Vocabulary List

The following is taken from the 2003 Edition of the General Characteristics of the Science WASL produced by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

The following terms are a summary of the vocabulary that may be used on the Science WASL without definitions. More terms may be used with definitions or examples as noted in the Item Specifications (available from OSPI). The plural form of all these words is assumed useable. However, other forms of these words are not accepted unless specified.

Terms that build through the grade levels, and appear in the Science WASL, are listed below, with the higher grade term in parenthesis.

5 th Grade

variable kept the same (controlled)
variable changed (manipulated)
energy of motion
stored energy
learned (acquired)
state of mater
heat energy

The list of scientific vocabulary below identifies 5 th Grade concepts and processes related to the Soils module and described in the science EALRs that all students should know without explanation. These are not meant to be exclusive terms used in the science curriculum. The science curriculum should build in-depth understanding of these concepts and processes using many instructional activities and other supporting terms. There will never be a WASL item that asks a student to define a term. WASL items ask students to use concepts named by these terms.

 

A-B

affect
amount
amount of time

 

C

cause
centimeter (cm)
characteristic
chart
classify
color
conclude
conclusion

 

D

data
decomposer
depend
describe
design
diagram

 

E

Earth
effect
erode
erosion
evaporate
evaporation
explain
explanation

 

F-G

fair test
food
food chain

germinate
graph

 

 

H-I

habitat
hand lens

identify
inch (in)
investigate
investigation

 

K-L

leaf
liter (L)
living

 

M

magnifying glass
material
milliliter (mL)
model

N-O

nonliving
nutrient

object
observe
observation)
organism
organize
oxygen

P

part
picture
plan
predict
prediction
problem
procedure
property

Q-R

question

recycle
report
result
root

S

sediment
seed
scientific
scientist
shape
size
soil
solution
sort
speed
spin (rotate)
sprout
stem
summary
system

T-V

table
texture
tool

variable
variable changed
(manipulated)
variable kept the same
(controlled)
volume

W-Y

waste
water
weathering
weight

yard

   
Last updated 07/25/2006