Cycles in Nature: Supplemental Guide | Pausing Point 107- We have the important job of helping to carry pollen from one
fl ower to another so an adult plant can reproduce, or make more
of its own kind. What are we? (pollinators—insects, birds, small
mammals, water, the wind, etc.)
Compare/Contrast
Materials: Chart paper, chalkboard, or whiteboard
Tell students that there are many things to compare and contrast
in the read-alouds they have heard so far. Remind students that
compare means to tell how things are similar, and contrast means
to tell how things are different. Have students choose a topic from
the following list to compare/contrast on a chart. You may do this
individually or as a class.- Earth’s rotation and Earth’s orbit
- the four seasons
- a sunfl ower plant and a tree
You may wish to extend this activity by using the chart as a
prewriting tool and ask students to write two paragraphs, one
describing similarities and the other describing differences.
Writing Prompts
Students may be given an additional writing prompt such as the
following:- Flowers are important to the life cycle of some plants
because... - The four seasons of the year are considered parts of a cycle
because... - My favorite season is because...
Using a Map
Materials: World map or globe
On a world map or globe, review the location of the equator and
the North and South Poles. Have students talk about the amount
of sunlight in these locations and how Earth’s tilt is the cause of
this.