Life Science (K-8)

From tiny bacteria to giant redwood trees, life science teaches us about living organisms, how they live and where. Life science is among the most tangible subjects to elementary school science students and a great place to start using science vocabulary word games. The elementary school life science worksheets and online science learning activities build the students' science vocabulary and add another avenue to grasping each concept.

At each grade level, the variety of life science words, for which definitions and contextual sentences are provided, mirror elementary and middle school science curricula so as to engage all learners and challenge even the most gifted science students. The middle school life science word lists include many vocabulary words students will encounter on science standardized tests.

Gaining a firm understanding of the vocabulary is sure to enhance students' test-taking confidence. VocabularySpellingCity provides a fun and effective vehicle to teach students how much of life is science!

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Life Science Vocabulary
Words at a Glance

Kindergarten Life Science

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Animal Body Parts: claw, fin, flipper, fur, gills, paw, scale, tail

Animal Types: animal, zoology, amphibian, fish, mammal, reptile, bird, insect

Birds: beak, bird, egg, feather, fly, hatch, wing, talon

Body Functions: backbone, breathe, see, hear, jaw, lungs, feel, sense, skin

Ecosystems: conservation, ecosystem, endangered, location, nutrients, shelter, sunlight, pond, habitat, desert, forest, grassland, lake, ocean, river

Metamorphosis: wing, butterfly, caterpillar, chrysalis, pupa, larva, metamorphosis

Plants: fruit, plant, seedling, soil, sprout, sunlight

Resources: conservation, environment, pollution, recover, resource, farm, recycle, air pollution, reduce, reuse, water, water cycle, water pollution, nutrient

The Environment: community, forest, ocean, pond, population, river, sand, land

The Food Chain: carnivore, consumer, energy, herbivore, predator, prey, producer, food chain

The Life Cycle: organism, growth, inherit, offspring, parent, life cycle, life form, trait

The Needs of Living Things: basic needs, oxygen, nutrients, water, living, nonliving, energy

The Parts of a Plant: flower, leaves, root, seed, stem, tree

The Weather: rain, water, water cycle, sunlight, climate , cloud, cold, wind

1st Grade Life Science

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Animal Body Parts: flipper, fur, gills, paw, scale, tail, webbed foot, wing, beak, claw, feather, fin

Animals: amphibian, animal, bird, fish, mammal, reptile, insect, shellfish

Body Functions: backbone, body covering, breathe, function, hear, lungs, senses, taste

Ecosystems: climate, lake, grassland, ecosystem, forest, desert, freshwater, saltwater, ocean, tundra, extinct, habitat, wetland, river, cycle, rainforest, interact, endangered

Environment: features, habitat . water, absorb, resource, shelter, community, wildlife, population

Living Things: inherit, adapt, basic needs, living, organism, life cycle, offspring, trait, reproduce, genetic

Plants: flower, leaf, plant, root, seed, shrub, sprout, stem

Resources: water, air pollution, resource, conservation, energy transfer, garbage, solar energy, reuse, litter, solar power, farm, natural resource, nonrenewable, recycle, renewable, water pollution

The Food Chain: interact, consumer, food chain, predator, prey, ecosystem, relationship, producer, food web, herbivore, nutrients, omnivore, organism, environment, community, carnivore, consumer, food, herbivore, omnivore, predator, prey, producer

The Life Cycle: eggs, embryo, metamorphosis, hatch, life cycle, grow, adult, parent

The Weather: climate, air, outside, polar climate, sunlight, rain, winter, weather, cloud, cold, condensation, precipitation, tropical climate, water cycle, evaporation

2nd Grade Life Science

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Animal Body Parts: scales, beak, tail, paw, wing, claw, feather, fin, flipper, gills

Animals: amphibian, animal, bird, fish, insect, mammal, population, reptile

Ecosystems: community, conservation, cycle, endangered, habitat , nonliving, relationship, savannah, tundra, Arctic, biosphere, desert, environment, forest , fresh water , grassland, lake , rain forest, salt water, ecosystem , aquarium , everglades, mangrove, ocean, pond, river , shelter, terrarium , marsh

Heredity: offspring, parent , heredity, inherit , survival, reproduction, characteristics, differences, trait, adapt

Life Cycle: life cycle, grow, adult, life form, hatch, egg, embryo, metamorphosis

Living Things: organism, appearance, basic needs, classify, community, extinct, cells, need, habitat

Natural Selection: adapt, adapt, characteristics, compete, differences, survival, want, population, variation, natural selection

Plants: flower, leaf, root, stem, blade, photosynthesis, root, absorb

Resources: air pollution, energy, fossil fuel, gasoline, need, recycle, renewable, resource, nonrenewable, smog, natural resource, water, farm, garbage, heat energy, natural gas, oil, plastic, pollution

The Body: backbone, breathe, digestion, ears, eyes, lungs, mouth, nose, skeleton, teeth

The Food Chain: community, plants, species, carnivore, consumer, herbivore, omnivore, predator, prey, producer, consumer, organism, food chain, nutrients, predator, prey, producer, food, compete, water, carnivore, food web, herbivore, omnivore

The Weather: accumulation, climate, evaporation, freeze, hail, melt, precipitation, rain, snow

3rd Grade Life Science

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Animals: amphibian, arthropod, invertebrate, mammal, reptile, insect, fish, bird, vertebrate

Biomes: adaptation, canopy, climate, community, forest floor, fresh water, interact, lake, plant, polar, population, biome, habitat, savannah, tundra, arctic, taiga, biosphere, desert, rain forest

Ecosystem Parts: environment, canopy, climate, community, water cycle, population, species, organism, ocean, river

Ecosystem Types: biome, coastal forest, coniferous forest, deciduous forest, desert, ecosystem, estuary, forest. ocean, troposphere

Energy Resources: conservation, light, oxygen, photosynthesis, radiant energy, resource, water, environment, sun, nutrient, energy transfer, light energy, natural resource, nonrenewable, pollution, renewable resource, thermal energy, water vapor

Living Things: mammal, plant, cell, classify, growth, inherit, offspring, organism, reproduction, tissue

Plants: bulb, chlorophyll, cone, germinate, plant, root, seed, seed coat, seedling, stem

The Environment: air, carbon dioxide, diversity, evolution, forest, fresh water, habitat, ocean, soil, water

The Food Chain: consumer, organisms, energy pyramid, interact, food web, predator, prey, carnivore, herbivore, omnivore, producer, transfer, decomposer, compete, food chain

4th Grade Life Science

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Animals: arthropod, camouflage, invertebrate, mammal, metamorphosis, mollusk, vertebrate, amphibian

Body Systems: digestive system, circulatory system, nervous system, muscular system, respiratory system, skeletal system, heart, nerve

Classification - Kingdoms: kingdom, diversity, plants, animals, moneran, protist, reptile, fungi, taxonomy, classify

Ecology: camouflage, classification, decomposer, energy pyramid, habitat, natural resource, oxygen, population, primary consumer, succession, water cycle, secondary consumer, producer, predator, photosynthesis, migration, herbivore, energy transfer, ecosystem, community, carnivore, consumer, endangered species, food chain, mimicry, nutrient, pollution, prey, recycling, shelter

Ecosystems and Resources: endangered species, population, classification, heredity, inherited traits, photosynthesis, community, migration, mimicry, oxygen, nonrenewable, nutrient, shelter, natural resource, pollution, succession, renewable resource, recycling, habitat, ecosystem

Living Things: fertilization, life cycle, offspring, organism, parent, sexual reproduction, spore, variation, cell

Organs: cell, organ, tissue, esophagus, large intestine, stomach, brain, lungs, small intestine

Plants: germinate, germination, nonvascular plant, pollen, pollination, transpiration, vascular plant, chlorophyll

The Energy Pyramid: herbivore, prey, food chain, energy transfer, consumer, carnivore, energy pyramid, decomposer, producer, predator

The Environment: adaptation, ecosystem, species, environment, migration, biotic, abiotic, niche, resources, camouflage

5th Grade Life Science

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Cell Biology: cell division, meiosis, mitosis, organ, gene, osmosis, tissue, gamete, cellular respiration

Ecology: carnivore, community, decomposer, energy pyramid, evolution, herbivore, nonrenewable, pollution, renewable resource, symbiosis, biomass, conservation, diffusion, energy transfer, food chain, habitat, parasite, population, producer, resource, biome, commensalism, consumer, ecosystem, environment, greenhouse effect, natural resource, parasitism, predator. reusable resource

Heredity: chromosome, characteristics, inherited trait, gene, dominant trait, recessive trait, genetics, heredity

Plant Functions: chlorophyll, dicots, monocots, photosynthesis, phototropism, vascular, germinate, nonvascular, gravitropism, tropism

Reproduction: asexual reproduction, life cycle, sexual reproduction, fertilization, organism, embryo, meiosis

The Energy Pyramid: producer, decomposer, herbivore, predator, consumer, energy transfer, prey, food chain, carnivore, energy pyramid

The Environment: adaptation, ecology, organism, community, conservation, habitat, niche, biodiversity, biotic, abiotic, diffusion, renewable resource, recycling, evolution, adaptation, ecosystem, nonrenewable, population, pollution, habitat, commensalism, parasitism, symbiosis, natural resource, biome, biodiversity, conservation, greenhouse effect, environment, biomass

The Parts of a Cell: chloroplast, chromosome, cytoplasm, nucleus, cell membrane, cell wall, cell, organelle

The Parts of a Plant: phloem, xylem, fibrous root, taproot, pistil, pollen, seedling, stamen, stigma, stomata

6th Grade Life Science

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Animal Behavior: basic needs, adaptation, specialization, mimicry, camouflage, scavenger, instinct, imprinting, hibernation, migration

Animal Diversity: dichotomous key, invertebrate, classification, vertebrate, symmetry, arthropod, binomial nomenclature, taxonomy, genus, kingdom

Cell Structure: mitochondria, organelle, chloroplast, nucleus, cell membrane, cell, cell wall, golgi apparatus, chromosome, cytoplasm

Community Ecology: microorganism, community, invertebrate, organism, pioneer species, plankton, prokaryotic cell, unicellular, vertebrate, niche, abiotic factor, bacteria, biosphere, classification, dichotomous key, function, interaction, molting, specialization

Disease: bacteria, host cell, incubation, parasite, spore, immunity, vaccine, virus, disease, immune system

Energy Pyramid: commensalism, consumer, decomposer, natural resource, niche, nutrient, producer, mutualism, parasitism, carbohydrate, carbon cycle, energy pyramid, host cell, parasite, protein, scavengers, symbiosis

Environmental Processes: photosynthesis, transpiration, abiotic, biotic, nitrogen cycle, succession, tropism, water cycle, nutrient cycle

Natural Resource Management: aquaculture, biomass, by-catch, eutrophication, sustainable, non-point source, point source pollution, pollution, septic system, resource

Nutrition: carbohydrate, protein, lipid, nutrient, calorie, amino acid, vitamin, enzyme, food group

Plants: photosynthesis, transpiration, tropism, gravitropism, vascular system, stomata, botany, chloroplast, chlorophyll, phototropism

Population Ecology: asexual reproduction, carrying capacity, ecology, ecosystem, heredity, limiting factor, population, population density, sexual reproduction

Reproduction: heredity, sexual reproduction, asexual reproduction, meiosis, mitosis, offspring, DNA, chromosome, dominant trait, recessive trait

7th Grade Life Science

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Cell Biology: asexual reproduction, cellular respiration, osmosis, prokaryote, RNA, chromosome, cell organelles, eukaryote, DNA, sex chromosome, prokaryotic cell, eukaryotic

Cell Division: anaphase, metaphase, prophase, cell division, meiosis,, mitosis, telophase

Cell Structure: cytoplasm, nucleus, cell membrane, cell wall, cell, organelle, golgi apparatus, endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, ribosome, vacuole

Disease: antibody, antigen, virus, pathogen, hormone, immunity, vaccine, immune system

Ecology - Ecosystems & Cycles: carbon cycle, cycles, decomposer , homeostasis , nitrogen cycle, photosynthesis , water cycle, nutrient cycle

Ecology - Microecology: cellular respiration, eukaryote, immunity, infectious disease, osmosis, parasite , pathogen, phytoplankton, prokaryote, virus

Ecology - Natural Selection: carrying capacity, commensalism, competitor, emigration, mutualism , opportunist, predation , speciation, species, biodiversity, dominance, evolution, extinction, mutation, natural selection, population dynamics, probability, recessive, trait, genetic drift

Ecology - Resource Management: aquaculture, biomass, by-catch, eutrophication, genetic engineering, non-point source, point source pollution, pollution, septic system, sewage system

Heredity: DNA, dominance, fertilization, genetic characteristic, genetic engineering, heterozygous, homozygous, probability, punnett square, allele, sex chromosome, dominant trait, gene, genotype, heredity, phenotype, recessive trait, trait, mutation

Human Anatomy - Body Systems: immune system, muscular system , nervous system , skeletal system, circulatory system, digestive system, endocrine system, organ system, respiratory system, urinary system

Human Anatomy - Circulation: artery, blood pressure, capillary, vein, red blood cell, heart, cardiovascular, circulation, atrium, ventricle

Human Anatomy - Muscles: skeletal muscle, smooth muscle, tissue, voluntary muscle, involuntary muscle, cardiac muscle, tendons

8th Grade Life Science

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Anatomy - Body Systems: autonomic nervous system, central nervous system, endocrine system, gland, neuron, peripheral nervous system, hormone, brain, metabolism, growth

Anatomy - The Eye: cornea, pupil, retina, sclera, focus, focal length, lens, iris

Biodiversity: biodiversity, extinction, organism, unicellular, eukaryote, invertebrate, microorganism, phytoplankton, prokaryote, vertebrate

Cell Division: cell cycle, chromosome, cytokinesis, interphase, meiosis, mitosis, mutation, regeneration

Community Ecology: community, interaction, decomposer, evolution, niche, pioneer species, succession, biome, commensalism, mutualism

Community Interactions: opportunist, parasite, symbiotic, bacteria, spore, competitor, pathogen, biodiversity, interaction, host

Ecosystems: biomass, abiotic factor, nitrogen cycle, biosphere, biotic, carbon cycle, cycles, ecology, ecosystem

Heredity: chromosome, mutation, adaptation, allele, dominant trait, genotype, pedigree, physiological adaptation, recessive trait, variation, asexual reproduction, cleavage, DNA, fetus, gamete, heredity, phenotype, Punnett square, sexual reproduction, RNA

Natural Resource Management: aquaculture, by-catch, eutrophication, genetic engineering, natural resource, non-point source, point source pollution, septic system, sewage system, sustainable

Natural Selection: abiotic factor, parasitism, natural selection, probability, recessive, speciation, species, trait, dominance, allele, extinction, specialization, predation, biodiversity, infectious disease, mutation, stimulus, immunity, niche, sexual reproduction

Population Ecology: carrying capacity, limiting factor, emigration, population, population density, population dynamics, interaction, species, symbiosis

Taxonomic Classification: biodiversity, class, dichotomous key, domain, family, genus, kingdom, order, phylum, species

The Energy Pyramid: predation, producer, cellular,, respiration, decomposer, trophic level, consumer, digestion, energy pyramid, nutrient, photosynthesis

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.

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