Themepark

cycles
Cycles of Nature

Nature's cycles have to do with how the earth renews itself. The living things within an ecosystem interact with each other and also with their non-living environment to form an ecological unit that is largely self-contained. Sometimes this renewal process is gradual and gentle. Sometimes it is violent and destructive. Nevertheless, ecosystems contain within themselves the resources to regenerate themselves.

Sample some of the following activities to learn more about the cycles of nature.

 

Places To Go    People To See    Things To Do    Teacher Resources    Bibliography

Places To Go

The following are places to go (some real and some virtual) to find out about the cycles of nature.

Earth Cycles
View virtual exhibits about cycles from the American Museum of Natural History.
American Rivers Association
Rivers need our help to maintain their natural cycles. Visit the river nearest your home. Rivers, streams and lakes are the lifeblood of the natural world. Just as the human body depends on blood vessels to carry nutrients throughout the body, the natural world depends on rivers, streams and lakes to do the very same thing.
Mammoth Caves
Take a virtual trip to Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. This cave is the longest cave in the world. It measures about 350 miles, and there is still more cave yet to be explored! There have been archaeological investigations of the cave for more than 100 years. It is thought that people have been using Mammoth Cave for varied purposes for almost 4,000 years.
Mississippi River
Virtually float down the Mississippi. Rivers erode land, transport sediment and materials along the river valley, and deposit them farther along and send them eventually out to sea. Dams keep rivers from running their natural course and can interfere with the natural cycle of a river that benefits the environment. The Aswan Dam across the Nile has prevented most of the river's rich sediment from being deposited farther downstream.
Recycle City
Visit Recycle City and learn how to recycle, reduce, and reuse waste the earth's resources.

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People To See

Artic Lemming
Spend time with a lemming to learn about an unusual cycle of nature. Lemmings are small rodents that live in the arctic tundra. Lemmings do not hibernate and they do not store extra layers of fat to protect them from freezing temperatures. They have very very thick coats that are waterproof. As a result, lemmings are able to live underneath snow which insulates them from cold.
All About Wolves
Visit with the wolves of Yellowstone National Park and see how their controversial return has affected plant life, other animals, and the ranchers who make their living in the Yellowstone area.
Historical Bushfires and Wildfires in Australia
Spend time with citizens of Australia. They are often subject to wildfires which ravage their continent. The cycle of fire in nature is actually a normal cycle and can be beneficial to ecosystems, and most fire is caused by lightning. In Australia, the wildfires are fueled by native eucalyptus trees. Eucalyptus trees contain a lot of oil. When they burn, they often explode which causes the fire to spread even more quickly.
How Caves Form
Get to know scientists who study caves. The formation of caves is an interesting cycle of nature. Stalagmites (the formations that point upward) and stalactities (the formations that point downward) are primarily composed of calcite crystals.
William Morris Davis
Meet William Morris Davis. He was an American geologist who was one of the first to suggest the idea of erosion cycles. He saw that landscapes are constantly being built up and worn down.
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Things To Do

Cycles in Nature
Read about the carbon cycle, the nitrogen cycle and the water cycle.
Food Chains & Food Webs
Explore the cycle of worldwide food chains and food webs. Some food chains are long as when a phytoplankton is eaten by a zooplankton; a zooplankton is eaten by a herring; a herring is eaten by a codfish; a codfish is eaten by a porpoise; a porpoise is eaten by a killer whale.
Great Salt Lake Ecology
Learn about the ecology of the Great Salt Lake and explore its fascinating microenvironments.
The Gulf Stream
The Gulf Stream begins off the southern coast of Florida and then heads north along the east coast of the U.S until it reaches North Carolina. Then it turns east and crosses the North Atlantic. Off the coast of Europe, it turns south and flows back across the Atlantic Ocean through the Caribbean Sea and ends and begins again off the southern coast of Florida.
Jellyfish
Explore fascinating jelly fish. Because jellyfish can give some of the most powerful stings of any animal, most predators and other fish stay away from them. Often the baby or juvenile fish of many different species will float among the tentacles of the jellyfish. The jellyfish is unaware of them, and the tiny fish are given a safe place to grow larger.
Recycling and Beyond
Learn about recycling with games, activities, and a cool recycling story. Be sure to click on the It's Not All Garbage! Link to take the recycling quiz.
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Teacher Resources

Lesson Plans
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Bibliography

  • Fowler, Allan. Icebergs, Ice Caps, and Glaciers. New York: Children's Press, 1997.
  • Fowler, Allan. Life in a Wetland. New York: Children's Press, c1998.
  • Gallant, Roy A. Glaciers. New York: Franklin Watts, c1999.
  • Kalman, Bobbie. What Is A Biome? New York: Crabtree Pub. Co., c1998.
  • Morris, Neil. Caves. Austin, Tex.: Raintree Steck-Vaughn, c1997.
  • Morris, Neil. Mountain Ranges. Austin, Tex.: Raintree Steck-Vaughn Publishers, c1997.
  • Owen, Andy. Mountains. Des Plaines, Ill.: Heinemann Interactive Library, c1998.
  • Pipes, Rose. Islands. Austin, Tex.: Raintree Steck-Vaughn Publishers, c1999.
  • Pipes, Rose. Wetlands. Austin, Tex.: Raintree Steck-Vaughn, c1998.