Prepare to Read

Learn Key Vocabulary

Rate and Study the Words Rate how well you know each word. Then:

  • 1. Pronounce the word. Say it aloud several times. Spell it.

  • 2. Study the example.

  • 3. Tell more about the word.

  • 4. Practice it. Make the word your own.

Rating Scale

  • 1 = I have never seen this word before.

  • 2 = I am not sure of the word’s meaning.

  • 3 = I know this word and can teach the word’s meaning to someone else.

Key Words
atmosphere (at-mu-sfir) noun page 257
Photograph of the Earth in space
The atmosphere is the air that surrounds the Earth. A spaceship can travel outside of Earth’s atmosphere, but an airplane cannot.		energy (en-ur-jē) noun page 257
Photograph of spinning wind turbines
Energy is natural power that is used to make things work. We can turn the energy of the wind into electricity. Synonyms: force, power		feature (fē-chur) noun page 257
Photograph of snow-topped mountains and lake
Features of something are its parts or details. Some of the features of Earth’s surface include mountains, lakes, and trees.
measurement (mezh-ur-ment) noun page 262
Photograph of quartz being measured with a measuring tape
A measurement is the size or quantity of something. I took measurements of the rock to find out how long it is.		rotation (rō-tā-shun) noun page 256
Illustration of the Earth turning
Rotation is the spinning of an object, such as a planet. Earth’s rotation is what gives us night and day. Related Word: rotate		solar system (sō-lur sis-tem) noun page 256
Illustration of the eight planets in orbit around our sun
Our solar system is made up of the sun and the objects that move around it. Earth’s solar system includes eight planets.
solid (sah-led) adjective page 256
Photograph of a boulder that has split in half
Something that is solid is hard or firm. Rocks are solid all the way through. Antonym: soft		surface (sur-fes) noun page 256
Photograph of a machine paving a road
A surface is the outside or top layer of an object. The new road has a smoother surface than the old road.

Practice the Words Make a Study Card for each Key Word. Then compare your cards with a partner’s.


feature
What it means: the details of something
Example: My eyes are my best feature.
Not an example: I am interested in hockey.


Study Card