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Glossary
Alumina — Any of several forms of aluminum oxide, Al2O3, occurring naturally as corundum, in a hydrated form in bauxite, and with various impurities as ruby, sapphire, and emery, used in aluminum production and in abrasives, refractories, ceramics, and electrical insulation. Also called aluminum oxide
Art — the conscious use of skill and creative imagination in the production of objects, or works produced
Article — A particular section or item of a series in a written document, as in a contract, constitution, or treaty
Artifact — An object produced or shaped by human craft, especially a tool, weapon, or ornament of archaeological or historical interest
Atom — A unit of matter, the smallest unit of an element, having all the characteristics of that element and consisting of a dense, central, positively charged nucleus surrounded by a system of electrons
Audience — The spectators or listeners assembled at a performance, for example, or attracted by a radio or television program
Ceramics — Any of various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing a nonmetallic mineral, such as clay, at a high temperature
Character — The combination of qualities or features that distinguishes one person, group, or thing from another
Clay — A fine-grained, firm earthy material that is plastic when wet and hardens when heated, consisting primarily of hydrated silicates of aluminum and widely used in making bricks, tiles, and pottery
Climax — The point of greatest intensity or force in an ascending series or progression; a culmination
Compare — To consider or describe as similar, equal, or analogous; liken
Complication — A confused or intricate relationship of parts
Compound — A combination of two or more elements or parts
Contrast — To set in opposition in order to show or emphasize differences
Culture — The totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought
Decomposition — Separation into constituents by chemical reaction
Durable — Capable of withstanding wear and tear or decay
Element — A fundamental, essential, or irreducible constituent of a composite entity
Erosion — The group of natural processes, including weathering, dissolution, abrasion, corrosion, and transportation, by which material is worn away from the earth's surface
Exposition — A statement or rhetorical discourse intended to give information about or an explanation of difficult material
Expository Writing — the composition of a statement or rhetorical discourse intended to give information about or an explanation of difficult material
Fire — A rapid, persistent chemical change that releases heat and light and is accompanied by flame, especially the exothermic oxidation of a combustible substance. To bake in a kiln: fire pottery
Flux — A substance that aids, induces, or otherwise actively participates in fusing or flowing
Folktale — A story or legend forming part of an oral tradition
Genre — A category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, marked by a distinctive style, form, or content
Glaze — A thin smooth shiny coating
Historian — One who writes or compiles a chronological record of events; a chronicler
Kiln — Any of various ovens for hardening, burning, or drying substances such as grain, meal, or clay, especially a brick-lined oven used to bake or fire ceramics
Man made — Made by humans rather than occurring in nature
Material — The substance or substances out of which a thing is or can be made
Moral — Of or concerned with the judgment of the goodness or badness of human action and character
Natural — Present in or produced by nature
Observe — To be or become aware of, especially through careful and directed attention; notice
Papier�Mache — A material, made from paper pulp or shreds of paper mixed with glue or paste, that can be molded into various shapes when wet and becomes hard and suitable for painting and varnishing when dry
Periodic table — A tabular arrangement of the elements according to their atomic numbers so that elements with similar properties are in the same column
Plot — The pattern of events or main story in a narrative or drama
Residual — The quantity left over at the end of a process; a remainder
Resolution — The state or quality of being resolute; firm determination
Sedimentary — resembling or containing or formed by the accumulation of sediment; "sedimentary deposits"
Setting — To fix firmly or in an immobile manner
Silica — A white or colorless crystalline compound, SiO2, occurring abundantly as quartz, sand, flint, agate, and many other minerals and used to manufacture a wide variety of materials, especially glass and concrete
Silk — A fine lustrous fiber composed mainly of fibroin and produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons, especially the strong, elastic, fibrous secretion of silkworms used to make thread and fabric
Silver — This metallic element as a commodity or medium of exchange
Texture — A structure of interwoven fibers or other elements
Vase — an open jar of glass or porcelain used as an ornament or to hold flowers
Vessel — hollow utensil, such as a cup, vase, or pitcher, used as a container, especially for liquids
Wood — The secondary xylem of trees and shrubs, lying beneath the bark and consisting largely of cellulose and lignin
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