Vocabulary:
- rock cycle - the slow, continuous process by which rocks change from one type to another
- sedimentary rocks - a type of rock formed when layers of sediment are pressed together and harden over time
- metamorphic rocks - a rock that has been changed by heat or pressure into another kind of rock
- igneous rock - a rock that forms when magma or lava cools and hardens
- magma - liquid, molten rock beneath the Earth’s surface
- fossil fuels - a nonrenewable resources formed from the remains of prehistoric plants and animals
- landforms - a physical feature of the Earth’s surface
- canyon - a valley formed by running water, such as a river or stream
- delta - soil which is deposited at the mouth of a river, usually in a triangular shape
- deposition - a process by which wind or water drops sediment in a new locatio
- erosions - the movement of sediment by wind, water, or ice
- glacier - a large mass of slowly moving ice and snow that carves new features and deposits sediment
- landslide - sudden collapse of land causing a rapid change to Earth’s surface
- sand dune - a hill of sand created by the wind
- sediment - small particles of rock, soil, sand, or shell deposited by water, wind or ice.
- alternative energy - energy generated in ways that do not deplete natural resources or harm the environment
- biofuel - a type of fuel made from living or recently living organisms
- greenhouse effect - heating that occurs when gases in Earth’s atmosphere trap heat
- geothermal - heat energy from inside the Earth
- fossils - the traces of remains of ancient organisms preserved in rock
- models - a copy or replica of an object
- weather - what the air outside is like
- climate - the general pattern of weather conditions in a region over a period of many years
- water cycle - the movement of water through Earth’s environment
- Sun - the star that is at the center of our solar system which provides energy for Eart
- ocean -a large body of saltwater
- planet - a large body that moves in an orbit around a star
- rotates - to turn on an axis
- axis - an imaginary line around which a planet rotates
- Earth - the third planet from the Sun; a small, rocky planet that is unique because it has liquid water which enables it to support life.
- atmosphere - the layer of air that surrounds Earth
- moon - a natural satellite in space that revolves around a planet
- asteroid - chunk of rock which orbits the sun
- comet - a mass of ice and dust that orbits the sun
- moon phases - the changes in the appearance of the Moon as seen from Earth
- eclipse - when one objects in space blocks light from reaching another object
- orbit - the path an object takes as it moves around another object in space
- revolve - to travel in a path around another object
- tides - events in which the ocean water rises and falls due to gravitational forces of the sun and moon
- tectonic plate - giant, irregular piece of Earth’s outermost layer that moves around on the fluid mantle below
