Lesson 2: Tour the Trees The student will research and observe trees and their impact on the environment. These activities will allow the student to use oral and written communication to share what they learn about a particular tree in the community through observation and research. In 1991, American Forests conducted a survey of 20 major city forests. It found that the average life of a city tree is much shorter than the life of a forest tree, just 32 years. As your students explore the urban forest that is around them, they will learn more about the trees that are out there. But more importantly, they will learn about the local environment, its health, and what they can do to improve it. Suggested grade levels for this lesson are 7 - 12, but remember that with teacher modification, any grade level can learn and benefit from the lesson. Activity 1: Identify your Tree Time: Two to three 40-minute class periods Materials: A tree identification guide; copies of the Tree Tour handout Objective: The student will research and observe trees and their impact on the environment. Procedure: Ask students, as individuals or in small groups, to write scripts for use on a tour of neighborhood trees by another class or an outside group. The neighborhood might be local residential, in a downtown area, at a park or arboretum, or simply on the school grounds. The general objective is to help others become more aware of the urban forest and its contribution to our lives. The students must think about the audience for whom they are developing this tour. What are the knowledge and skill levels of those taking the tour? Do your tourists have a scientific interest in the urban forest, an economic interest, or do they just think trees are pretty? Remind students to be conscious of safety concerns when someone is taking the tour. The students should also keep in mind the attention span of younger children. Encourage them to think about the ways people learn -- by seeing, doing, or listening. Trial runs for the class can be useful before finalizing the script. The tour should include some of the following information: Each tree's location. Each tree's common name. Each tree's growing cycle. (Does it shed its leaves and grow new ones each year or keep its leaves?) A description including some details about leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, etc. (Or one unique or interesting feature of a tree that will help someone remember it -- a sycamore has peeling bark, a ginkgo loses all its fan-shaped leaves in a single day.) The relationship of the tree with other organisms, including people. Who takes care of the tree. Each tree's animal, bird, and insect inhabitants. Can you see any? How do you know whether they have been in contact with the tree? Each tree's size and general health. What are the signs of a healthy or unhealthy tree? Each tree's future. How old do you think the tree is? If the tree is on public property, who makes decisions concerning the tree? The values of this tree, or trees of this type, including environmental, social, and economic. Encourage students to make their tours lively and interesting. They might tape record music to go along with their tour information, tell a historical anecdote about the area, or bring along a magnifying glass for looking close-up at feature and inhabitants of the tree. Adapted from Growing Greener Cities: Environmental Education Guide, American Forests.