Streams- a body of flowing water

Deltas- low watery land formed at the mouth of a river

Floodplains- an area around the river where the elevation of the land is lower than other areas

Hills- a raised area or mound of land

Mountains/Mountain Ranges- a very tall, high natural place on earth (a range is a group of mountains)

Valleys- low place between mountains

Sinkholes- a place where the ground gives out and a hole opens up because of erosion

Caves- large hole in the ground or in the side of a hill or mountain

Canyons- deep valley with very steep sides often carved from Earth by a river 

Springs- a flow of water which emerges from the groundwater in the Earth’s crust

Dunes- hill or ridge made of sand which is shaped by the wind

Islands- piece of land surrounded by water on all sides

Volcanoes- mountainous vent in the Earth's crust

Glaciers- long-lasting slow-moving river of ice on land

Fast Changes to the Earth’s Surface Volcanic Activity- the sudden occurrence of a discharge of volcanic material from a volcano  Earthquakes- shaking and vibration at the surface of earth resulting from underground movement Mass Wasting- mudslides, avalanches, and landslides Flooding- great flowing or overflowing of water, especially over land

Slow Changes to the Earth’s Surface Erosion- process of carrying away weathered bits of rocks Deposition- discharging of a load carried by the river or the sea Weathering- process of rocks in Earth's crust slowing being broken into smaller pieces  Glacial Movement- a movement of a huge area of ice 

Map Vocabulary Relative Location- location of a place relative to other places Map Scale- shows the relationship between the unit of length on a map and the corresponding length on the Earth's surface Cardinal Directions- four main points on the compass (north, east, south, and west) Intermediate Directions- the points on the compass that fall between north, east, south, and west (NE, SW, NW, and SE)

Additional Vocabulary Freshwater- water not containing salt which is found in rivers and lakes (3/100 of the Earth's surface) Groundwater- any water that is underground Fossils- remains or mark of an animal or plant that lived long ago Biodiversity- the interactive between living and nonliving organisms Modification- changes, both positive and negative, to our environment Ecosystem- all the living and nonliving things in an environment and the many ways they interact