Schoolyard Studies: Glossary

Artificial: made as an imitation of a genuine article.

Balance: a state of equilibrium to be equal, proportional.

Carbon Dioxide: gas in air used by plants in photosynthesis.

Carnivore: an animal that feeds only on other animals.

Celsius: a temperature scale in which 0° is the freezing point and 100° is the boiling point.

Chlorophyll: Substance in plants which makes them green and allows photosynthesis to take place.

Classify: arranging or distributing objects in classes according to some method or system.

Community: a group of plants and animals living in one place.

Compare: to examine for similarities and differences.

Confine: to keep within boundaries.

Consequences: results of actions.

Consumer: any organism that eats something else.

Data: facts or information collected for analysis.

Decompose: convert dead matter into gases to be released in the air, soil, and water.

Ecologist: a scientist who studies ecosystems and their relationship to each other.

Ecosystem: the interaction between living and non living parts of a community.

Ecology: the study of ecosystems and their relationship to each other.

Enemies: something that can act harmful against another.

Energy: ability to carry out daily activities.

Environment: the sum of surrounding things and conditions.

Exist: survive.

Fahrenheit: a temperature scale in which 32° is the freezing point and 212° is the boiling point.

Food Chain: a series of organisms interrelated by their feeding habitats.

Food Web: a series of interrelated food chains.

Habitat: a place where a plant or animal lives.

Herbivore: an animal that feeds only plants.

Identify: to confirm the identity of.

Insect: a large group of segmented invertebrate, body divided into three parts (head, thorax, and abdomen) 3 pairs of legs.

Life Cycle: sequence of stages of growth in the life of an organism (egg to adult).

Living Things: anything that reproduces, grows, or needs food.

Moisture: condensed liquid such as water.

Non-living thing: anything that does not reproduce, grow, or need food.

Observe: to see or notice.

Omnivore: an animal that feeds on both plants and animals.

Organism: any form of plant and animal life.

Photosynthesis: process by which a plant with its chlorophyll uses the sun’s light, carbon dioxide and water to make its own food.

Population: the number of people living in any one place.

Plot: a small area of ground.

Predicting: making a forecast of what future events may occur.

Protect: to cover or shield from danger.

Reproduce: the process by which organisms create offspring.

Resources: a source of supplies held in reserve.

Scavenger: an animal that feeds on dead organisms.

Senses: understanding the environment.

Surface: the outside face of an object.

Suspect: to believe to be questionable.

Terrarium: an artificial environment containing living and nonliving material.

Thermometer: an instrument used to measure temperature.

Transient: a living thing found traveling between communities.

Trowel: a hand trowel, having a scoop like blade used in gardening.

Underground: beneath the surface of the ground.