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The Cycles of Nature

Project Description

Life continuously involves cycles of one kind or another.  There are cycles of seasons, of life, of reproduction, and of geology.  Nature’s cycles have to do with how the earth and everything in it renews itself.  The living things interact with each other and also with their non-living environment to form a self-regulating system through which energy and materials are transferred.   In each of these cycles, there are three key elements that make up all life. These elements include hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon—all needed in order to survive. Students are rarely aware that these elements are critical components in every life cycle.  Furthermore, they are for the most part unaware of what every living or non-living thing on earth need on a continuous basis in order to survive, produce, and/ or grow healthy.   Students will identify, define, illustrate and compare various elements that living and non-living things need in order to survive, produce and grow healthy.

How does the cycles of nature influence life?

1.     What elements of nature do we as humans, need on a continuous basis in order to survive?

2.     Why/how does the needs of human beings differ from those of plants/food, and animals?

3.     What are the cycles of nature that occur within life, air, animals?  

Unit Prerequisites

• Basic computer literacy

• Knowledge of internet and website access

• Ability to read and extract main points from research materials

• Ability to work well in a group

Access:

• Read through  the websites offered and linked to the assignment.

• Research the various elements in the cycles of nature.

• Explore how the elements of nature help to produce energy and  the materials needed for growth and reproduction.

     Interpret:

• Compare the basic needs of humans with the needs of other living things e.g., plants, animals, food, air or climate.

• Draw and write what effect the elements of the cycles of nature have on plants and food.

• List some effects in the chart (s) given on the internet site (s).  (see hyperlink list)

Produce:

• Demonstrate an understanding that an event may or may not occur.

• Formulate charts, and drawings to show the relationship of the event and its course of action.

• Write out the result of the findings about the event that may or may not occur.

    Communicate:

• Describe how nature affects our body and health.

• Relate the cycles to the real world.

Evaluate:

• Check/evaluate all the information that has been gathered in the assignment.

• Judge whether the information gathered is sufficient to answer every question that has been asked thus far.

• Evaluate how well time was used during the project to assure that things were done on time.

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