Requirements of Life – Alex’s Brushes With Death

When it comes to teaching the requirements of life, most textbooks keep it pretty dry. Listing oxygen, nutrients, temperature, and atmospheric pressure. Important, yes, but not exactly the kind of material that gets high school students leaning in.

That’s where this worksheet comes in. Instead of listing facts, it follows the story of Alex, an unlucky human who gets put through one survival disaster after another. Whether it’s suffocating without oxygen, freezing in subzero cold, or being crushed by the vacuum of space, Alex’s gruesome misadventures keep students engaged. It illustrates why these four factors are absolutely critical for life.

Most of the scenarios are meant to funny, so don’t take things too seriously. This is just a creative way to cover the concepts in the first chapter of anatomy. Typically, these chapters cover life requirements, anatomical terminology, and body regions.

What’s In the Worksheet?

• Narrative-style lessons: Each requirement of life is presented as a short, edgy story about Alex experiencing what happens when it’s missing.
• Expanded scientific detail: Students learn not just what happens, but why. For example, describing oxygen’s role in ATP production. Discussing the human body’s narrow survivable temperature range. Then exploring essential nutrients beyond just “food,” and the way air pressure makes breathing possible.
• Illustrated comics: Alex’s struggles are brought to life in graphic form. These images make for great visual anchors when teaching.
• Review questions: Each section of the story has questions to assess reading comprehension.

This resource balances humor, science, and a bit of gross-out appeal—perfect for high school anatomy classrooms where engagement can make or break a lesson. By the end, students don’t just memorize the requirements of life; they feel the urgency of them. And with Alex as their cautionary tale, they won’t soon forget it. Don’t worry, Alex survives these deadly encounters!

Related Resources

Anatomy and Physiology – Chapter 1 Resources

Chicago Cyanide Murders – explores why we need oxygen, and what happens when a poison interferes with the electron transport chain

Wood Alcohol Poisoning – why methanol is deadly, but ethanol is widely ingested as “spirits”