What
does a firefly, as it lights up in the dark, have in common with a pleasantly
scented flower in a field or a colourful fish in a coral reef? How does a male
peacock that is spreading its tail in front of a female resemble a frog that is
puffing up its throat and croaking in a bog? These plants and animals are all
getting across a message! In Nature, you will discover amazing ways in
which plants and animals communicate.
Nature's
knowledge base contains photographs, animated sequences, full-screen video,
narrated text, and hypermedia that provide information on nearly 100 different
plant and animal species, including humans. Combined with project-oriented
investigations, facilities for customizing the information in the program,
access to productivity tools, and direct links to related Internet sites, The
Wonderful Language of Nature offers a focused, interactive environment for
exploring natural phenomena.
The
rationale
Nature
is developed to enable Middle and High School students and other interested
individuals learn about the different aspects of communication in nature. The
knowledge base of this program is organized around seven topics: Courtship and
Attraction, In Search of Food, Parents and Offspring, Social Standing,
Territorial Dominance, Defence, and Group Identity.
The
objectives of this program are:
- Understanding
the various aspects of communications in nature: visual, vocal, and
chemical.
- Recognizing
and analysing the various forms of communication in nature.
- Understanding
communication as a means of survival in nature.
Highlights
- A
multimedia knowledge base about the diverse kinds of communication in
nature.
- Narrations,
photographs, audio visual elements, animated sequences, and slide shows to
make learning fun.
- Research
and problem-solving activities that focus on the information presented in
the program.
- An
electronic glossary to provide definitions of relevant terms and concepts.
- Direct
access to external productivity tools -- a word processor, a drawing
program, presentation software, and a spreadsheet.
- Facilities
for customizing the program's information.
- Direct
links to related Internet sites.
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