6th Grade
Our Earth and Beyond
Key Terms

Atmosphere of planets- the _____ is the mass of air that surrounds it. It is a mixture of various gases. Each planet has its own atmosphere. The ____ EARTH includes nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water vapor, which support the presence of light on the earth. 

Atmosphere- the __ is the layer of air that surrounds the EARTH. It is a mixture of various gases including water vapor.  When water vapor in the __ is called, it condenses on the dust particles in the air and becomes fresh liquid water in the form of clouds. 

Basin- a __ is a depression in the EARTH’S surface that slopes downward towards the central part. 

Climate change- a __ is a natural change in the usual weather patterns in certain area over many years.  The ice ages were the result of __ that occurred on the Earth over several millions of years. 

Climate –is the description of the pattern of weather in a certain area over many years. 

Composition of planets- is the variety of materials that make up the planet such as the elements, minerals, rock, and gases. Each planet can be described by its composition. 

Condensation- is the process, which occurs when air in the atmosphere cools and the gas called water vapor in the air collects on dust particles in the form of liquid water droplets, which form clouds. 

Continental divide- the __ for North America is an imaginary line along the crest of the Rocky Mountains, which describes the direction of the movement of streams and rivers on each side of the line. The __ separates the rivers that flow west toward the Pacific Ocean from the rivers that flow east toward the Atlantic Ocean. 

Continental glacier- is a glacier that forms over large surfaces and moves outward extremely slow way. __ cover most of Greenland and one covers all of Antarctica. 

Contour line- is an imaginary line on the ground, as drawn on a topographic map that connects a series of points that have the same elevation. 

Elevation – is the vertical distance or height of the earth’s surface above sea level. 

Evaporation- is the process by which liquid water changes into a gas called water vapor and enters the atmosphere. 

Fresh water- is water that does not have many salts dissolves into it. It can be used for drinking, if it’s clean for watering crops and many other purposes. 

Frozen water forms- found on earth include snow glaciers, polar ice caps, icebergs, frozen shorelines.  ___ is fresh water in a solid form. 

Glacier- is a large moving mass of ice that is formed on land by accumulations of compacted snow that do not melt during warmer weather, ice in a __ flows slowly outward or down elevated slopes because of the pressure 

Great lakes- in North America is among the world’s largest lakes. The five lakes, which include Lake Huron, Lake Ontario, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, and Lake Superior, contain nearly 20% of earth’s fresh water supply. 

Groundwater- is the water that soaks into spaces between solid particles of soil, rocks or other earth materials in the ground. It moves slowly and collects underground. 

Heat energy- is energy transferred from warmer to a colder object due to their differences temperature. The sun transfers __ to the planets that move around it. 

Hill- a __ is an isolated area of high ground that is lower than a mountain or plateau. 

Ice age- is a period of millions of years when there was a climate change and glaciers covered a large portion on earth. There is geological evidence that the earth has had several. 

Lake- a __ is body water surrounded by land. __ can form in basins. Most __ are filled with fresh water, but there are a few __ that are filled with salt. 

Landforms- are different surfaces features found on the earths surface. Mountains, plains, plateaus, basins, lakes, rivers, oceans, and mountain ranges are examples of __. 

Legend- is a part of many maps that helps people to understand the details of what a map shows. It often includes a list of each symbol how on a map and what it represents, as well as identifying scale and contour intervals. Maps have different __. 

Liquid water forms- found on earth includes rivers, lakes, oceans, and springs. __ water can be fresh or salt water. 

Map – A__ of the Earth is a drawing of all or part of the Earth’s surface as seen from above.  It is a tool to help people understand their surroundings, to find where they are, and to locate different places.  __ can be drawn in different styles with each showing different information about a place or some portion of the Earth’s surface. 

Map key- an __ is another name for the legend of a map. 

Mineral- a __ is a solid element or compound with unique composition of atoms in specific structure. __ are the building blocks of rocks that may dissolve when water passes over them. 

Mountain range- describes mountains in a region that are located parallel to each other and have the same general size and structure. 

Mountain- is large mass of rock that rises up high above land around it. A __ stands by itself or is a part of a mountain chain, or range. 

Ocean- are the largest bodies of water on earth. They cover most of the earth’s surfaces and are filled with salt water. 

Plains- is horizontal surfaces having low elevations when compared to surrounding areas. Wide areas of level land are called __. 

Planet- a ___ is an object that orbits a star and shines by reflecting light. There are nine known __ orbiting around the sun in our solar system. 

Plateau- a __ is large broad flat area of land that is elevated above that land around it. 

Pollutant- is any substance that causes harm when it enterers the environment and contaminates air soil, or water.

Polar ice cap Polar ice caps are the masses of ice that permanently cover regions in the arctic Ocean neat the North Pole where liquid water from the ocean freezes and Antarctica near the South Pole where glaciers have formed.  They can be a fresh water source. 

Precipitation- is any form o water that falls form clouds and reaches the earth’s surface. __ comes in a liquid form as well as solid. 

Relative distance- is the comparison of the distances between different objects. The distances between the sun and its planets are immense, but when compared to each other, some of the distances between are shorter than others. The ___ of mercury to the sun is shorter than the ___ of Pluto to the sun. 

Relative size- is the comparison of the sizes of several different objects. The size of the sun and all its planets are very large, but when compared to each other or the sun the ___ of some of the planets is smaller, than others. The __ of Pluto is very small compared to the __ of Jupiter. 

Relief map- a __ shows the location and shape of surface features such as mountains Valleys Rivers and lakes and their elevations. It is designed to highlight the more physical features. 

River- a large stream of fresh water that flows down hill on surfaces of the earth. __ are fed by runoff of rainwater and melted snow, as well as from springs and streams. 

Rocket- a device that is propelled forward by the reaction of escaping gases during its flight. __s are used to launch spacecraft above the earth’s surface. 

Runoff-  is all of the water that flows over the earth’s surface. Most of it eventually flows downhill into the oceans. 

Salt water- is a mixture of solids and gases dissolved in pure water. Sodium chloride (table __), nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide are some of the substances that make up salt water. __ cannot be used for drinking watering crops. 

Satellite- is a small object that moves around a larger object in an orbit. The moon is a natural __ of the earth. Man-made satellites launched into space orbit to and from the earth. These satellites receive and transmit information around the earth. They also obtain information about planets, stars, and other objects in the space. 

Scale- of a map describes the relationship between a distance on a map and the corresponding distance on the ground. One cm on a map could represent one mile, one foot or one yard of actual distance on a land surface. Maps have different __. 

Solvent- is a substance that capable of dissolving other substances. Water is a __ that can dissolve gases and many solids, including minerals.

 Spring- is a place where water flows out of the ground and into he earth’s surface. __ can be found where groundwater reaches the earth’s surface. 

Symbols- on a map are simple pictures, shapes, or colors that show information on an map. They represent larger objects, locations, and other information necessary to interpret the map. 

Telescope- is an instrument that gathers light, magnifies images, and separates images that appear close to one another. It is used to observe planets, stars, and other distant objects in space. 

Temperature- is the measure of how hot or cold something is, as determined by the energy motion of the molecules of that substance. The __ of planets is one of the considerations that determine whether life can exist on them. 

Topographic map- shows the shape and elevation of the land surfaces, as well as other natural and man-made features. It shows the elevation of the land through the use of contour lines. 

Valley glacier-a __ is a glacier that forms in the cold heights of mountain ranges where snow collects, changes into ice, and moves down a valley.

 Valley-  is the area between mountains or hills on either side of a stream or river. Erosion of earth materials by the running water or glaciers usually causes the formation of a __. 

Water cycle- the __ describes the continuous movement of water from the ocean to the atmosphere precipitation, to the earth’s surface, through runoff and groundwater to streams, and back into the ocean. 

Water pollution- is the term used to describe the addition of any unwanted substances to water that results in harming living things that depend on water for survival. 

Water vapor- is the gaseous state of water in the atmosphere. It is formed when water from the earth’s surface evaporates and enters the atmosphere.