STE | Lessons

Acorn Woodpecker: a bird with a large, straight beak associated with oak trees. When acorns are ripe, the bird carries an acorn to a perch, pecks off the shell, and eats the contents. To store for later use, the bird drills a hole in a tree or post of a size to fit each acorn that is gathered. Some trees hold over 10,500 acorns!

Acorn: the fruit or nut of an oak tree

Activated sludge: sludge particles produced by the growth of microorganisms in aerated tanks as a part of the activated sludge process to treat wastewater

Adaptation: an alteration or adjustment in structure or habits by which a species or individual improves its condition in relationship to its environment. The way animals change in their behavior and/or their bodies. They must fit in with the environmental conditions which occur in its habitat.

Adult: fully developed and mature; grown-up

Aeration: exposure to circulating air; adds oxygen to the wastewater and allows other gases trapped in the wastewater to escape. The first step in secondary treatment via activated sludge process.

Aerobic: oxygen is present

Alevin: a newly hatched salmon with its yolk sac still attached

Algal: relating to algae

Anadromous: describes fishes that begin life in fresh water, then go to the ocean to live, and finally return to fresh water to spawn (derived from Greek = “running upward”)

Anaerobic: oxygen is not present

Animal Signs: evidence left which proves the presence of an animal. Signs may be scat (droppings), scrapes, rubs, tracks, feathers, hair, etc.

Aquatic animal: an animal growing or living in the water

Aquatic: growing, living in, or frequenting water

Aqueduct: canals, pipelines, and tunnels that move water to where it is needed in the state

Arboreal: adapted to moving about in or among trees


THIS LESSON: Downloads Objectives Grade Levels Adult:Students Location Skills Key Words Worksheets Resources EXPLORE SITE: Home Appendices Activities Lessons	Glossary Acorn Woodpecker: a bird with a large, straight beak associated with oak trees. When acorns are ripe, the bird carries an acorn to a perch, pecks off the shell, and eats the contents. To store for later use, the bird drills a hole in a tree or post of a size to fit each acorn that is gathered. Some trees hold over 10,500 acorns! Acorn: the fruit or nut of an oak tree Activated sludge: sludge particles produced by the growth of microorganisms in aerated tanks as a part of the activated sludge process to treat wastewater Adaptation: an alteration or adjustment in structure or habits by which a species or individual improves its condition in relationship to its environment. The way animals change in their behavior and/or their bodies. They must fit in with the environmental conditions which occur in its habitat. Adult: fully developed and mature; grown-up Aeration: exposure to circulating air; adds oxygen to the wastewater and allows other gases trapped in the wastewater to escape. The first step in secondary treatment via activated sludge process. Aerobic: oxygen is present Alevin: a newly hatched salmon with its yolk sac still attached Algal: relating to algae Anadromous: describes fishes that begin life in fresh water, then go to the ocean to live, and finally return to fresh water to spawn (derived from Greek = “running upward”) Anaerobic: oxygen is not present Animal Signs: evidence left which proves the presence of an animal. Signs may be scat (droppings), scrapes, rubs, tracks, feathers, hair, etc. Aquatic animal: an animal growing or living in the water Aquatic: growing, living in, or frequenting water Aqueduct: canals, pipelines, and tunnels that move water to where it is needed in the state Arboreal: adapted to moving about in or among trees [Back to top] Biomes: large areas or environments that share the same general climate of temperature and rainfall Biosolids: sludge that is intended for beneficial use. Biosolids must meet certain government-specified criteria depending on its use (e.g. fertilizer or soil amendment). Brown fat: fat that forms patches near an animal’s brain, heart, and lungs. This fat sends a quick burst of energy to warm these organs first when it is time to wake up from hibernation or torpor. Butterfly: flying insect active by day, characterized by clubbed antennae, slender body, and broad, conspicuously-marked wings Buttoning up: as the fry “use up” the yolk sac, as a food source, its belly closes up [Back to top] California Gray Squirrel: a strong, gray, tree-dweller with a large, bushy tail living in the foothills and Yellow Pine belts of the Sierra. Feeds mostly on pine seeds and acorns Camouflage: to conceal or disguise Carbon cycle: natural process by which CO2 molecules move through the environment Change: to make different in some way Characteristic: a distinguishing feature or quality Coagulation: the process in which raw water from terminal reservoirs is drawn into mixing basins at treatment plants where alum, polymer and sometimes lime and carbon dioxide are added. This process causes small particles to stick to one another, forming larger particles, which are more easily removed. Coloration: the state of being colored Community: a specific area in which certain plants and animals live and interact Compaction: the process of packing firmly together; refers to soil which has very few pore spaces Compass: a handheld tool for determining direction with the help of a magnetized needle which is pointing to magnetic north Complete metamorphosis: change during growth in insects from larvae to adulthood that includes a pupa stage. Larvae and adults generally look very different from each other. Incomplete metamorphosis: simple change during growth in insects from egg to nymph to adult. Nymphs and adults often show similarities in appearance. Condensation: the change of vapor into a liquid Conductivity: a measure of how well water carries an electrical current Cone: a generally woody structure which producing seeds on most conifers Conifer: a tree or shrub with needle-like leaves that produces seeds in cones Controls: the man-made or natural features in the landscape upon which a control marker is placed, and which is described by a clue; the mapped features toward which you are navigating; the checkpoints on a orienteering course Control Marker: the three-dimensional orange-and-white nylon flag used to mark the control feature Crust: a layer from 4–25 miles thick consisting of sand and rock [Back to top] Deciduous: generally said of leaves falling off naturally at the end of a growing period, or of plants that are seasonally leafless Declination: the difference between magnetic north and geographic north Decomposition: the process of breaking down into constituent parts or elements Direction: the line a moving person takes: right, left, straight relative to the control or features Disinfection: the final stage in the water treatment process in order to limit the effects of organic material, suspended solids and other contaminants. To protect against any bacteria, viruses and other microbes that might remain, a disinfectant is added before the water flows into underground reservoirs throughout the distribution system and into your home or business. Dissolved oxygen: (often referred to as “D.O.”) the amount of oxygen gas dissolved in water Diurnal: recurring every day Domesticate: to adapt an animal or plant in intimate association with humans [Back to top] Ecology: the study of how plants and animals live together and interact with each other in their natural surroundings Ecosystem: describes how the plants and animals within a habitat interact with each other and with the nonliving parts of their environment Effluent: treated wastewater leaving a treatment process or plant Embeddedness: a measure of how much silt surrounds stream substrate. It gives an indication of the sediment load to a stream. Environment: the combination of surrounding things, conditions, and influences that affect a given organism at any time; forces that shape a life of a population Ephemeral stream: stream that doesn’t flow year around Erosion: the process by which the surface of the earth is worn away by the action of water, glaciers, winds, waves, and the like Estuary: where the fresh water of the rivers meet the salt water of the ocean Evaporation: the change of a liquid into a vapor Evergreen: having leaves that remain green and on the plant for more than one season and do not fall all together [Back to top] Filtration: the process in which water is filtered through layers of fine, granulated materials—either sand, or sand and coal, depending on the treatment plant. As smaller, suspended particles are removed, turbidity diminishes and clear water emerges. Food web: how plants, animals, and insects interrelate in a food chain within an ecological community Fry: baby salmon that have used up their yolk sacs and are ready to find their own food [Back to top] Gall: an outgrowth or swelling on a plant (oak tree) surrounding a deposited insect egg Gas: matter that has no shape or size of its own Germinate: to begin to grow or sprout Glacier: a large mass of ice and snow that doesn’t completely melt every year Grit chamber: a chamber or tank used in primary treatment where wastewater slows down and heavy, large solids (grit) settle out and are removed Ground water: water found underground in porous rocks and soils Grow: to spring up or develop into maturity [Back to top] Habitat: the natural home where a plant or animal finds the food, water, air, and space it needs to survive Hibernation: a deep sleep when an animal appears to be dead because the animal’s body temperature drops to almost the same temperature as the outside and its heartbeat and breathing slow down. Hydroelectricity: electricity generated by water [Back to top] Igneous rock: formed from magma and cooled quickly above the earth’s surface or slowly below the earth’s surface Inner core: a mass of iron with a temperature of about 7,000 degrees F Irrigation: to supply land with water through artificial channels [Back to top] Lagoons (treatment ponds): a wastewater treatment method that uses ponds to treat wastewater Leaf: an outgrowth of the stem, generally green, often composed of a stalk (petiole), and a flat, expanded, photosynthetic area (blade) Life cycle: the continuous sequence of changes undergone by an organism from one primary form to the development of the same form again Liquid: matter that you can pour or that can flow Loam: rich soil containing relatively equal proportions of sand and silt and a somewhat smaller proportion of clay [Back to top] Macro invertebrates: invertebrate animals (without backbones) large enough to be observed without a microscope or other magnification Magma: slow moving molten rock in the mantel of the earth Magnetic north: the direction a compass needle always points Mammal: warm-blooded animal that nourishes their young with milk secreted by mammary glands, have the skin usually covered with hair Man-made: created by human beings Mantle: a rock layer about 1,750 miles thick that reaches about half the distance to the center of the earth Map: a reduced diagram of a portion of the surface of the earth Metamorphic rock: material formed from pieces of sedimentary or igneous rock that transforms through extreme pressure and heat into a different kind of rock Metamorphosis: change during growth Migrate: to physically move from one region to another depending on seasons; salmon hatch in fresh water, migrate to sea, and spawners migrate back again to fresh water Migration: the travelling to other places where the weather is warmer and/or there is more food. Milt: sperm-filled fluid sprayed by a male fish to fertilize eggs Mineral soil: soil comprised of small bits of rock with little or no organic material [Back to top] Natural: existing in or produced by nature Needle: a narrow, linear, often waxy, generally evergreen leaf, especially on conifers [Back to top] Oak: any tree belonging to the genus Quercus, bearing the acorn as fruit Observe: to look closely at something with the intention of describing it in detail Organic: living or once living Organic matter: plant and animal material in various stages of decomposition Organism: a living thing Outer core: a mass of molten iron about 1,425 miles deep that surrounds the solid inner core [Back to top] Patterns: a natural marking or decorative design on an organism composed of elements in an arrangement. Patterns can protect (camouflage), repel, or attract other organisms. Perennial stream: stream that flows year around Petiole: leaf stalk which connects the leaf blade to the stem of a plant Petroglyph: a carving on a rock pH: the power of hydrogen; a measure of the strength of the hydrogen ion in water; a logarithmic scale measurement of H ions (H+) and hydroxide ions (OH) numbered 1–14 where <7 is acidic, 7 neutral and >7 is basic (alkaline) Photosynthesis: the process by which green plants combine the energy from sunlight with carbon dioxide and water to make food and oxygen; the process plants use to convert sunlight energy, water, and CO2 to carbohydrates for foods and gases Pictograph: an ancient drawing or painting on a rock Pine nut: the edible fruit of the Pine tree. Each seed is encased in a hard shell Pine: an evergreen tree of the genus Pinus, having needlelike leaves in bundles and woody cones which produce winged seeds Pollution: damage done to the soil by harmful substances (litter, oil, pesticides) Precipitation: the condensation and falling of water as rain Primary treatment: the first stage of wastewater treatment that removes settleable or floating solids only [Back to top] Redd: a nest that a female salmon or steelhead digs with her tail in the gravel and a place where her eggs are deposited Reservoir: storage area of water for farms, homes and businesses, flood control, hydroelectricity, and recreation Respect: to consider worthy of high regard and/or to refrain from interfering with Riparian: situated on the bank of a river or other body of water; a zone that links terrestrial and aquatic systems Root: underground structure of a plant, generally branched, and generally growing into the ground from the base of a stem. Roots’ functions include anchorage, absorption of water and nutrients, and food storage. Route: path, way for passage [Back to top] Salmoniod: of or belonging to the family Salmonidae, which includes salmon, trout, and whitefish Sap: a watery juice, containing sugar and mineral salts, that circulates through the tissues of a plant Secondary treatment: a type of wastewater treatment used to convert dissolved and suspended pollutants into a form that can be removed, producing a relatively highly treated effluent Sedimentary rocks: weathered and eroded rocks mixed with bones and shells forming layers and cemented together through pressure Sedimentation: the process used in both primary and secondary wastewater treatment that takes place when gravity pulls particles to the bottom of a tank Senses: any of an animal’s or human’ functions of taste, touch, smell, hearing, and sight that allow it to examine its environment Silt: one of the three particles of soil; larger than clay, but smaller than sand Sludge: any solid, semisolid, or liquid waste that settles to the bottom of sedimentation tanks or septic tanks Smolt: a young salmon that is ready to migrate to the ocean Soil: the surface layer of earth supporting plant life Solid: matter that has a definite shape Source: a point of origin of a stream of water Spawn: to lay eggs or fertilize them. Stewardship: choices and actions to protect our environment Stoichiometric: relating to the definite proportions and conservation of matter and energy to chemical activity [Back to top] Temperature of water: a measure of the kinetic energy of water molecules Terrestrial: living or growing on land, not aquatic Tertiary treatment: any level of treatment beyond secondary treatment, which could include filtration, nutrient removal (removal of nitrogen and phosphorus) and removal of toxic chemicals or metals; also called “advanced treatment” when nutrient removal is included Texture: the tactile quality of a surface. In soil, it represents the relative amounts of gravel, sand, silt, and clay in a given soil sample. Torpor: a type of hibernation where the animal sleeps for short periods of time. The heart rate slows down and the body temperature goes down, but the animal is able to wake up and move around for short periods. Transpiration: the loss of water vapor by evaporation from plant structures. Water enters the plant through the roots, travels up the plant stems, and is lost through the leaves into the air. Tree: a plant having a permanently woody stem or trunk ordinarily growing to a considerable height with branches at some distance from the ground Tributary: a smaller stream or river that flows into another larger stream or river Trickling filter process: a biological treatment process that uses coarse media (usually rock or plastic) contained in a tank that serves as a surface on which microbiological growth occurs. Wastewater trickles over the media and microorganisms remove the pollutants. Turbidity: a measure of the amount of suspended particles in water [Back to top] Wastewater: water that has been used for domestic or industrial use Water cycle: the paths water takes through its various states—vapor, liquid, and solid—as it moves throughout earth’s systems (oceans, atmosphere, ground water, streams, etc.) Water: the liquid that descends from the clouds as rain, forms stream, lakes, and seas, and is a major constituent of all living matter. It is odorless and tasteless. Watershed: the land that serves as drainage for specific streams or rivers Wild: living in a state of nature and not ordinarily tame or domesticated [Back to top] Yolk sac: the food supply that is attached to the baby salmon when it hatches Young: being in first or early stage of life [Back to top]
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