: Mudslides may occur after a period of heavy

rain.

Ask: How does a mudslide make the damage

from flooding even worse?

normal fault?
Ask: What happens to the crust below a

Example: Rocks above a normal fault move down.

are pulling apart.

Define: The crack or line between two plates that

Vocabulary Routine
 omnivore
(omºnә vôrª)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Manfred Danegger/Peter Arnold Inc.

Photograph by © Argosy Publishing

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(ōºpәn sәrºkәt)
open circuit
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: An electrical circuit with breaks or openings.
Example: Electric current cannot flow in an
open circuit.
Ask: How do you use an open circuit lto turn off
a light bulb?
Ask: Why are bears considered omnivores?
Example: Most humans are omnivores.
Define: An animal that eats both plants and animals.
Vocabulary Routine
 parallel
circuit
(parºә lelª sәrºkәt)
© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Joe Polillio/Macmillan-McGraw Hill
Photograph by © Photodisc/Getty Images, Inc.
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
(ôr)
ore
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: A circuit in which the electrical current
follows more than one path.
Example: Each branch of a parallel circuit has its own
electric current.
Ask: Why would you use a parallel circuit to
install lights above your bathroom mirror?
galena?
Ask: Why do people mine ores like bauxite or
Example: Hematite is an ore that contains iron.
property or substance.
Define: A mineral or rock containing a useful
Vocabulary Routine
 photographer
(fә täºgrә fәr)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Mage100/AGE Fotostock

Photograph by © Sam Tomasello

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(fōªtō sinºthә sis)

photosynthesis
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: A person who takes pictures with a camera.

Example: Nature photographers work in many

outdoor places like jungles and oceans.

Ask: What would a nature photographer

need to know about organisms and their
environment?

photosynthesis?
Ask: What gas do plants take in during

summer.
Example: Most photosynthesis takes place in the

into food.
Define: The process by which plants turn sunlight

Vocabulary Routine
 physical weathering
(fizºi kәl wethºәr ing)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Galen Rowell/CORBIS

Photograph by Sam Tomasello

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(pisºtәl)
pistil

pistil
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: The processes that change the size and

shape of rocks without changing them
chemically.

Example: Extreme high and low temperatures can

lead to physical weathering.

Ask: How does freezing and thawing cause

physical weathering of rocks?

pistil of a flower?
Ask: How does pollen from a stamen get to the

Example: The ovary is part of the plant’s pistil.

sex cells.
Define: The parts of a plant that produce the female

Vocabulary Routine
 North American plate Eurasian plate

Pacific plate Caribbean Arabian

plate plate
Philippine
plate Cocos
Equator plate Equator

Nazca
plate South
Indo-Australian plate American
plate African plate

Scotia Antarctic plate

plate

plate
(plāt)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Macmillan-McGraw Hill

Photograph by © Argosy Publishing

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(pōl)
pole
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: The part of a magnet where the magnetic
force is strongest.
Example: When two magnets are brought together,
the north pole will attract the south pole.
Ask: Why does Earth have a north and a south
pole?
together?
Ask: How do the plates of Earth’s crust fit
earthquakes.
Example: The movement of plates can cause
forms Earth’s crust.
Define: An extremely large, moving slab of rock that
Vocabulary Routine
 pistil
stamen
pollen
pollination
(polªә nāºshәn)
© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Sam Tomasello
Photograph by © Hans Pfletschinger/Peter Arnold Inc.
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
(polºәn)
pollen
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: The process in which the male and female
cells of plants come together.
Example: After pollination a seed develops that lets
the plant reproduce.
Ask: How does pollination help both plants and
animals?
Ask: Which part of a flower contains the pollen?
stamen to pistil.
Example: During pollination, pollen is transferred from
contain the male sex cells.
Define: The powder-like grains in a flower that
Vocabulary Routine
 population
(popªyә lāºshәn)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Phil Schermeister/Corbis

Photograph by © James Urbach/Superstock

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(predºә tәr)
predator
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: All the members of a single type of living

thing in an environment.

Example: When one population changes, it affects

other populations in the same food web.

Ask: Which animals would make up a desert

population?

like a heron hunt?

Ask: What type of organisms would a predator

Example: Sharks are the ocean’s fiercest predators.

food.
Define: An animal that hunts another animal for

Vocabulary Routine
 pressure

pressure
(preºshәr)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Sebastian Quigley

Photograph by © AGE Fotostock/Superstock

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(prā)
prey
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: A squeezing force that pushes things

together.

Example: Pressure deep in the Earth can form new

kinds of rock from old kinds.

Ask: What effect does high underground

pressure have on rocks?

are animals that feed on them?

Ask: Why must there be more prey than there

Example: Mice are prey to hawks.

for food.
Define: An animal that is hunted by another animal

Vocabulary Routine
 producer
(prә düºsәr)
© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by (Mustard): © Ian Rose/Frank Lane Picture Agency/CORBIS;
(Sun): © Royalty-Free/CORBIS
Photograph by © AGE Fotostock/Superstock
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
kәn süºmәr) (prīºmer ē
consumer
primary
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: An organism that makes its own food.
Example: Green plants are producers that make their
own food from water, carbon dioxide, and
sunlight.
Ask: How do animals in a food chain get energy
from the producer that began the chain?
consumers in a food chain?
Ask: Why are some insects considered primary
chains.
often the primary consumers in their food
Example: Herbivores, such as deer or rabbits, are
Define: The first consumer in a food chain.
Vocabulary Routine
 protist
(prōºtist)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Roland Birke/Peter Arnold Inc.

Photograph by © Macmillan-McGraw Hill

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(ri pelº)
repel
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: To push away.
Example: An object with positive electrical charge will
repel another object with positive electrical
charge.
Ask: Why would the negatively charged end of a
magnet repel the negatively charged end of
another magnet?
bacteria?
Ask: Why is it helpful to humans that protists eat
and lakes.
Example: Many harmful protists are found in ponds
Define: A microorganism that lives in water.
Vocabulary Routine
 resistance
(ri zisºtәns)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © David Chasey/Getty Images, Inc.

Photograph by © Steve Weston

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

folt) (rә vәrsº

reverse fault
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: The ability of a substance to stop or slow

down electric current.

Example: Resistance allows electrical energy to be

changed into other forms of energy, such as
heat or light.

Ask: How does the resistance level of copper

make it useful as an electrical wire?

line in a reverse fault?

Ask: What happens to rocks below the crack or

Example: Rocks above a reverse fault move upward.

are pushing together.

Define: The crack or line between two plates that

Vocabulary Routine
 pressing and
cementing sandstone
(sedimentary
rock)

Rocks break into bits

and get carried away.
Rocks break heat and
into bits pressure
and get
carried away.

basalt
basalt heat and pressure quartzite
(igneous
(igneous rock)
rock) (metamorphic
rock)
melting
melting

cools and
hardens
melting

rock cycle
(rok sīºkәl)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by (Basalt): © Joyce Photographics/Photo Researchers; (Illo): © Macmillan-McGraw Hill; (Molten Lava): © Brad Lewis/Visuals Unlimited;
(Quartzite): © Joyce Photographics/Photo Researchers; (Sandstone): © Andrew J. Martinez/Photo Researchers; (Sediment ): © Creatas/Punchstock

Photograph by © Sam Tomasello

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(rüt)
root
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: The series of processes that show how rocks

change from one into another.

Example: Over time, all rocks melt and harden in the

rock cycle.

Ask: What causes rocks in the rock cycle to melt

or harden?

plant besides getting water and food?

Ask: What is another function of the root of a

Example: Some roots reach far underground.

from the soil.

Define: The part of a plant that gets water and food

Vocabulary Routine
 sand dune
(sand dün)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Gunter Marx Photography/CORBIS

Photograph by © Galen Rowell/CORBIS

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(sedºә ment)
sediment
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: Small pieces of material normally carried
and deposited by water or wind.
Example: Some sediments are tiny particles of rocks
and minerals or bits of bone and shell.
Ask: Why are small pieces of sediment carried
farther by wind and water than larger
pieces?
prevent erosion?
Ask: How do plants growing in a sand dune help
along the shore.
Example: Winds off the ocean create sand dunes
erosion.
Define: Hill-like deposit of sand left behind by wind
Vocabulary Routine
 sedimentary
rock
(sedªә menºtәr ē rok)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Breck P. Kent/Animals Animals/Earth Scenes

Photograph by © George D. Lepp/CORBIS

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

di spәrºsәl) (sēd
dispersal
seed
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: The process of spreading seeds that allows
plants to reproduce.
Example: Animals play an important role in
seed dispersal.
Ask: Why do plants use different methods of
seed dispersal?
easily?
Ask: Why does sedimentary rock break so
sedimentary rock.
Example: Limestone is an example of
are pressed together in layers.
Define: A type of rock that forms when sediments
Vocabulary Routine
 series circuit
(sîrºēz sәrºkәt)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Joe Polillio/Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

Photograph by © AnnCecil/Lonely Planet Images

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(shēld vol cāºnō)

shield volcano
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: A circuit in which all the electrical charges

flow along the same path.

Example: If any part of a series circuit is broken, no

electric current will flow.

Ask: How are the parts and wires connected to

each other in a series circuit?

and flat?
Ask: Why are the sides of a shield volcano wide

shield volcanoes.
Example: The Hawaiian Islands are examples of

Define: A volcano with sides that are wide and flat.

Vocabulary Routine
 solar energy
(sōºlәr enºәr jē)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Blue Line Pictures/Iconica/Getty Images, Inc.

Photograph by © Brand X Pictures/PunchStock

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(stāºmәn)
stamen

stamen
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: The part of the plant that holds the male
cells for reproduction.
Example: The stamen is part of the plant’s anther.
Ask: In what form are the male cells stored in a
flower’s stamen?
solar energy?
Ask: What sweet food do plants produce from
Example: Most plants rely on solar energy to grow.
Define: Energy that comes from the Sun.
Vocabulary Routine
 static electricity
(staºtik i lekªtriºsә tē)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Ken Cavanagh/Macmillan-McGraw Hill

Photograph by © Jim Brandenburg/Minden Pictures

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(stem)
stem
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: A buildup of electrical charge on an object.

Example: Objects rubbing against one another in a

clothes dryer create static electricity.

Ask: How can you cause static electricity to

attract bits of paper to a plastic comb?

Ask: What is the stem of a tree called?

Example: A plant’s stem also carries food and water.

Define: The part of a plant that holds it upright.

Vocabulary Routine
 stomata
(stōºmә tә) n. pl.,

stoma
(stōºmә) sing.

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Photograph by © John D. Cunningham/Visuals Unlimited/Getty Images, Inc.

Photograph by © Steve Weston

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

folt) (strīk slip

strike-slip fault
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: The crack or line between two plates that
are sliding past each other in different
directions.
Example: California’s San Andreas Fault is a strike-slip
fault.
Ask: Why is the land on either side of a
strike-slip fault roughly the same height?
stomata of a leaf?
Ask: What would happen if dirt blocked the
stomata.
Example: Carbon dioxide enters a plant through its
which air and water pass.
Define: Holes on the bottoms of leaves through
Vocabulary Routine
 submersible
(sub mәrºsә bәl)
© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © American Museum Of Natural History
Photograph by © Royalty Free/CORBIS
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
(strip färºming)
strip farming
 Vocabulary Routine
Define: Something that can work underwater.
Example: Scientists use vehicles called submersibles
to study the bottom of the ocean.
Ask: Why do scientists need a submersible to
explore deep underwater?
after year?
Ask: Why do farmers practice strip farming year
Example: Strip farming slows down soil erosion.
food crops in an area.
Define: Planting alternating rows of grasses and
Vocabulary Routine
 survey
technician
(sәrºvā tek niºshәn)

© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © David Mendelsohn/Masterfile

Photograph by © Macmillan-McGraw Hill

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(swich)
switch
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: A person who creates maps and locates

boundaries of land.

Example: A survey technician might use a special

instrument to calculate large distances.

Ask: What type of skills would you need to

become a survey technician?

to flow through a circuit?

Ask: How does a closed switch allow electricity

on or off.
Example: Most switches turn the electric current

the flow of electric current in a circuit.

Define: A device that can make, break, or change

Vocabulary Routine
 transformer
(trans färºmәr)

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Photograph by © Peter Casolino/Alamy

Photograph by © Steve Weston

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(sü näºmē)
tsunami
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: Something that changes the voltage of

electric current.

Example: Some transformers increase voltage as

electric current leaves a power plant, then
others decrease the voltage before it enters
a home.

Ask: Why is it necessary to have an electric

current go through a transformer before it
enters a home?

when it reaches the coastline?

Ask: What kind of damage does a tsunami do

earthquake in the ocean.

Example: A tsunami is usually caused by an

Define: A giant ocean wave.

Vocabulary Routine
 understory
(әnºdәr stôrªē)
© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Kevin Schafer/Peter Arnold Inc.
Photograph by © AGE Fotostock/Superstock
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
(tәrºbīn)
turbine
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: A type of engine that provides the

mechanical energy for a generator.

Example: A simple turbine looks like an electric fan

that moves when steam, water, or air pushes
against the blades.

Ask: What part of a turbine is pushed or spun by

moving air or water?

understory of a jungle?
Ask: How much sunlight would you see in the

the understory.
Example: Leopards, frogs, and many insects live in

the ground.
Define: The area in a forest between the canopy and

Vocabulary Routine
 valley
(vaºlē)

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Photograph by © Carmel Studios/Superstock

Photograph by © Steve Weston

Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

(vent)
vent
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: An area of low land between hills or

mountains.

Example: Rivers can cut away at landforms and

create valleys.

Ask: What happens to the soil when a river cuts

away land to form a valley?

clogged?
Ask: Why can the vent of a volcano become

out of the volcano’s vent.

Example: During eruption, lava and rocks are forced

Define: The central opening in a volcano.

Vocabulary Routine
 weathering
(wethºәr ing)
© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Grade 4
Photograph by © Enlightened Images/Animals Animals/Earth Scene
Photograph by © Gary Braasch/CORBIS
Grade 4 © Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
(vol cāºnō)
volcano
 Vocabulary Routine

Define: A mountain that builds up around an

opening in Earth’s crust.

Example: When trapped energy is released from

a volcano, there may be an explosive
eruption.

Ask: Where on Earth are volcanoes most often

found?

of rocks?
Ask: How do plants contribute to weathering

to weathering.
Example: Freezing, wind, and pressure can lead

rocks without transporting them.

Define: The natural processes that break down

Vocabulary Routine