Academic Vocabulary Lists

from: the Tennessee Academic Vocabulary

ProjectK -5 Science and Social

Studies

K. Kiper, Magnolia Woods Elementary

What is Academic Vocabulary and Why

Does it Matter?Academic vocabulary refers to specialized, high-utility words used in the classroom.

Academic vocabulary includes many academic words (e.g., analyze, summarize, evaluate, formula, respond, specify).

Academic vocabulary also includes the language our students need to competently speak to read and discuss topics, in Science and Social Studies.

K -5 Science Academic Vocabulary

Kindergarten Science Academic Vocabulary

• air • animal• change• cloud• collect• color• day/night• food• growth

• moon• natural• observe• ocean• parts• seasons• senses• shape• size

• soil• solid/liquid• star• sun• temperature• thermometer• tools• water• weather

1st Grade Science Academic Vocabulary

• adult• balance• classify• environment• extinct• freezing• heat• insect• invent• investigate

• life cycle• light• living/non-

living• location• magnet• matter• mixed• planet• plant

• precipitation• prediction• property• push/pull• shelter• texture• weather/data

2nd Grade Science Academic Vocabulary

• celsius/Fahrenheit

• compare/contrast

• depend• dissolve• distance• Earth resource• energy• evaporation• fossil• habitat

• infer• investigate• observation• offspring• organism• parent• reasoning• renewable/non-

renewable• scientific inquiry• scientist

• similarities/differences

• sound• temperature

pattern• transform• type• universe• vibration

Created by: Karla Kiper, Magnolia Woods Elementary

3rd Grade Science Academic Vocabulary

• anemometer• atmosphere• barometer• cirrus• cross section• cumulonimbus• cumulus• conductor• conservation• crystallize

• decomposer• endangered• force• heredity• mixture• natural

resources• orbit• physical

change• pitch/volume

• predator/prey• rain gauge• revolution• rotation• solar system• stratus• threatened• thriving• water cycle• wind vane

Created by: Karla Kiper, Magnolia Woods Elementary

4th Grade Science Academic Vocabulary

• behavioral adaptation

• camouflage• carnivore• cell and cell parts

(wall, membrane, cytoplasm, nucleus, vacuoles)

• chemical energy• climate• condensation• deposition• eclipse

(solar/lunar)

• ecosystem• electricity• energy pyramid• erosion• food web• friction• herbivore• lunar cycle• mass• metamorphosis

(complete/incomplete)

• migration

• mimicry• omnivore• opaque• physical adaptation• physical change• producer/consumer• radiant energy• reflection• refraction• reproduction• transparent• translucent• weathering

5th Grade Science Academic Vocabulary

• chemical properties

• commensalism• conduction• constellation• convection• core• crust• dissipate• earthquake

• faulting• gravity• hurricane• inherited traits• kinetic energy• parasite• parasitism• photosynthesis• plane• plate

movement• potential

energy• radiation• states of

matter• symbiosis• tornado• tsunami• volcano

K-5 Social Studies Academic Vocabulary

Kindergarten Social Studies Academic Vocabulary

• celebration• family• holiday• honesty• human• job• leader• community• map

• globe• rules• respect• neighborhood• transportatio

n• United States

of America• Louisiana• vote

• computer• wants• basic needs

(food, clothing, shelter)

• cooperation• pledge• President

1st Grade Social Studies Academic Vocabulary

• citizen• city• state• country• continent• ocean• election• equality• equator

• flag• history• independenc

e• law• governor• past• present• future

• rights• responsibiliti

es• veterans• technology• language• culture• values• patriotic

2nd Grade Social Studies Academic Vocabulary

• authority• climate• parish• custom• conflict• decision• duty• growth• government• justice• landmark

• privilege• qualifications• rural• urban• services• goods• settlement• symbol• tradition• volunteer• time line

• contribution• economy• consumer• producer• events• history• natural

resources• river• map key

3rd Grade Social Studies Academic Vocabulary

• agriculture• artifact• ancestor• barter• borders• cardinal

directions• distribution• economy• ethnic• exports

• geography• global• hemisphere• imports• industry• manufacturing• landforms• latitude• longitude• legend• natural

resources• physical map• population• primary source • product• scarcity• rural• suburban• urban• tools• weapons

4th Grade Social Studies Academic Vocabulary

• American Revolution

• amendment• ancient

civilizations• articles of

confederation• colony• Bill of Rights• document• constitution• diversity

• democracy• expansion• exploration• executive branch• judicial branch• legislative branch• Louisiana

Purchase• Mayflower

Compact• missions• merchant

• Native American• population• preamble• religion• secondary source• slavery• supply and

demand• political• trade routes• tributary• taxes

5th Grade Social Studies Academic Vocabulary

• tariff• abolitionists• aviation• annex• boycott• bias• border states• boundary• Civil War• Civil Rights• Confederate

States of

America• debt• credit• federal• great depression• historian• human rights• integration• immigrant• industrialization• labor union

• migration• oral history• religion• settlement house• secondary

source• union• urbanization• sectionalism• reconstruction• suffrage• segregation

Resources• The Tennessee Academic Vocabulary

Project:http://www.missionliteracy.com/page42/page51/assets/Tennessee%20Vocabulary.pdf

• Jim Burke’s Academic Vocabulary Lists: http://www.englishcompanion.com/pdfDocs/academicvocab.pdf

• Rick Smith’s Categorization of Academic Vocabulary List: http://www.missionliteracy.com/page42/page51/assets/Rick%20Smith%20Academic%20Vocabulary.pdf