1. Dear Parents, These slides contain the vocabulary your child will need to know for this unit. We have not yet studied all of these terms, but students should begin studying early as there is a lot to know. You and your child can also visit for additional details and links. Thank You, The Fourth Grade Teachers

2. Streams- a body of flowing water

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

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

5. Hills- a raised area or mound of land

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

7. Valleys- low place between mountains

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

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

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

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

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

13. Islands- piece of land surrounded by water on all sides

14. Volcanoes- mountainous vent in the Earth's crust

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

16. 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

17. 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 

18. 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)

19. 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