Vocabulary List

These are vocabulary words that are seen and discussed throughout the Energy, Machines, & Motion kit. It is important that students understand what these words refer to, and that they hear them being used. These are the words that will appear on the Science WASL most frequently, as taken from the 2003 edition of the General Characteristics of the Science WASL produced by the Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

The words in bold are crucial words that will be in the unit’s word banks at the end of each investigation. Words listed below that are not in bold are words that appear on the WASL, but are not identified as vocabulary words by the unit’s authors.

Words listed in the unit’s word banks, but that are not listed below, are important to discuss and be aware of, but students are not expected to know those words for the science WASL.

Terms related to Energy, Machines, & Motion

Acceleration
Amount of time
Applied force
Average speed
Charge
Chemical
Circuit
Controlled variable
Elastic potential energy Electrical
Electricity
Energy
Energy of motion
Force
Frictional force
Gravitational force
Gravity
Heat
Heat energy

Joules
Kinetic
Machine
Manipulated variable
Mechanical
Potential
Pull
Push
Relative speed
Responding (dependent) variable
Speed Stored energy
System
Thermal
Transfer
Transformation
Unbalanced force
Weight
Work

 
Last updated 07/08/2009