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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, Nature offers a focused, interactive environment for exploring natural phenomena.

The rationale 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.