Vocabulary

 Round 1: Test Your Vocabulary Knowledge

Work with a partner to test your knowledge of the technical vocabulary used in creating web pages. Both of you should write down the term you think matches the following definitions, then discuss any on which you disagree.     

mutation 1. (n) s. - a change caused by genes in an organism
offspring 2. (n) pl. - another word for a parent's child or children
natural selection 3. (n) pl. - when a characteristic of an organism changes and improves the organisms chances for survival
community 4. (n) s. - the group of all the populations in an area
cycle 5. (n) s. - a repeating process or flow of materials through a system
ecosystem 6. (n) s. - all the living and non living things in an area that depend on each other
energy pyramid 7. (n) s. - a diagram that shows the flow of energy through a food chain
habitat 8. (n) s. - the place in an ecosystem where an organism lives
niche 9. (n) s. - the job that an organism has in an ecosystem
population 10. (n) s. - a group of organisms of one species that live in an area at the same time
photosynthesis 11. (n) s. - the process a plant uses to change sunlight into energy
decomposers 12. (n) pl. - organisms that break down other organisms

Now check your answers by clicking and dragging your mouse over each square in front of the above definitions. Talk with your partner about any you missed. Be sure you both understand each definition, then move on to Round 2.

 Round 2: Improve Your Vocabulary Knowledge

Now work with your partner to review the vocabulary and see if you can both define each term together. After you both agree on the definition for a term, click and drag the mouse over the square beside each term to see how closely yours and your partner's definition matches the printed one. Try not to scroll up to see the printed definitions above, but force yourself to think. Learning these terms will make working on your project much easier.

mutation 1. (n) s. - a change caused by genes in an organism
offspring 2. (n) pl. - another word for a parent's child or children
natural selection 3. (n) pl. - when a characteristic of an organism changes and improves the organisms chances for survival
community 4. (n) s. - the group of all the populations in an area
cycle 5. (n) s. - a repeating process or flow of materials through a system
ecosystem 6. (n) s. - all the living and non living things in an area that depend on each other
energy pyramid 7. (n) s. - a diagram that shows the flow of energy through a food chain
habitat 8. (n) s. - the place in an ecosystem where an organism lives
niche 9. (n) s. - the job that an organism has in an ecosystem
population 10. (n) s. - a group of organisms of one species that live in an area at the same time
photosynthesis 11. (n) s. - the process a plant uses to change sunlight into energy
decomposers 12. (n) pl. - organisms that break down other organisms

 Round 3: Make Your Own Analogy

Now work with your partner and think of an analogy for each term. Describe how they are alike. The first few are done for you.

mutation 1. It is like some people have six toes on one foot, but since they are not useful, people will probably all just keep five in the future
offspring 2. It is like a
natural selection 3. 
community 4. 
cycle 5. 
ecosystem 6. 
energy pyramid 7. 
habitat 8. 
niche 9. 
population 10. 
photosynthesis 11. 
decomposers 12.