This 23-minute videotape for grades 5-8, presents the myriad of animal life that exists on the planet. Students can view and perform experiments and investigations that help explain animal traits and habits. The food chain provides a clear example of how life continues year after year. Students learn how the cycle of energy starts with the sun, then goes to plants, animals, and back into the earth where the sun promotes more plant growth. A hands-on experiment that demonstrates how students can grow their own food chain with some boiling tap water and a few bits of hay or grass is featured, while a visit to a museum reveals an interesting benefit of the role of decomposers in the food chain. This program is based on the concepts outlined in the National Science Education Standards for Life Science: (1) structure and function in living systems; (2) reproduction and heredity; (3) regulation and behavior; (4) populations and ecosystems; and (5) diversity and adaptations of organisms. A teacher's guide is also included. (ASK)