The ABC’s ofSCIENCE

Teri Elk, ELED 412

A is for..…Atmosphere The Earth is surrounded by a large mass of

gas called the atmosphere. It is about 348 miles thick, it supports life on Earth and separates it from space.

B is for..…Burrow

A hole or a tunnel dug in the ground by a small animal, such as a rabbit or mole, for a place of habitation or refuge.

C is for..…Climate Climate is the weather conditions in an

area on a continuous, seasonal basis. Climate can be measured by the average variety of weather conditions.

D is for..…DATA Data is factual information, especially

information organized for analysis or used to reason or make decisions.

E is for..…Erosion Erosion is the movement of sediment from

one location to the other through the use of water, wind, ice, or gravity. The Grand Canyon was created by the process of weathering and erosion.

F is for…..Fungi Fungi are multicellular organisms with a

sophisticated organization system which contain eukaryotic cells. Fungi exists in many different forms and shapes.

G is for…..Galaxy Galaxies are large collections of stars,

hydrogen, dust particles, and other gases. The universe is made of countless galaxies. The solar system that includes Earth is part of a galaxy called the Milky Way.

H is for…..Hibernate To spend the winter in close quarter in a

dormant condition, as bears and certain other animals is to hibernate.

I is for…..Ion

An atom or a group of atoms that has an electric charge. Positive ions, or cations, are formed by the loss of electrons; negative ions, or anions, are formed by the gain of electrons.

J is for…..Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the sun, the

largest and most massive in the solar system. It has 16 satellites and is surrounded by a transient planar ring system consisting of dust particles.

K is for….. Kinetic Energy An object possessing energy because of its

ability to move has kinetic energy. Kinetic Energy is used for movement and to do work.

L is for…..Life Cycles Life Cycles traditionally begins with a seed

or a fertilized egg, which goes through metamorphosis until the organism is fully formed. The development and growth of organisms can take days, months, or years.

M is for…..Mantle The mantle is the thickest layer of the

Earth located right below the crust. It is composed mostly of rocks and metals. The heat is so intense that rocks and metals melt, creating magma and the resulting lava that reaches the surface.

N is for…..Nervous System The nervous system has two main

divisions; the somatic and automatic. The somatic allows the voluntary control of skeletal muscles, and the automatic, controls cardiac and glandular functions.

O is for…..Ozone Ozone forms a layer at the top of the

atmosphere that blocks harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun from reaching the Earth’s surface.

P is for…..Periodic Table

There are 112 basic kinds of matter, called elements that are organized into the periodic table.

Q is for…..Quartz A Quartz is a colorless mineral often tinted

by impurities found in igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. It is used in the manufacture of glass, abrasives, and cement, and also as a gemstone.

R is for…..Rotation Rotation describes the spinning of Earth on

its axis. Earth takes approximately 24 hours to make a complete rotation, which creates day and night.

S is for…..Surface Water Surface water is the water in streams,

lakes, rivers, and all water that is on the surface of the ground.

T is for…..Tectonic Plates

The two sub-layers of the earth’s crust (lithosphere) that move, float, and sometimes fracture and whose interaction causes continental drift, earthquakes, volcanoes, mountains, and oceanic trenches.

U is for…..Universe All matter and energy, including the earth,

the galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space, regarded as a whole.

V is for…..Volcano

Volcanoes are formed by the constant motion of tectonic plates. This movement creates pressure that forces magma from the mantel to escape to the surface, creating an explosion of lava, fire, and ash.

W is for…..Weathering

Weathering is the process of breaking down rock, soils, and minerals through natural, chemical, and biological processes. Two of the most common examples of physical weathering are exfoliation (desert) and freeze thaw (cracks,freezes,expands).

X is for…..Xenon The chemical element of atomic number

54, a member of the noble gas series. It is obtained by distillation of liquid air and is some specialized electric lamps.

Y is for…..Year

The period of time during which Earth completes a single revolution around the sun, consisting of 354 days, 5 hours, 49 minutes, and 12 seconds of mean solar time.

Z is for…..Zinc A bluish-white, lustrous metallic element

that is brittle at room temperature but malleable with heating. It has the atomic number 30.

Reference List• Rosado, A. Luis. (2010). The Best Teachers’ Preparation for

the Texas 191 Generalist EC-6 Test. New Jersey. Research & Education Association.

• (2012). Dictionary.com. (2012, July 14) http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/zinc