Grade 7 Science Vocabulary
Earth, Moon, Sun & Seasons
How the positions and motions of Earth, the moon, and the sun cause moon phases, eclipses, tides, and seasons.
Ohio science standards in this unit
- 7.ESS.4 · Moon, eclipses & tidesThe relative patterns of motion and positions of Earth, moon and sun cause solar and lunar eclipses, tides and phases of the moon.
- 7.ESS.5 · SeasonsThe relative positions of Earth and the sun cause patterns we call seasons.
Definitions are written in plain language to support WIDA's Standard 4 (Science) English Language Development standard.
Practice 43 words
Flashcards
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Multiple Choice Quiz
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Crossword Puzzle
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Spelling Practice
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Pronunciation Practice
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Focused practice sets
Shorter word sets on one part of this unit, with extra activities and beginner support.
Eclipses, Tides & Moon Phases
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Seasons
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Study guide
Moon, eclipses & tides (7.ESS.4)
- orbit
- The curved path one object takes around another in space.
- moon phases
- The changing shapes of the lit part of the moon that we see from Earth.
- solar eclipse
- When the moon passes between the sun and Earth and blocks the sun’s light.
- new moon
- The phase when the moon is between Earth and the sun, so we cannot see its lit side.
- lunar eclipse
- When Earth passes between the sun and the moon and Earth’s shadow falls on the moon.
- full moon
- The phase when we can see the whole lit side of the moon.
- gravitational force
- The pull that objects with mass have on each other.
- tides
- The regular rise and fall of ocean water, caused mostly by the moon’s gravity.
- spring tide
- An extra-high and extra-low tide that happens when the sun, Earth, and moon line up.
- perpendicular
- At a right angle (90 degrees) to something.
- neap tide
- A tide with the smallest difference between high and low water. It happens when the sun and moon pull at right angles.
- solar system
- The sun and everything that orbits it, including planets and moons.
- Milky Way galaxy
- The huge group of billions of stars that includes our sun.
- universe
- Everything that exists: all of space, matter, and energy.
- cyclical
- Happening again and again in the same order.
Seasons (7.ESS.5)
- season
- One of the four parts of the year — spring, summer, fall, or winter — each with its own weather and daylight.
- winter
- The coldest season, with the fewest hours of daylight, when your half of Earth tilts away from the sun.
- summer
- The warmest season, with the most hours of daylight, when your half of Earth tilts toward the sun.
- equinox
- One of two days each year (spring and fall) when day and night are about the same length.
- solstice
- The day with the most daylight (summer) or the least daylight (winter) of the year.
- solar radiation
- Energy from the sun that travels through space as light and heat.
- weather
- What the air is like at a certain place and time.
- air mass
- A huge body of air with about the same temperature and moisture throughout.
- seasonal weather pattern
- Weather that repeats at the same time each year, like snowy winters or rainy springs.
- temperature
- A measure of how hot or cold something is.
- humidity
- The amount of water vapor in the air.
- air pressure
- The push of the air’s weight on everything around it.
- wind
- Air moving from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure.
- precipitation
- Water that falls from clouds as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
- front
- The boundary where two different air masses meet. These boundaries often bring storms or a change in weather.
- jet stream
- A fast, narrow band of wind high in the atmosphere.
- Coriolis effect
- The curving of winds and ocean currents caused by Earth’s rotation.
- horizon
- The line where the land or sea seems to meet the sky.
- seasonal change
- The changes in temperature, daylight, and weather from one season to the next.
- Earth’s axis
- An imaginary line through the North and South Poles that Earth spins around.
- axial tilt
- How much Earth’s axis leans — about 23.5 degrees. The tilt causes seasons.
- Earth’s rotation
- Earth spinning on its axis. One full spin takes about 24 hours and makes day and night.
- natural hazard
- A natural event that can hurt people or damage property, like a hurricane or flood.
- hurricane season
- The months when hurricanes are most likely. In the Atlantic it is June to November.
- monsoon
- A seasonal wind shift that brings a very rainy season to some regions.
- hurricane
- A huge, spinning storm with very strong winds that forms over warm ocean water. In the Pacific it may be called a typhoon.
- rainy season
- The part of the year when a region gets most of its rain.
- dry season
- The part of the year when a region gets little rain.
Warm-up words to review
Words from earlier grades that help with this unit.
- kinetic energy
- The energy of motion.
- gravitational potential energy
- Stored energy an object has because of its height.