Spelling Bee contest 6th, 7th and 8th graders

BIOLOGY VOCABULARY
aptation a variation in a plant or animal that increases it chance of survival in its environment

amphibian any cold-blooded vertebrate typically living on land but breeding in water;
aquatic larvae undergo metamorphosis into adult form
anatomy the structure of an animal or plant or of any of its parts
aquatic relating to, living in or growing in wáter
bacteria a prokaryotic microorganism without a cell membrane or nucleus. Bacteria
usually reproduce by fission or spores and may cause disease.
biodiversity the diversity of an environment shown by number of different species of
plants and animals
brain an organ of the nervous system made up of neurons and other tissues that processes
information, controls autonomic function, directs movement, and learns
carnivore any animal that feeds on flesh
chlorophyll the green photosynthetic pigment found in plant chloroplasts
digestive system the organ system responsible for ingestion, digestion, absorption, and
excretion of food
ecosystem an ecological unit made up of an environment and the organisms in that
environment
evolution the change in a population’s gene pool over generations
experiment test done by scientist to see if a hypothesis or idea is true
habitat the type of environment in which an organism or group normally lives or occurs
nucleus the central part of the cell that controls the cell and contains genetic material
(DNA). The nucleus has 3 parts: the nuclear envelope, the chromatin, and the nucleolus.
procedure the steps or instructions of a process
stomach a portion of the digestive system found between the esophagus and the small
intestine that secretes digestive enzymes and acids to break down food into smaller,
absorbable parts
symmetry balance or similarity in body structures of organisms
vertebrate animals with a backbone
 MATHS VOCABULARY
acute angle any angle less than 90°
algebra letters and symbols are used to represent numbers in equations or formulae. For
example, if w = 3, what is 6w + 7?
area the amount of space it takes up. For example, a rectangular football field has an area
of 64m² or 64 squared metres.
capacity of a container is how much that container can hold, measured using units such as
litres, millilitres, pints etc.
circumference is the length around the edge of a circle.
denominator the name for the bottom number in a fraction. For example, in the fraction
4/10, 10 is the denominator
diagonal a line joining two opposite corners of a square, rectangle or other shape.
edge the name for lines created when two faces in a 3D shape meet.
Geometry the branch of maths about the properties, measurements, position and
relationships of points, lines, angles and shapes.
length of an object is how long or short something is, and is usually measured in metric
units such as centimetres, metres and kilometres.
multiple the result of multiplying one integer by another. Multiples of a number are those
in that numbers times table. For example, multiples of 7 include 14, 35, 49 and 84.
negative number any number lower than 0 and is commonly taught using temperatures.
For example, -2, -14, -67.
numerator the name for the top number in a fraction. For example, in the fraction 5/15, 5
is the numerator.
product numbers is the name for the answer to a multiplication calculation. For example,
35 is the product of 5 x 7.
triangle a 2D shape with three sides, angles and corners.
volume the amount of space an object occupies, especially 3D shapes.
 PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Sport: Any activity that uses physical exertion or skills competitively under a set of rules
that is not based on aesthetics
Basketball: sport in which two opposing teams of five players strive to put a ball through a
hoop.
Football: sport played on foot in which teams attempt to get a ball into a goal or zone
defended by the other team
Volleyball: a game played on a rectangular court between two teams of two to six players
which involves striking a ball back and forth over a net.
Jump: to cause oneself to leave an elevated location and fall downward.
Athletics: a group of sporting activities including track and field, road running, cross and
country.
Movement: a state of progression from one place to another
Warm up: to reach, or cause to reach, a normal operating temperature
Swimming: to move through the water, without touching the bottom; to propel oneself in
water by natural means
Stretching: to extend physically, especially from limit point to limit point
Ball: an object that is the focus of many sports and games, in which it may be thrown,
caught, kicked, bounced, rolled, chased, retrieved and hit with an instrument
Fitness: the condition of being fit, suitable or appropriate.
Trainer: a person responsible for treating injuries sustained by players during matches
Sneaker: an athletic shoe with a soft, rubber sole.

I.T. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Mouse: a small handheld device which is moved across a mat or flat surface to
move the cursor on a computer screen.
MP3 player: a piece of electronic equipment or a computer program for playing
music or another sound that has been stored as MP3 files
Webcam: a camera that records moving pictures and sound, and allows these to
be broadcast on the internet as they happen
Hard drive: Hard disks are flat circular plates made of aluminum or glass and
coated with a magnetic material. Hard disks for personal computers can store
terabytes (trillions of bytes) of information.
Microphone: a device that translates sound vibrations in the air into electronic
signals and scribes them to a recording medium or over a loudspeaker. 
Digital camera: a camera that produces digital images stored in a computer and
displayed on the screen.
Headphones: a pair of small loudspeaker drivers worn on or around the head over
a user's ears
Memory stick: a brand name for a small rectangular piece of equipment that you
can connect to a computer or other piece of electronic equipment to copy and store
computer
Floppy disc: a thin plastic disk coated with magnetic material on which data for a
computer can be stored.
Router:  a physical or virtual appliance that passes information between two or
more packet-switched computer networks.
Computer: an electronic device for storing and processing data, typically in binary
form, according to instructions given to it in a variable program.
Laptop: a computer that is portable and suitable for use while traveling.
memory card:  a small piece of equipment that you use to store images, videos,
etc. in digital cameras and other equipment.
Printer:  a device that accepts text and graphic output from a computer and
transfers the information to paper
E-reader: a handheld device on which electronic versions of books, newspapers,
magazines, etc. can be read.
Flat-screen tv: A flat-screen television is a television with a flat, narrow screen
Tablet: a mobile computing device that has a flat, rectangular form like that of a
magazine or pad of paper, that is usually controlled by means of a touch screen,
and that is typically used for accessing the Internet, watching videos, playing
games, reading electronic books, etc.
Smartwatch: A smartwatch is a wearable computer in the form of a watch;
modern smartwatches provide a local touchscreen interface for daily use, while an
associated smartphone app provides management and telemetry, such as long-
term biomonitoring.
Keypad: a small set of buttons with numbers on, used to operate a phone, a
television, or an electronic device
Earbuds: are small earphones that you wear inside your ears so that you can
listen to music, the radio, or your phone without anyone else hearing.

LITERATURE GLOSSARY

Poetry: literature in metrical form.

Fiction: a literary work based on the imagination.
Dialogue: a conversation between two or more people.
Language: a mean of communication by the use of sounds or symbols.
Writer: a person who is able to write and has written something.
Bibliography: a list of sources used in the preparation of a book.
Fable: a short moral story with animals as characters.
Narrator: a person who tells a story or gives an account of something.
Plot: the story or plan of a play or novel.
Story: a narration of a chain of events told or written in prose or verse.
Villain: a bad person who harms other people or breaks the law.
Setting: the time and place in which the action of a story occurs.
Style: the way in which a piece of literature is written.
Theme: the central idea in a literary work.
Irony: a contrast between appearance and actuality.