This document on the life cycle contains the 7th grade teacher background material, student activities component, and a unit test. The major objective of the unit is to encourage students to think critically about their own past and future through examination of how people in various cultures live. The teacher background component is presented in three sections. Section I introduces the concept of life cycle, presents an overview of anthropology, and describes comparative and holistic approaches to investigating cultures. Section II focuses on influences on the course of life cycle events, including heredity, nutrition, prenatal environment, disease, emotional factors, and cultural factors. Section III presents case studies of the Tiv (African tribal people), Balkan peasants, Chinese, and the American Middle class. Information is presented on cultural background, life cycle stages, and on contrasting life cycle characteristics among groups. The student textbook and activities component is presented in seven chapters. Chapter I introduce anthropological terms and concepts; explore how and why students should study the life cycle and outlines major life cycle stages; offer an overview of American, Chinese, Tiv, and Balkan cultures; and compare, contrast, and summarize infancy, childhood, and adulthood in the four cultures. An appendix presents review questions, activities, resource material, and vocabulary. The test component includes 50 multiple-choice questions based on material presented in the teacher and student texts. (DB)