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Media Accessibility Information, Guidelines and Research

A blind third-grade girl feels a topographical globe in a classroom.

    The Described and Captioned Media Program partnered with the American Council of the Blind (ACB) with the objective of enhancing the educational description guidelines, the Description Key, through results of a "STEM Description Vocabulary Project for Early Learners." This project involved assembling a group of educators, consisting of representatives from educational programs throughout the U.S., who compiled a list of words most commonly and consistently used as grade-level specific vocabulary.

    This list, supported by reputable and reliable resources, delivers words to be used in description with a concentration on STEM content. Its focus is to assist describers on an appropriate path in choosing vocabulary words that best help students achieve necessary vocabulary milestones. And since the make-up of today's classrooms reflect the racial, linguistic, and cultural diversity of the world, this list is also important for English language learners.


SCIENCE


A


Afternoon

Air

Animal


B


Balance

Breathe

Bulbs

Bumpy


C


Change

Cloud

Cloudy

Cold

Color


D


Day

Different

Dinosaur

Down


E


Ear

Earth

Egg

Eyes


F


Far

Farm animals

Feather

Feet

Fish

Five senses

Flower

Food

Fur


G


Garden

Gills

Guess


H


Hard

Head

Hear

Heat

Heavy

Hibernate

Hot


I


Insect

Inside


L


Land

Leaf

Leaves

Light

Lighter

Lightning bolt

Like

Living

Location


M


Magnet

Many

Moon

Morning

Most

Move


N


Nature

Near

Nest

Next

Next to

Night

Nonliving

Nose


O


Observation

Observe

Ocean

Outside

Over


P


Person

Plant

Prediction

Predict


Q


Question


R


Rain

Rainbow

Rainy

Ramp

Rectangle

River

Round

Ruler


S


Sand

Scales

Sea creatures

Season

See

Seeds

Senses

Shells

Similar

Slippery

Smell

Smooth

Snow

Snowflake

Soft

Soil

Some

Square

Stars

Stem

Sun

Sunlight

Sunny

Sunshine


T


Taste

Teeth

Tools

Touch

Tree

Triangle


U


Underneath

Unlike

Up


W


Warm

Water

Water cycle

Weather

Wind

Wing


Z


Zoo

Zoo animals

 

 

Back To Top

TECHNOLOGY


A

 

Analog clock

Arrange

Arrow keys

Arrows

Audio books


B


Battery


C


Camera

CD player

CD-Rom drive

Change program

Charge

Click

Close program

Computer

Computer lab

Cord


D


Different languages

Doorbell

Down arrow

Drag

Draw

Drop


E


Email

End

Enter key

Eraser

Exit


F


Flashlight


G


Google


H


Has rules


I


Icons

iPod


K


Key

Keyboard


L


LeapFrog

LeapPad

Left arrow

Letters


M


Main menu

Marker

Matching

Microphone

Mouse

Mouse pad


N


Numbers


O


On/off button

Open/program

Outlet


P


Pen

Pencil

Picture

Player

Plug

Plug-in

Point

Print

Printer

Program

Push button


R


Radio

Recorder

Right arrow


S


Screen

Screen saver

Search

Shade

Shift

Slide

Speaker

Start


T


Tab

Tape recorder

Telephone

Touch screen

Type


U


Up arrow


V


Video

Video game

Volume


W


Web page

Wire

 

 

Back To Top

ENGINEERING


A

 

Air

Aluminum foil


B


Boat

Bottom

Bridge

Build

Building

Bus


C


Car

Cardboard

Carry

Circle

Clay

Cold

Color

Construction

Container

Crayons

Cut


D


Describe

Design

Different

Draw


E


Engineer

Engines

Explore


F


Fix things

G


Glue

Glue stick


H


Hammer

Hands-on

Hard

Heat


I


Imagination

Imagine


L


Large

Larger

Largest

Level

Longer

Longest


M


Machine

Magnets

Make

Markers

Materials

Measure

Medium


N


Nails


O


Over


P


Paint

Pipe cleaners

Plan

Plastic wrap

Pliers

Popsicle sticks

Pull

Push


R


Rectangle

Roads

Rock

Rough

Rubber band


S


Safety

Same

Sand

Sandpaper

Scissors

Screw

Screwdriver

Shape

Short

Shorter

Shortest

Shovel

Small

Smaller

Smallest

Smooth

Soft

Square

Stack

Staples

Straight

String

Strongest

 

T


Take apart

Tallest

Tape

Texture

Thermometer

Tools

Top

Tower

Truck

Tube

Tunnel


U


Under

Unit


W


Water

Wax paper

Wheel

Wind

Wood

 

 

Back To Top

MATHEMATICS


A


Above

After

Alike

Angle

Answer


B


Before

Below

Between

Big

Bigger

Biggest

Bottom


C


Calendar

Circle

Clock

Color

Concrete

Count


D


Day

Diamond

Different

Dime

Direction

Dollar

Down

Draw

Duplicate


E


Equal


F


False

Few

Fewer

First


G


Group

Guess


H


Heavy

Heavier

Heaviest


I


In back

In front

Inside


L


Largest

Last

Left

Less

Lighter

Lines

Longest


M


Match

Measure

Measuring tool

Middle

Money

More

Morning


N


Narrow

Night

Number

Number line

Numbers 0-10


O


Object

Order

Outside

Oval


P


Pattern

Penny


Q


Quarter

Question


R


Rectangle

Right

Round


S


Same

Sets

Shape

Share

Short

Shorter

Shortest

Show

Side

Size

Small

Smaller

Smallest

Sort

Square


T


Tall

Taller

Tallest

Time

Today

Tomorrow

Top

Triangle

True


U


Under

Up


W


Week

Wide


Y


Year

Yesterday

 

 

Back To Top

Back To Top

Kindergarten

SCIENCE


A


Across

Add

After

Air pollution

Appearance

Autumn

Axle


B


Backbone

Before

Behind

Between


C


Classify

Climate

Coal

Collect

Combine

Compare

Compose

Condensation


D


Decrease

Desert

Discovery

Dissolve

Dull


E


Electricity

Evaporate

Evaporation

Experiment

Exploration

Extinct


F


Fall

Freeze

Freezing

Fruit

Full moon


G


Gas

Growth


H


Habitat

Hail

Hand lens

Hatch


I


Increase


L


Lake

Landforms

Life cycle

Liquids


M

Magnify

Magnifying glass

Mass

Matter

Measure

Measuring cup

Melt

Metal

Mix

Mixed

Mountain


N


Natural

Natural resources

New moon


O


Oxygen


P


Parts

Pond

Pull

Pulley

Push


R


Rainforest

Record

Record data

Recycle

Reuse

Rock

Root

Rough

Rubber


S


Shadow

Shapes

Shelter

Shiny

Size

Skin

Sky

Sleet

Snowy

Solid

Sort

Sound

Spring

Sprout

Storm

Stronger

Subtract


T


Tadpole

Temperature

Texture

Thaw

Thermometer


U


Under


V


Valley

Vibrate

Volume


W


Weaker

Wheel

Windsock

Windy

Winter


Z


Zigzag

 

 

Back To Top

TECHNOLOGY


A


Access

Active cell

Automatic doors


B


Back button

Backspace

Bicycle

Bookmark


C


Cell phone

Close

Column

Control/key

Cursor


D


Delete

Desktop

Digital books

Digital clock

Digital recorder

Double click

Download

DVD player


E


Earphone jack

Earphones

E-book

Enlarge

Escape


F


Favorites

Font


H


Hand position

Headphone

Home row


I


Input

Insert

Insertion point

iPad


K


Keyboarding


L


Laptop

Left click

Link

Login

Logon/logoff


M


Monitor


O


Output


P


Page

Pointer

Pointing

Portable

Power

Processes


Q


Quit


R


Remote control

Right click

Row


S


Save

Search engine

Shift key

Smart board


T


Thermometer

Toolbar

Tower


U


User name


W


Wallpaper

Webcam

Window

Window key


X


X-ray

 

 

Back To Top

ENGINEERING


A

 

Airplane

Arrange


B


Back

Balloon

Blocks

Box

Bubbles


C


Carpenter

Center

Chalk

Clean

Computer

Cone

Connecting sticks

Construction paper

Create

Cube


D


Data

Direction

Dirty

Down

Duct Tape


E


Electrical Tape


F


Fabric

Filter

Float

Front

Funnel


H


Heavy

Helicopter

High

Hose


I


Index cards

Invention


L


Layers

Left

Legos

Lever

Light

Load

Logs

Low


M


Marbles

Melt

Mix

Motion

Motor


O


Oars

Object


P


Parachute

Part

Plastic

Poles

Powder

Power

Problem

Propeller


R


Ramp

Right

Roller coaster

Ruler


S


Scatter

Scraps

Shake

Sharp

Solid

Solution

Sphere

Stir

Stopwatch

Straws

Sturdy


T


Team work

Test

Toolbox


U


Up


W


Weak

Weaker

Weakest

Weather

Weigh

Weight

Whole

Windmill

Wire

Wrench


Y


Yarn


Z


Zigzag

 

 

Back To Top

MATHEMATICS


A


Add

Addition

Afternoon

Around

Attribute


B


Backward

Behind

Beside

Bills


C


Cardinal number

Classify

Coins

Combine

Compare

Cone

Count forward

Cube

Cylinder

Cylinder sphere


D


Date

Difference

Digital clock


E


Evening

Extend

F


Far

Forward

Front/back


H


Hour


L


Location


M


Measurement

Minus

Month

Most


N


Near

Next to

Nickel

Numbers 0-20

Numeral


O


Ones

Opposite


P


Pair

Position

Predicting


S


Similar

Skip count

Sphere

Strategy

Subtract

Subtraction


T


Table

Tally

Tally marks

Temperature

Tens


V


Value


W


Weight


Z


Zero

 

 

Back To Top

Back To Top

First Grade

SCIENCE

 

A


Adult

Alter

Amphibian

Angle


B


Backward

Balance scale

Battery

Beak

Bird

Boulders


C


Centimeter

Chart

Circular

Cirrus clouds

Claw

Clay

Compost

Conclusion

Cone

Contract

Cumulus clouds


D


Data


E


Earth science

Earthquake

Earthworm

East

Energy

Environment

Exercise

Expand


F


Fins

Float

Forest

Forward

Freshwater


G


Gases

Grass


H


Human-made

Humus

Hypothesis

Hypothesize


I


Infant

Invent

Investigate

Investigation


L


Laboratory

Life science

Lungs


M


Mammal

Material

Microscope

Mineral

Moisture

Model


N


North


P


Physical change

Physical science

Planet

Polar climate

Pollen

Precipitation

Prey

Procedure

Properties

Property

Purpose


R


Reduce

Reproduce

Reptile

Rotates


S


Saltwater

Seed fruit

Seedling

Separate

Sequence

Shrubs

Silt

Simple machine

Sleep

Smog

Solids

South

Spines

Straight


T


Teen

Tropical climate

Tundra


V


Volcano


W


Water pollution

Weather data

West

Wetland

 

 

Back To Top

TECHNOLOGY


A


Arrow key


B


Boot up

Burn a CD


C


Cable

Calculator

Capital

Capitalization

Cash register

Clip art

Code

Command

Connect

Conveyor belt

Crash


D


Data

Disk

Document


E


Electronic


F


File forward


G

Graphics


H


Handheld devices

Hard drive

Hardware

Highlight

Home page


I


Ink cartridge

Input device

Install

Interactive

Internet

Internet safety


K


Key commands


M


Magnify

Mechanical pencil

Memory

Menu bar

Metal detector

Mouse wheel

MP3 player


N


Navigate

Non-print


O


Output device


P


Password

Pause

Photo

Pop-up

Presentation software

Punctuation


R


Record

Recycle bin

Return key


S


Save as

Short cuts

Shut down

Speed keys

Stop

Surfing


T


Tablet

Task bar

Toolbox

Tool options

Tools

Touch pad

Transistor


V


Video camera

Video chat


W


Walkie talkies

Word processor

World wide web

 

 

Back To Top

ENGINEERING


A

 

Action

Apart

Axle


B


Balance

Beams

Brads

Brainstorm

Brick


C


Close

Column

Communicate

Communication

Connect

Construct

Crane

Cylinder


D


Dial

Distance


E


Energy

Experiment

Explorations


F


Fast

Force

Form

Forming

Friction


G


Gear


H


Hole punch

Horizontal

Hub

Hypothesis


I


Improve

Investigate


L


Living


M


Metal

Method

Model

Mold


N


Non-living


O


Observe

Open


P


Plate

Plow

Pour

Problem solving

Pump


R


Repair

Repel

Results

Reuse

Rubber


S


Shelter

Similar

Simple machine

Sink

Slow

Solve

Speed

Spread

Stadiums

Support

Suspend


T


Tent

Tires

Together

Two-story


V


Vehicle

Vertical


W


Wax

Wind energy

Work together

 

 

Back To Top

MATHEMATICS


A


Addend

Addition sentence


B


Bar graph


C


Cent

Chart

Corner

Count back

Count on

Covers less

Covers more


D


Data

Decimal point

Describe

Digit

Digital

Dollar sign

Double


E


Edges

Equal part

Equal to

Equals

Equation

Estimate

Even


F


Face

Fact family

Foot

Feet


G


Graph

Greater than

Greatest


H


Half

Half hour

Heavy

Horizontal

Hundred chart


I


Impossible

Input


L


Least

Length

Less than

Light

Long


M


Mental math

Minute

Minute hand

Missing addend

More than

Multi-digit number


N


Number sentence

Numbers 0-100


O


O’clock

Odd

One fourth

One-half

One-third

Ordinal numbers

Output


P


Part

Picture graph

Place value

Plane figure

Plus

Positional words

Pyramid


R


Rectangle prism

Regroup

Regrouping

Ruler


S


Sequence

Sharing equally

Solid figure

Solve

Sum

Survey

Symbol


T


Thermometer

Thousand


U


Unequal

Unit


V


Venn diagram


W


Whole

Whole number

 

 

Back To Top

Back To Top

Second Grade

SCIENCE


A


Accumulation

Adaptation

Artificial

Attract

Axis


B


Bar magnet

Beaker

Beaming

Boil


C


Celsius

Center

Change of state

Chemical change

Closer

Communicate

Condense

Conserve

Constellation

Container

Contrast

Cool


D


Diagram

Differences

Distance

Drought


E


Earth resources

Ecosystem

Erosion

Estimate


F


Fahrenheit

Fibrous root

Food chain

Food web

Fossil

Friction


G


Germinate

Germination

Gravity


H


Height

Horseshoe magnet

Hour glass

Humidity

Hurricane


I


Imprint

Infer


L


Larva

Lever

Litter


M


Magnetic

Metamorphosis

Meteorologist

Metric measurement

Migrate

Mirror

Molecules

Motion


N


Nutrient


O


Offspring

Orbit

Organism


P


Parent

Phases

Plastic

Pole

Pollination

Prevent

Pupa


Q


Quart


R


Renewable

Repel

Resource

Rotation


S


Scientific inquiry

Scientist

Silver

Similarities

Solar system

Solution

Stream

Substance

Sunset


T


Tape measure

Taproot

Telescope

Thunderstorm

Tornado

Transform


U


Universe


V


Vibration


W


Water vapor

Weight

Woodland

 

 

Back To Top

TECHNOLOGY


A


Adapter

Alt key

Amplifier

Animation


B


Back arrow

Back up

Bold

Boot

Brightness

Browser

Bug


C


Cell/address

Charging

Clipboard

Color

Column/headings

Contrast

Copy

Cut


D


Debug

Digital camera

Display

Download

Drive

Drop down menu


E


Earbuds

Edit erase

Ethics


F


Folder

Formula

Function keys


G


Glare


H


Hard disk

Help


I


Image

Indent

Italics


M


Mac

Maximize

Minimize

Multimedia


N


Network

Numeric keypad


O


Objects


P


Palette

Paste

PC (Personal Computer)

Personal information

Power cable

Power point

Power supply

Previous

Pull-down menu


R


Research

Resources

Retrieve

Revert

Ribbon

Row headings


S


Scanner

Scanning


T


Table

Thumb drive

Toggle


S


Settings

Surge protector


T


Trackball

Transfer


U


Underline

URL (Uniform Resource Locator)

USB

User friendly


V


Virtual

Voice mail


W


Web address

Wireless

 

 

Back To Top

ENGINEERING


A


Analyze

Assembly line

Attract


B


Battery

Bendable

Boulder


C


Cabinet

Catapult

Centimeter

Ceramic

Checkered

Coal

Coal mine

Collage

Compare

Concrete

Contractor

Conveyor belt

Corners

Creativity

Cutting


D


Design process

Diagram

Dimensions

Dome

Dowels

Driver

Durability


E


Edge

Elastic

Elasticity


F


Faces

Feet

Forward

Frame

Function


G


Geometric shapes

Glass


H


Hydraulic


I


Inches


J


Jagged


L


Labor

Liquid


M


Magnetic

Magnetic field

Manufacturing

Meters

Modify


N


Natural

Needle and thread

Nonmagnetic


O


Original


P


Paddle wheel

Paper clip

Parallel

Permanent

Perpendicular

Pipes

Plane shapes

Pneumatic

Pollution

Position

Predict

Process

Process layout

Processed

Properties

Property

Pyramid


R


Recycled material

Resource

Rigid

Rod

Rotate


S


Saw

Screen

Separate

Shaping

Slope

Sound

Sound wave

Spring

Stability

Steel

Straight edge

Strength

Symmetry

Synthetic

System


T


Tag board

Teeth

Tooth

Timing

Travels


V


Variables


W


Weathering

Wheelbarrow

 

 

Back To Top

MATHEMATICS


A


2-dimensional

3-dimensional

Area

Array

Associative property


B


Base-ten

Base-ten system

Borrow


C


Capacity

Carry

Celsius

Centimeter

Clock hands

Combination

Commutative property

Coordinate graph

Cup

Currency

Customary


D


Denominator

Dimensions

Distance

Divide

Division


E


Edge

Elapsed time/time interval

Equal groups

Equivalent

Estimation

Event

Expanded form


F


Fahrenheit

Fourths

Fraction


G


Gallon

Gram


H


Half dollar

Halves

Hexagon

Hundreds


I


Inch

Interpret


K


Key

Kilogram


L


Leap year

Likely

Unlikely

Liter


M


Meter

Metric

Milliliter

Multiplication table


N


Nonstandard unit

Numbers 0-1,000

Numerator


O


Ounce

Outcome


P


Parallelogram

Pentagon

Perimeter

Pie chart

Pint

Pound


Q


Quart

Quarter-hour


R


Recall

Reflect

Rotate

Rounding


S


Second

Second (time)

Standard form

Symmetry


T


Three-dimensional

Thirds

Transformations

Trapezoid

Two-dimensional


U


Unknown


V


Vertex

Vertical

Volume


W


Width

Word form


Y


Yard

 

 

Back To Top

Back To Top

Third Grade

SCIENCE


A


Absorb

Acceleration

Acid

Alternate energy resource

Anemometer

Aquatic habitat

Arctic

Arthropod

Asteroid

Atmosphere


B


Bar graph

Barometer

Base

Behavior

Bulb


C


Carnivore

Cell

Chemistry

Chlorophyll

Chrysalis

Cleavage

Community

Conduction

Conductor

Conifer

Conservation

Consumer

Control

Core

Crater

Crest

Cross section

Crust

Crystalize

Cumulonimbus


D


Decomposer

Density


E


Ecology

Endangered species

Environmental impact

Equator

Estuary

Evidence

Extinct species


F


Filter

Force

Forest floor

Fossil mold

Fracture


G


Graduated cylinder

Grams


H


Herbivore

Heredity


I


Ice wedging

Igneous rock

Individual

Inertia

Inner plants

Insulator

Invertebrate


K


Kinetic energy


L


Landform

Latitude

Length

Light energy

Load


M


Magma

Malleable

Mantle

Map

Metamorphic rock

Millimeters


N


Netted veins

Newton

Nonrenewable resource


O


Omnivore

Ore

Outer plants


P


Pan balance

Parallel veins

Particles

Phases of the moon

Physical property

Pitch

Plates

Pollution

Population

Position

Potential energy

Predator




R


Rain gauge

Reflect

Refract

Renewable resource

Research

Revolve


S


Satellite

Savannah

Screw

Sedimentary rock

Solar energy

Sound waves

Space probe

Steam

Stratus

Streak


T


Technology

Temperate climate

Terrestrial habitat

Theory

Thermal energy

Threatened

Thriving

Tissue

Transfer

Trough


V


Variable

Vein

Vertebrate

Volcanic eruption


W


Wave

Weather vane

Wedge

Wind vane

 

 

Back To Top

TECHNOLOGY


A


Accessibility

Application


B


Blog

Buffer


C


Centering

Chip

Cloud

Copyright

Cyberspace


D


DAISY files

Database file

Digitized speech


E


eBook

Electric guitar

Ethical use

Excel


F


Field

Files

Flash drive

Format

Freeze


H


Hacker

Handheld computer

Hard copy

Headings

HTML files


I


Icon

IM (Instant Message)


L


Labels

Landscape


M


Mac OS

Memory stick

Modem


N


Netbook

Network card

Networking

Not reliable

Notebook computer


O


Operating system

Optical mouse


P


PDA

Pedometer

Podcast

Port

Power strip

Processor or CPU (Central Processing Unit)

Protocol

Public domain


R


RAM (Random Access Memory)

Rebus

Reliable

Rename


S


Server

Smartphone

Sound card

Spreadsheet

Storage device

Storage media


T


Treadmill


V


Values

Video card

Virus

Voice thread


W


Watermark

Web-based

Webcast

Windows operating system

Wireless router

 

 

Back To Top

ENGINEERING


A


Absorb

Accelerate

Acoustical

Accuracy

Aeronautical

A-frame

Agricultural

Alloy

Architect

Axis


B


Bioengineering

By-product


C


Casting

Cement

Centripetal

Chemical

Chemical change

Chemical property

Circuit

Circular

Civil

Coil

Collaborate

Compact

Compound machine


D


Decibel

Diversity


E


Easel

Effort

Electric circuit

Electric current

Electricity

Eliminate

Environmental

Evidence

Extend


F


Force of gravity

Forklift

Fossil fuel

Framework

Fulcrum


G


Gauge

Gears

Genetic

Geothermal energy

Goods

Services

Gravity

Guitar

Guitar fret


H


Hydroelectric energy


I


Inclined plane

Industrial

Innovation

Insulator

Interact

Interdependence


L


Levity

Limit

Location

Lubricant


M


Magnetic force

Maraca

Mass

Matter

Mechanical

Mechanical engineer

Membrane

Meter stick

Molding

Momentum

Mortar

Muffle


N


Natural material

Newton’s laws of motion


O


Observable

Oscillatory


P


Packing

Pan pipe

Peak

Percussion instrument

Physical change

Physical property

Pillar

Pitch

Pitched roof

Plug

Potential energy

Project

Pulley


R


Reason

Reflect

Relative position

Residue


S


Scale

Screw

Sculpture

Sequence

Shaft

Shearing

Sketch

Skyscraper

Spin

Spiral

Stethoscope

Stress

Stretched

Stringed instrument

Structure

Submerge

Support column


T


Temperature

Tension

Thermal

Thickness

Tiles

Transmit

Transportation


V


Velocity

Vibration

Volume


W


Wedge

Wheel and axle

Wind instrument

Work

 

 

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MATH


A


Analog clock

Analyze


C


Chance

Change (money)

Clockwise

Compatible numbers

Complex figures

Compose

Composite figures

Conclusion

Congruent

Congruent figures

Conjecture

Coordinates

Counter

Clockwise

Cubic unit


D


Decimal

Decompose

Decrease

Degree

Distributive

Distributive property

Dividend

Divisor


E


Equivalent fractions

Expression


F


Factor

Frequency table


H


Height

Hundredths


I


Increase

Intersect

Intersecting lines

Inverse

Inverse relationships


K


Kilometer


L


Line graph

Line plot

Line plot graph

Line segment

Line

Lines of symmetry

Liquid measures


M


Mass

Median

Mile

Millimeter

Mixed numbers

Multiple


N


Numbers 0-10,000


O


Octagon

Operation

Order of operations

Ordered pairs

Organize data


P


Parallel lines

Period

Perpendicular

Pictograph

Place figure

Polygon

Prediction

Prism

Probability

Properties


Q


Quadrilateral

Quality

Quotient


R


Range

Ray

Reasonableness

Relative

Rhombus

Right angle


S


Scale

Solution

Square units


T


Tenth

Ton


V


Variable

Vertices

 

 

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