December 7-18 Science Vocab: Chapter 3 Ecosystems ecosystem - all the living and nonliving things in an environment and the many ways they interact (Examples: desert, grassland, tundra, forest) population - all the members of one species that live within an area of an ecosystem (Example: all the prairie dogs that live in a desert ecosystem) community - the different populations that interact with each other in the same area form a community habitat - the area or place where an animal lives in an ecosystem; the organism's "address" (example: in a desert, a quail's habitat is near shrubs where it can hide) niche - the specific role (or job) each organism has in an ecosystem ; the type of food an organism eats, how it gets food, which other organisms eat it as food producers - organisms that can make their own food & produce food for other organisms (PLANTS) consumers - organisms that eat, or consume, other living things for energy (cannot produce own food) herbivore - a consumer that gets energy by eating only plants carnivore - a consumer that gets energy by eating only other animals (meat) omnivore - a consumer that gets energy by eating both plants and animals scavengers - consumers that feed on dead plants and animals decomposer - an organism that breaks down dead plant and animal tissue into minerals and nutrients (examples: bacteria, fungi, insects) food chain - the process by which energy moves from one type of living thing to another - energy flows in one direction food web - a system of overlapping food chains in which energy flows in many directions decay - the process by which living things rot and die, and break down into the soil, air, and water November 3-December 4th Unit 10 "Komodo Dragons" armor (n- a covering worn to protect the body in fighting fierce (adj)- savage; wild harshest (adj)- roughest lizards (n)- reptiles somewhat like snakes but with four legs and thicker bodies prey (n)- an animal hunted for food reptiles (n)- one group of cold-blooded animals with backbones and lungs roam (v)- to wander November 16-20 Unit 9 "The Swimming Hole" November 9-13 Unit 8 "Big-City Dream" November 2-6 Unit 7 "Cricket in Times Square" October 19-23 Unit 5 "Addie in Charge" bellows (v)- makes a loud deep noise billows (n)- great waves of smoke, flame, or sound crouched (v)- stooped low with bent legs smarted (v)- felt or caused sharp pain tufts (n)- bunches of feathers, hair, or grass held together October 13-16 Unit 4 "Family Pictures" involved (v)-took in; included inspired (v)-filled with thought or feeling border (n)- boundary or edge future(n)- what is to come handkerchief(n)- a soft piece of cloth used for wiping the face, nose, and so on laundry(n)- clothes to be washed memories(n)- all that a person remembers scene(n) - a view or picture Science Process Skills observe classify communicate estimate measure interpret analyze