Unit 2 Vocab Guide
OER PROJECT:BIG HISTORYUNIT 2 VOCAB GUIDEUnless otherwise noted, this work is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Credit: “Big History Vocab Guide”, OER Project, www.oerproject.com/Lesson 2.1Big BangDefini&on atheory proposed in 1920 that the Universe started out extremely hot and dense and gradually cooled off as it expandedPart of speechnounUse in sentenceThe theory of the Big Bang is widely accepted among most of the scien?fic community.collective learningDefini&on the ability to share, preserve, and build upon ideas over ?mePart of speechnounUse in sentenceSymbolic language makes collec?ve learning possible because it allows humans to share huge amounts of informa?on across genera?ons.complexityDefini&on thequality of being intricate and compoundedPart of speechnounUse in sentenceThecomplexity of video games has increased over ?me from very simple games like Pong to more complex games like Mario Kart.EarthDefini&on a rocky planet that supports life; the third planet from the Sun in our Solar SystemPart of speechnounUse in sentenceEarthis home to numerous species of plant and animal life.elementDefini&on a substance that that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by ordinary chemical processes
OER PROJECT:BIG HISTORYUNIT 2 VOCAB GUIDE2Part of speechnounUse in sentenceSomeof the more well-known elements are lead, zinc, hydrogen, and gold.Solar SystemDefini&on the Sun and the objects that orbit it; the area in space in which the Sun’s gravita?onal pull is the dominant forcePart of speechnounUse in sentenceEarthis located in our Solar System, but there are billions of planetarysystems in the Universe.starDefini&on any celes?al body other than the Moon, planets, or satellites that is visible from Earth as a point of light in the night skyPart of speechnounUse in sentenceMyneighbor has a telescope on his roof that he uses to look up at the stars on clear, dark nights.Lesson 2.2Big BangDefini&on atheory proposed in 1920 that the Universe started out extremely hot and dense and gradually cooled off as it expandedPart of speechnounUse in sentenceThe theory of the Big Bang is widely accepted among most of the scien?fic community.causationDefini&on the act or process of causing (to make happen; crea?ng or influencing)Part of speechnoun
OER PROJECT:BIG HISTORYUNIT 2 VOCAB GUIDE3Use in sentenceWhenlearning about the fall of an empire, you want to focus on causa?on as well as long-term effects.complexityDefini&on thequality of being intricate and compoundedPart of speechnounUse in sentenceThecomplexity of video games has increased over ?me from very simple games like Pong to more complex games like Mario Kart.energyDefini&on the ability to do work, associated with heat and lightPart of speechnounUse in sentenceThereare many forms of energy, including kine?c energy, poten?al energy, and chemical energy.geographyDefini&on the study of Earth's physical featuresPart of speechnounUse in sentenceTo determine how the con?nents move, the student consulted geography texts.matterDefini&on the physical material of the Universe, including subatomic par?cles, atoms, and the substances that are built out of themPart of speechnounUse in sentenceMaUermakes up everything you know and will ever know.
OER PROJECT:BIG HISTORYUNIT 2 VOCAB GUIDE4Lesson 2.3atomDefini&on asmall unit of maUer composed of protons, electrons, and usually neutronsPart of speechnounUse in sentenceEverythingis made of atoms, including you and me.complexityDefini&on thequality of being intricate and compoundedPart of speechnounUse in sentenceThecomplexity of video games has increased over ?me from very simple games like Pong to more complex games like Mario Kart.elementDefini&on a substance that that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by ordinary chemical processesPart of speechnounUse in sentenceSomeof the more well-known elements are lead, zinc, hydrogen, and gold.gravityDefini&on the force by which a planet or other body draws objects toward its centerPart of speechnounUse in sentenceGravitypulls together surrounding objects and gases to create planets.protonDefini&on astable par?cle with posi?ve charge equal to the nega?ve charge of an electron
OER PROJECT:BIG HISTORYUNIT 2 VOCAB GUIDE5Part of speechnounUse in sentenceElementsare oWen defined by the number of protons in their nucleus.starDefini&on any celes?al body other than the Moon, planets, or satellites that is visible from Earth as a point of light in the night skyPart of speechnounUse in sentenceMyneighbor has a telescope on his roof that he uses to look up at the stars on clear, dark nights.temperatureDefini&on the degree of hotness or coldness of an objectPart of speechnounUse in sentenceIfyour temperature is over 100 degrees, then you probably have a virus or infec?on.Lesson 2.4causationDefini&on the act or process of causing (to make happen; crea?ng or influencing)Part of speechnounUse in sentenceWhenlearning about the fall of an empire, you want to focus on causa?on as well as long-term effects.complexityDefini&on thequality of being intricate and compoundedPart of speechnounUse in sentenceThecomplexity of video games has increased over ?me from very simple games like Pong to more complex games like Mario Kart.
OER PROJECT:BIG HISTORYUNIT 2 VOCAB GUIDE6elementDefini&on a substance that that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by ordinary chemical processesPart of speechnounUse in sentenceSomeof the more well-known elements are lead, zinc, hydrogen, and gold.gravityDefini&on the force by which a planet or other body draws objects toward its centerPart of speechnounUse in sentenceGravitypulls together surrounding objects and gases to create planets.nuclear fusionDefini&on the process of atoms combining in the core of a star, which releases a huge burst of energyPart of speechnounUse in sentenceScien?stsare working on replica?ng the nuclear fusion that happens in the core of a star on a smaller scale in order to generate carbon-free power.starDefini&on any celes?al body other than the Moon, planets, or satellites that is visible from Earth as a point of light in the night skyPart of speechnounUse in sentenceMyneighbor has a telescope on his roof that he uses to look up at the stars on clear, dark nights.supernovaDefini&on a star that explodes and becomes extremely luminous in the process
OER PROJECT:BIG HISTORYUNIT 2 VOCAB GUIDE7Part of speechnounUse in sentenceTheynoted the exact place in the sky where this supernova appeared.Lesson 2.5accretionDefini&on the forma?on of a celes?al object by the effect of gravity pulling together surrounding objects and gasesPart of speechnounUse in sentenceTheEarth formed from the accre?on of cosmic dust and rocks.chemistryDefini&on the science of maUer; the branch of the natural sciences dealing with the composi?on of substances and their proper?es and reac?onsPart of speechnounUse in sentenceMedicalstudents are required to have an understanding of chemistry.gravityDefini&on the force by which a planet or other body draws objects toward its centerPart of speechnounUse in sentenceGravitypulls together surrounding objects and gases to create planets.nuclear fusionDefini&on the process of atoms combining in the core of a star, which releases a huge burst of energyPart of speechnounUse in sentenceScien?stsare working on replica?ng the nuclear fusion that happens in the core of a star on a smaller scale in order to generate carbon-free power.
OER PROJECT:BIG HISTORYUNIT 2 VOCAB GUIDE8planetDefini&on any celes?al body (other than comets or satellites) that revolves around a starPart of speechnounUse in sentenceTheplanet Mars was named aWer the Roman god of war.Solar SystemDefini&on the Sun and the objects that orbit it; the area in space in which the Sun’s gravita?onal pull is the dominant forcePart of speechnounUse in sentenceEarthis located in our Solar System, but there are billions of planetarysystems in the Universe.supernovaDefini&on a star that explodes and becomes extremely luminous in the processPart of speechnounUse in sentenceTheynoted the exact place in the sky where this supernova appeared.Lesson 2.6collective learningDefini&on the ability to share, preserve, and build upon ideas over ?mePart of speechnounUse in sentenceSymbolic language makes collec?ve learning possible because it allows humans to share huge amounts of informa?on across genera?ons.continentaldriftDefini&on the idea that the Earth's con?nents move in rela?on to each other, so that con?nents currently separated by oceans were joined together in the past
OER PROJECT:BIG HISTORYUNIT 2 VOCAB GUIDE9Part of speechnounUse in sentenceThetheory of plate tectonics explains why con?nental driW occurs.EarthDefini&on a rocky planet that supports life; the third planet from the Sun in our Solar SystemPart of speechnounUse in sentenceEarthis home to numerous species of plant and animal life.geologyDefini&on a science that deals with the history of the Earth as recorded in rocksPart of speechnounUse in sentenceHerinterest in fossils led her to study geology.gravityDefini&on the force by which a planet or other body draws objects toward its centerPart of speechnounUse in sentenceGravitypulls together surrounding objects and gases to create planets.planetDefini&on any celes?al body (other than comets or satellites) that revolves around a starPart of speechnounUse in sentenceTheplanet Mars was named aWer the Roman god of war.plate tectonicsDefini&on the idea that the Earth's crust (together with the upper mantle) is broken up into separate plates that are in constant mo?on, explaining
OER PROJECT:BIG HISTORYUNIT 2 VOCAB GUIDE10con?nental driW as well as the distribu?on of earthquakes, volcanoes, etc.Part of speechnounUse in sentencePlate tectonics has been a central theory in modern Earth sciences (geology) since the 1960s.