Earth Science (K-8)

Earth science studies Earth's atmosphere, biosphere, and hydrosphere. Interactions among these systems are explained by other sciences. Elementary school earth science provides the foundation for students to develop their understanding of planet Earth, preparing them for middle school science.

Teaching middle school earth science involves scaffolding new layers and more complex vocabulary words onto the elementary school science core curriculum. Elementary school earth science standards can be met by using the comprehensive word lists. The printable science worksheets are a great way to reinforce both the elementary earth science vocabulary (which covers Earth's history and processes) and the middle school earth science lesson plans.

The 5th grade science words cover topics such as the greenhouse effect, fossil fuels, and various Earth cycles, while the eighth grade earth science definitions include geological eras, plate tectonics. and continental drift. Students enjoy learning K-8 earth science vocab by playing fun online elementary school earth science games and even gain a core knowledge essential for creating successful elementary school science fair projects. VocabularySpellingCity is the best place to learn science words on Earth!

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Earth Science Vocabulary
Words at a Glance

Kindergarten Earth Science

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History of the Earth: earth, equator, expand, fossil, glacier, melt, movement, oxygen, rain, water

Resources: air pollution, garbage , heat energy, nonrenewable, nutrients, renewable , resource, oil, reuse, gas, fossil fuel, smog, water, wind energy, oxygen

Structures: core, flood, land, lava, mineral, movement, ocean, rock, stream, weathering, crust, earth, erosion, landform, mantle, mining, nonmetal, oil, sand, valley, cycle, earthquake, fossil fuels, glacier, lake, landslide, metal, mountain, river, volcano

The Water Cycle: water, cloud, melt, accumulation, condensation, evaporate, evaporation, water cycle

The Weather: air, cloud, heat , precipitation , sunshine, storm, sun, weather patterns, flood, hail, hot, rain, temperature, thaw, tropical climate, weather, melt, snow, sleet, sunlight, wind

1st Grade Earth Science

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Formation: composition, cycle, dissolve, lava, material, melt, water, water energy, wind energy, erosion, flood, glacier, gravity, landslide, mass, matter, physical change, substance, weathering

History of the Earth: earth, extinct, fossil, glacier, melt, movement, oxygen, rain, water

Inside the Earth: coal, crust, earthquake, magnetic field, mass, natural gas, oil, rock, core, earth, equator, lava, mantle, north pole, south pole, iron

Landforms: identify, landform. map, rough, shape, size, structure, surface, mountain, plain, river, smooth, texture, valley, volcano

Minerals: copper, dull, luster, metal, mineral, mining, nonmetal, silver, shine, identify

Processes: air, cloud, evaporate, melt, nutrients, precipitation, smog, snow, water cycle, water vapor, weather, water pollution, sleet, renewable, rain, liquid, freeze, condensation, climate, air pollution

Resources: air pollution, smog, water pollution, natural resource, recycle, renewable, nonrenewable, water, nutrients

The Earth's Surface: root, soil, plant, river, surface, natural resource, nonliving, living, heat energy, Earth's surface, sand, dirt, plants, map, gravity, cast, surface

The Water Cycle: freeze, condensation, water cycle, evaporate, water vapor, climate, hail, rain, cycle

The Weather: air, snow, weather, cirrus clouds, sleet, melt, liquid, cumulus clouds, cloud, precipitation

2nd Grade Earth Science

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Earth's Surface: heat energy, map, surface, cast, Earth's surface, gravity, plants, sand, soil

Formation: erosion, flood, glacier, water , weathering, wind energy, physical change, water energy, landslide, substance

History of the Earth: air, big bang, absolute age, archaeologist, earth, extinct, imprint, ocean, paleontologist, reconstruct, ancient, cast, earth science, fossils, geologist, continent, land mass, lava, prehistoric animals, water

Inside the Earth: axis, core, crust , earthquake, equator, lava, magnetic field, mantle, north pole, south pole

Landforms: appearance, boulder , characteristics, crater, landform, map, mountain, plain, surface, valley, volcano

Minerals: geologist, luster, material, metal, mineral, mining, rock properties, silver, heat energy, rock

Resources: natural gas, natural resource, nonrenewable, oil, pollution, recover, recycle, renewable, water , biosphere, gasoline, nutrients, ocean, reduce , resource, heat energy, litter, nonliving, fossil fuel, gas , reuse, water pollution

The Water Cycle: ocean, freeze, accumulation, condensation, evaporation, water cycle, water, humidity, melt, weather, evaporate, liquid , water vapor

The Weather: air, climate, cloud, cold, cycle, drought, precipitation, sleet, temperate climate, tropical climate , water , rain, snow, thaw, smog, weather, humidity, cirrus clouds, cumulus clouds, freeze, hail, melt, stratus clouds

3rd Grade Earth Science

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History of the Earth: cool, cooling, fossil, geological, ocean, salt water, paleontologist, volcanic eruption, magma, plates

Resources: fresh water, fossil fuel, natural resource, interact, nonrenewable, renewable resource, resource, thermal energy, wind energy

Structures: axis, erosion, glacier, ice wedging, mechanical weathering, metamorphic, sedimentary rock, stream, wind, igneous (rock?), chemical weathering, fresh water, gravity, igneous rock, melt, ocean, soil, thermal energy, salt water, volcano

The Atmosphere: atmosphere, stratosphere, air, air mass, air pressure, carbon dioxide, oxygen, ozone, troposphere

The Water Cycle: water table, clouds, atmosphere, condensation, evaporation, glacier, groundwater, ocean, water cycle, water vapor

The Weather: biome, habitat, savannah, tundra, arctic, taiga, biosphere, desert, rain forest, nimbus, warm front, climate, cold front, force freeze, hail, melt, precipitation, thunderstorm, weather conditions, sleet, forecast, heat, hurricane, lightning, meteorologist, tornado, weather, weather vane

4th Grade Earth Science

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Earthquakes: crust, pressure, continental drift, fault line. oceanic crust, seismograph, shock waves, subduction zone, compression, earthquake, earthquake focus, epicenter, fault, plate, plate tectonics, transverse wave, tsunami

Formation: deposition, erosion, glacier, sediment, storm surge, tide, weathering, gravity, sedimentary rock, soil composition

History of the Earth: active volcano, compression, continental crust, continental drift, convection, earthquake, fossil, glacier, magma, plate tectonics

Inside the Earth: volcano, continental crust, convection, igneous rock, magma chamber, rock cycle, vent, oceanic crust, axis, core, crust, equator, inner core, mantle, outer core

Landforms: boundary, cave, crater, dome volcano, ridge, topography, volcano, map

Processes: atmosphere, climate, convection, drought, flood, front, greenhouse effect, humidity, lithosphere, water cycle

Minerals: deposition, hardness, luster, metamorphic rock, mineral, rift, sedimentary rock, stalactite, stalagmite, streak

5th Grade Earth Science

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Earthquakes: earthquake, fault, subduction zone, plate, continental crust, oceanic crust, epicenter

Formation Processes: sediment, freeze, deposition, erosion, weathering, gravity, heat, ice wedging, thermal energy, wind energy

History of the Earth: continent, fault, crust, earthquake, fossil, glaciers, Big Bang Theory, continental drift, prehistoric, continental shelf, heat, plate tectonics, pangea, epicenter, model, plate, mass movement, core, volcano, magnetic field

Inside the Earth: thermal energy, metamorphic, core, igneous rock, magma, mantle, crust, magnetic field

Landforms & Mapping: delta, glaciers, landforms, model, topography, volcano, latitude, longitude, equator

Processes: air pressure, condensation, fossil fuels, heat, microclimate, nitrogen cycle, water vapor, stratosphere, tidal energy, troposphere, atmosphere, global warming, humidity, lithosphere, natural gas, nonrenewable resource, renewable resource, tsunami, tornado, wind energy, barometric pressure, evaporation, greenhouse effect, hurricane, mesosphere, natural resource, precipitation, water cycle, reusable resource, thermal energy

Rocks & Minerals: anthracite, luster, metamorphic, igneous rock, sedimentary rock, stalactite, stalagmite

6th Grade Earth Science

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Environmental Air Pollution: acid rain, greenhouse effect, greenhouse gases, infrared radiation, ozone, smog, ultraviolet radiation, CFCs

Meteorology: climate, air mass, barometer, dew point, humidity, hurricane, psychrometer, saturation, climate change, high-pressure system, hygrometer, isobar, low-pressure system, microclimate, rain shadow, relative humidity, storm surge

Physical Geography: altitude, deposition, geosphere, hydrosphere, ozone, jet stream, latitude, longitude, seismic wave, equator, atmosphere, atmospheric convection, climate, Coriolis effect, El Niño, global winds, meteorologist, meteorological data

Structures: abrasion, chemical weathering, deposition, geosphere, infrared radiation, marine, mineral, ozone, plate tectonics, seismic wave, tides, latitude, crust, mechanical weathering, acid rain, neap tide, rock cycle, erosion, ultraviolet radiation, particulates, hydrosphere

The History of the Earth: acid rain, atmosphere, barometer, infrared radiation, microclimate, ozone, particulates, plate tectonics, saturation, ultraviolet radiation

7th Grade Earth Science

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Geologic Landforms: alluvial fan, barrier island, contour interval, contour line, delta, divide, drainage basin, glacier , moraine, floodplain

Groundwater: drainage basin, aquifer, artesian well, groundwater, impermeable, permeability, permeable, renewable resource, water table

History of the Earth: abrasion, absolute age, atmospheric pressure, convection, erosion, geologic time scale, geothermal energy, glacier, hydrothermal vent, index fossil, magnetic field, volcanism, moraine, continental drift, Pangaea, continental shelf, soil profile, Big Bang Theory, soil horizon, tectonics

Inside the Earth: volcanism, convection, crust, geothermal energy, hydrothermal vent, igneous , metamorphic, minerals, rock cycle, tectonics

Studies in Earth Structures: volcanism, geologic time scale, tectonics, phenomenon, absolute age, uniformitarianism, geologist

The Atmosphere: acid rain, atmospheric pressure, barometer, climate , El Niño, greenhouse effect, hurricane, ozone, isobar, jet stream, air mass, atmosphere , global winds,, high-pressure system, infrared radiation, low-pressure system, meteorologist, microclimate. ozone, smog

The Geosphere: altitude, Coriolis effect, deposition, geosphere, hydrothermal vent, nonrenewable resource, latitude, permeability, permeable, seismic wave

The Hydrosphere: floodplain, glacier , groundwater, humidity, hydrosphere, aquifer, dew point, water table, relative humidity, saturation

The Ocean: continental shelf, down welling, intertidal zone, longshore current, longshore drift, rip current, tidal range, upwelling, turnover, estuary

The Soil: humus, index fossil, sedimentary,, soil horizon, soil profile, peat, soil, cast

Weathering: erosion, abrasion, chemical weathering, deposition, desertification, exfoliation, loess, mass wasting, mechanical weathering, weathering

8th Grade Earth Science

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History of the Earth: absolute age, Cenozoic Era, Cretaceous, ice age, magnetic reversal, paleobiogeography, paleontologist, pangea, plate tectonics, volcanism, Cambrian explosion, continental drift, fossil record, Jurassic, magma, Mesozoic Era, ore, paleobiology, Paleozoic Era, plate tectonics, Triassic

Structures: aftershock, convergent boundary, fault, igneous rock, liquefaction, magnetic reversal, metamorphism, ore, sediment, asthenosphere, epicenter, foliation, inner core, lithosphere, mantle, mid-ocean ridge, outer core, recrystallization, sedimentary rock, transform boundary, continental drift, extrusive igneous rock, fracture, intrusive igneous roc, magma, metamorphic rock, mineral, plate tectonics, rock cycle, subduction

The Atmosphere: air mass, air pressure, atmosphere, climate, global winds, greenhouse effect, infrared radiation, isobar, ultraviolet radiation, ozone, altitude, meteorologist, atmospheric pressure, barometer, El Niño, high-pressure system, hurricane, microclimate, jet stream, low-pressure system

The Geosphere: aquifer, Coriolis effect, deposition, geosphere, hydrothermal vent, nonrenewable resource, latitude, permeability, permeable, seismic wave

The Hydrosphere: groundwater, hydrosphere, rain shadow, relative humidity, saturation, storm surge removed, water table, aquifer, acid rain, dew point, floodplain, glacier, humidity, liquefaction, marine

For a complete online Science curriculum in First Grade Science, Second Grade Science, Third Grade Science, Fourth Grade Science, Fifth Grade Science, Sixth Grade Science, or Seventh Grade Science visit Time4Learning.com.

Educational Science Games

Here are some fun Science Games from LearningGamesForKids by category: Science Songs, Science Videos, Science Experiment Videos, Space Games, Weather Games, or Science Experiment Games.

For more kindergarten learning resources, kindergarten math vocabulary words, kindergarten homeschool curriculum, free kindergarten vocabulary games, free science games, and a school science curriculum.