Cycles of Nature

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.

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. According to the American Rivers Association, only 1% of American rivers are clean and free-flowing, and about 40% of our rivers are so polluted we can't swim in them, fish from them, or drink from them.

Recycle City
Visit Recycle City and learn how to recycle, reduce, and reuse waste the earth's resources.

California Underground
Visit caves virtually or in person. Timpanogas Cave in American Fork Canyon is a great place to learn about caves. There are several cycles of nature by which caves may be formed. They can be formed by the chemical and mechanical action of a flow of water on soluble or soft rock. They can be formed by waves pounding against a rocky shore. They can be formed by volcanic action when its accompanied by the formation of gas pockets in lava or the melting of ice under lava. They can also be formed by earthquakes or other earth movements. This website explains cave formation from volcanic action. Find out about the process of formation for stalactites and stalagmites. This portion of the Carlsbad Cavern site has classroom activities about caves. Click on "Earth Activities" from the menu.

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. It is one of the oldest rivers on earth. Rivers are one of the most important natural forces to shape the surface of our planet. They erode land, transport sediment and materials along the river valley, and deposit them farther along and send them eventually out to sea. Many rivers worldwide are in serious trouble. 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. Instead, the fertile river deposits stay on the bottom of Lake Nasser behind the dam where they benefit no one.

People To See

Ask an Ecologist
Ecologists understand the cyclical aspect of nature. Send your questions to Ask an Ecologist.

ScienceNet
ScienceNet is a science information service staffed by scientists from many different fields. Choose from the experts in the environmental science section.

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.

Things To Do

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.

Basics of Flooding
Investigate flood plains. A river valley is gradually cut away and broadened by water over time, building up a flat floodplain of mud and rock. Periodic flooding spills onto these plains laying down more fertile sediment. Floodplains can prevent further floods by keeping water from overflowing until the river level drops. Trouble happens when we build and develop floodplains.

The Gulf Stream
Investigate the effects of the Gulf Stream. Ocean currents are like rivers in the ocean. They flow through the ocean because the sun warms ocean water in the tropics. Since warm water is lighter than cold water, it flows close to the surface. Wind causes this surface water to circulate. So--wind and differences in water temperatures causes ocean water to be in constant motion. The Gulf Stream begins off the southern coast of Florida and then head 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.

Teacher Resources

Hotlists from UEN provide internet sites to visit to find out more about specific topics--in this case, cycles of nature! (You can learn how to use this WWW Activities tool created by UEN for Utah educators).

Virtual Field Trips are teacher and student-created tours of curricular topics. (You can learn how to use this UEN Virtual Field Trip tool created by UEN for Utah educators).

Lesson Plan/Webquests/

Teacher CyberGuide - Miss Rumphius

Activities

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.