Biomes (Interdependence of Plants and Animals)
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Word
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Definition
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individual |
A single organism (plant or animal) in an environment.
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environment |
All of the different parts of an area that affects the growth of organisms (water, air, land).
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community
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Organisms living together in an environment.
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energy pyramid
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Shows the amount of energy available to pass from one level of a food chain to the next.
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symbiosis |
A relationship between different kinds of organisms. It may benefit just one or both of the organisms.
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instinct |
A behavior an organism inherits.
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exotic |
An organism that is not native to its environment.
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extinct |
An organism that is no longer in existence.
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endangered
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A group of organisms that is likely to become extinct if it is not saved.
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threatened |
A group of organisms that is likely to become endangered if it is not protected
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ecosystem |
A community and its physical environment.
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habitat |
A place in an ecosystem where a population lives.
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niche |
The job of a population in its habitat.
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food chain |
The way that things in an ecosystem interact with each other based on what they eat.
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food web
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The interactions among many different food chains in one ecosystem.
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producer |
An organism that makes its own food.
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herbivore |
An organism that eats mainly plants.
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carnivore |
An organism that eats mainly animals.
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predator |
An animal that lives by eating other animals.
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prey |
An animal that is eaten by other animals.
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adaptation |
The adjustment of an organism to the conditions of its environment.
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decomposers |
An organism that breaks down other dead or decaying organisms
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biome |
A major community that exists in certain climates or environments.
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desert |
A dry area with little or no precipitation or vegatation.
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tundra |
A treeless are in Arctic regions where the soil underground is permanently frozen.
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taiga |
Forest biomes that are primarily made up of evergreen trees (such as pine trees).
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grassland
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A biome in which grass is the dominant form of plant life.
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deciduous forest
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Forest biomes that are primarily made up of trees which shed their leaves at the end of their growing season.
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tropical |
A biome with temperatures which support plant growth year-round.
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rain forest
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A biome with a high amount of rainfall annually.
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Landforms |
model |
A representation of an object based on known and inferred properties. (Like our stream tables). |
boundary |
The border or an area.
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structure |
Something built by people.
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map |
A drawing or picture that shows the features and details of an area as seen from above.
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cartographer |
A person who makes maps.
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grid |
Vertical and horizontal lines that form squares.
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atlas |
A book of maps.
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mountain |
Land that is significantly higher than its surroundings.
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canyon |
A crack or ravine that is formed by a river in an area with a small amount of rainfall.
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plateau |
A flat, high piece of land.
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dune |
A ridge of sand or dirt built by wind.
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valley |
A low place surrounded by higher land.
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meander |
A bend or curve in a river.
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plain |
Level, open land.
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floodplain |
A plain located near a river where floods occur.
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delta |
An triangular alluvial fan located where a smaller bod of water enters a larger body of water.
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beach |
An slope of land along a large body of water.
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drainage basin
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A system of rivers and streams that drains an area.
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erosion |
The process by which the surface of the earth is worn away by moving water.
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alluvial fan
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A fan-shaped sediment deposit where a stream flows from a steep slope onto flat land.
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deposition |
The settling of eroded sediments in another place.
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sediments |
Eroded earth materials that have been deposited.
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channel |
The path water takes.
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weathering |
Rock is broken down into smaller pieces.
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slope |
The slant of a stream channel or the surface of land.
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flood |
A very heavy flow of water causing a water body to overflow its banks.
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flash flood
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Sudden flooding caused by sudden, very heavy rainfall, ice thaw, or dam failure.
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glacier |
A large mass of moving ice.
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Weather |
water cycle
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The cycle through which water is circulated on and over the earth.
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evaporation |
Collected water on the ground is turned into its gas state by the sun and goes into the air.
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transpiration |
Trees release water through their leaves into the air. (Tree pee! ;-) )
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condensation |
Water
that is returning to its liquid state due to cold air. This is
demonstrated both by clouds or water droplets forming on cups containing
water.
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precipitation |
Water in its liquid state falling from a cloud. (Rain, snow, sleet, hail).
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run-off |
Water that has fallen as precipitation that runs to collection points.
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collection |
A
place where water collects (streams, branches, creeks, rivers, lakes,
reservoirs, oceans, underground caves, underground springs, ground
water, water table).
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ground water
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Water that is located beneath the ground. Water soaks into the ground after precipitation occurs.
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clouds |
The result of condensation. Places where water comes together in the air.
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cumulus |
A fluffy or puffy cloud. (Cirrocumulus, Altocumulus, Stratocumulus, Cumulus, Cumulonimbus).
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stratus |
A cloud that looks more like a mist or fog. (Cirrostratus, Altostratus, Stratus, Nimbostratus, Fog).
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cirro- |
Prefix
naming clouds that form high (above 20,000 ft./6,000 m.) in the
atmosphere (usually made up of ice crystals). (Cirrus, Cirrostratus,
Cirrocumulus, Cumulonimbus)
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alto- |
Prefix
naming clouds that form in the middle of the atmosphere (6,000-20,000
ft./2,000-6,000 m). (Altostratus, Altocumulus, Cumulonimbus)
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strato- |
Prefix
naming clouds that form low in the atmopshere at Mt. Mitchell"s height
and lower. In Asheville, these clouds are generally very close to the
ground. (Below 6,000 ft./2,000 m.). (Stratus, Nimbostratus,
Stratocumulus, Cumulus, Cumulonimbus, Fog).
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nimbo-/-nimbus |
Prefix/Suffix naming clouds that usually accompany rain or storms. (Nimbostratus, Cumulonimbus).
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weather |
Conditions
including temperature, humidity, air pressure, location of the sun,
ground and water temperature, and precipitation at a given point in
time.
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climate |
The average weather over a period of time.
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polar zone
(frigid zone)
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The
coldest part of earth located near the poles. They receive constant or
semi-constant sunlight for about half of the year. This area is
generally covered with ice or tundra.
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temperate zone
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The
part of earth located between the polar and tropical zones. The
temperature usually averages out with warm to hot summers and mild to
cold winters. The sun shines on this area for varying lengths of time at
different parts of the year.
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tropical zone
(torrid zone) |
The
part of earth located near the equator. The sun shines directly on this
area year-round. The temperatures remain constant through most of the
year.
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wind |
Moving air.
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easterlies
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The wind zone near the poles of the earth. The winds tend to blow toward the East.
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westerlies |
The wind zone in the lower part of the polar zone and upper part of the temperate zone. The winds tend to blow toward the West.
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tradewinds |
The wind zone centered around the tropical zone and southern parts of the trade-winds. The winds blow in circles in this area.
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prevailing westerlies
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The
winds that typically blow from the high pressure to the low pressure
areas. This is the cause of most of North Carolina"s weather.
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ocean breeze/
sea breeze
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Wind the blows in off of the ocean. Typically cooler than the air on land.
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land breeze
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Wind that blows across land. Typically warmer than the air on large bodies of water.
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cold front
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The front of a moving mass of colder air.
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warm front
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The front of a moving mass of warmer air.
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occluded front
(stationary front) |
A front where a cold front has overtaken a warm front.
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air pressure
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The weight of air.
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high pressure
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A colder air mass which pushes the warmer air masses up in the atmosphere. Winds flow outward from high pressure systems.
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low pressure
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A warmer air mass that is pushed into the atmosphere by a cooler mass of air. Wind flows inward with low pressure systems.
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thunderstorms |
A storm that is created by rising air currents.
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cyclones |
A
rapid circulation of air around a low pressure system. These are known
as cyclones, hurricanes, tornadoes, waterspouts, and dust devils.
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Forces & Motion/Models & Design
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position |
The location of an object in relation to a known object.
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motion |
A change in position. Movement.
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speed |
The time it takes for motion to occur.
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forces |
A push or a pull.
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gravity |
The earth"s pull.
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weight |
The way that we measure the earth"s pull on an object.
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pressure |
A force applied evenly across the surface of an object.
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energy |
The potential force in an object.
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transfer |
A movement of force from one object to another.
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friction |
The release of energy as heat.
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inertia |
The tendency of an object to stay in motion or stay still.
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momentum |
A force that causes movement to continue.
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acceleration |
A change in speed.
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simple machines
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A
device that harnesses or overcomes forces to help us do work. Simple
machines provide a balanced force to move objects or to change the
directions of objects.
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lever/fulcrum |
A
bar (lever) which is balanced on a pivot point (fulcrum) to give
mechanical advantage. Scissors, crow bars, and our arms are examples of
levers.
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wheel and axle
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A circular frame (wheel) which rotates on a bar (axle). Cars, wheelbarrows, trains use wheels and axles.
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pulley |
A
wheel with a groove in it through which a rope can run in order to help
with lifting or moving objects. Cars use pulleys to run, cranes use
pulleys to lift objects.
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inclined plane
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A
plane with an angle which helps us move objects up or down from one
level to another. Ramps and driveways are examples of these.
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wedge |
A triangular shape that is used to split or separate something.
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screw |
An
inclined plane which is spiraled around a shaft. Screws, mountain
roads, parking garages, and light bulbs are examples of these.
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gears |
A wheel with teeth that works with another wheel with teeth in order to change the speed or direction of movement of an object.
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compound machine
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A machine built out of a combination of simple machines.
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model |
A representation of an object based on known and inferred properties. (Like our black boxes).
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design
(mechanical design)
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To create a plan for a machine to solve a problem.
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test |
A way of checking to make sure that a design works properly.
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