Lesson 3: A Tree is a Tree

The student will learn about trees as living organisms.

Trees are all around us, but often students take them for granted. These activities will help students understand how trees live and why they are so important to us all. Suggested grade levels are 4-7, but remember that with teacher modification, any grade level can learn and benefit from the lesson.

Activity 1: My Friend the Tree

Time:	Approximately 10 minutes
Materials:	none
Objective:	The student will activate prior knowledge about trees through discussion.

Procedure:

1. The teacher will initiate a student discussion about trees.

2. The student should discuss the different types of trees that they have seen, and the types of trees that grow near them.

3. The teacher should be sure that the students answer and discuss the following:
   1. Name a tree you have seen.
   2. Name a tree that drops its leaves in the fall, appears to be dead through the winter, and then looks alive again in the spring.
   3. Name a tree that looks alive all year long.
   4. Name a tree with needles instead of leaves.

4. The teacher will quiz the students on the facts that they discussed, either in written or oral form.

Activity 2: Tree Terms

Time:	Approximately 40 minutes
Materials:	Tree term definitions, word search
Objective:	The student will learn tree vocabulary.

Procedure:

1. The teacher should choose words from the glossary for the students to discuss and learn, such as:
   • cambium
   • canopy
   • heartwood
   • phloem
   • roots
   • sapwood
   • trunk
   • xylem

2. The student should complete a word search or crossword puzzle for review.

Activity 3: Tree Memory

Time:	Two to three 20-minute class periods
Materials:	paper, pencil and tape measure
Objective:	The student will verify data through observation.

Procedure:

1. The student will write a paragraph about a specific tree at home or school. The student should include the following things in his or her paragraph:
   • How tall is the tree?
   • How big around is the tree? At the base of the trunk? At the top? A single branch?
   • What is the shape of the tree?
   • How far do the branches of the tree spread?
   • What size and shape are the leaves of the tree?

2. The students will take a nature walk and observe a real tree. If at all possible, the student should try to observe the tree that they wrote about. If this is not possible, encourage the student to find a tree as much like their memory tree as possible.

3. The students should take as many precise measurements as possible of the real tree to compare with the data in their paragraphs.

4. The students should discuss the differences between what they remembered about trees and how they really are.
Adapted from Growing Greener Cities: Environmental Education Guide, American Forests.
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