Learning About Trees 

by Christine Scott

This lesson was created as a part of the SMART website and is hosted by the Illinois Institute of Technology

LEARNING ABOUT TREES

GRADE LEVEL: PRE-KINDERGARTEN AND THIRD 

INTRODUCTION  and DESCRIPTION:

Learning about trees can be spread over four seasons.  This unit will allow the students to see how trees change and grow over four seasons. The pre kindergarten and primary children love hands on activities.  They are intrigued about facts and stimulating  ideas about trees.  They will be so fascinated with the changes that occur in the trees from one season to another.  Fall is one of the most beautiful seasons to see the many different colors of leaves on the trees.

Begin the lesson by showing and reading a book about trees.  I like the book "The Tree". A First Discovery Book by Scholastic.  The reason I like the book is because it is easy to read, is very descriptive, and has some great pictures.   Allow the children to participate in the reading and share some experience stories

This unit will focus on math science, language arts, and fine arts.

OBJECTIVES:  Students should be able to:

•     identify parts of a tree

•     identify shapes of trees

•     tell how a tree grows from a seed

•     tell when leaves change color

•     tell benefit of trees

•     tell when leaves change color

  CONCEPT OBJECTIVES:

•         social skills (testing smell, five senses)
•         oral language development  (fingerplay, drama)
•         mathematics    (counting, matching)

SKILLS:  

•         counting
•         labeling
•         classifying
•         sorting

CONCEPTS FOR THE CHILDREN TO LEARN:

• 1.A tree is a large plant.
• 2.There are many kinds of trees including hardwoods and softwoods.
• 3.A tree has many parts; leaves, branches, bark, trunk, and roots.
• 4.The leaves on some trees are like needles.
• 5.The trunk is the stem of the tree and is covered with bark.
• 6.The roots of a tree are underground.
• 7.Roots help the tree stand; they also get water and nutrients from soil.
• 8.Sap is a liquid that supplies food to the tree.
• 9.Trees need soil, water, and sunlight to grow.
• 10.Trees provide us with wood.
• 11.Many items are made from wood, such as houses, chairs, tables, some toys, doors, fences, paper and paper products.
• 12.Some fruit grows on trees.
• 13.Apples, bananas, and oranges are examples of fruit that grow on trees.
• 14.Trees provide homes for many animals.
• 15.Trees provide us with shade to keep us cool and protect us from sun

VOCABULARY:

• tree-a large plant
• trunk-the main stem and largest part of a tree
• bark-the tough, outer covering of a tree
• sap-the fluid part of a tree
• root-the underground part of a plant

DIFFERENT KINDS OF TREES:                 

A chestnut is the seed of a chestnut tree.  A tree is a giant plant.  Food  stored inside the seed nourishes the young plant.  As the chestnut sapling grows up, the roots grow down into the soil.  By the end of winter, the chestnut tree has thousands of tiny buds.  When spring comes and it is warm again the buds will bloom.  The buds burst open, revealing many leaves.  In the spring, the chestnut tree blossoms.  Chestnut become flowers.  In the summer when it is hot the trees are bright green, the chestnut grow and are ripe.  The last season for the chestnuts  is in the fall the leaves  begin to fall  off of the tree.  This is a beautiful season  when the chestnut trees leaves begin to change color.  They change to a bright orange, yellow and gold  All year long many animals and insects make their homes in and around the trees.

• Trees are recognized by color, shape and size.  
• The beech is very big
• The maple is round and golden in the autumn
• The poplar is tall and pointy
• The weeping willow tree branches droop and bend.
• The birch tree is thin with whit bark

EVERGREEN TREES:

The evergreen tree is a tree that is green all year-around.  That's why it is called evergreen.  There are different kinds of evergreen trees.  They are listed below:

• Cypress
• Sequoia
• Fir
• Cedar
• Parasol Pine

LEAVES:

Trees can be recognized by the shape of their leaves.

• The American Chestnut's leaves has tiny teeth along the edges.
• The leaves of a hazel tree is shaped like a heart.
• The oak tree's leaf is rounded on the edges.
• The walnut tree's leaf is made up of many little leaves.
• The maple leaf has  five points.

ACTIVITIES:

Math

• Leaf Math
• Prepare a bulletin board and construct treetops out of green tagboard. Draw sets of leaves on each treetop .Trace and cut out treetops from black construction  paper.  Print a numeral on each trunk. 

FINGERPLAY:

• The apple Tree
• Way up high in the apple tree
• (raise arm over head)
• Two little apples smiled at me
• (make fists or circles with hands)
• I shook that tree as hard as I could
• (move hands as if shaking  something)
• Down came the apples
• (falling motion with fists)
• Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm were they good! (rub tummy)

SCIENCE:

• Weighing Nuts
• Provide a balance scale and acorns, pinecones or nuts at the science table.
• Grow An Avocado Tree

Remove a seed from a avocado. Peel off the brown outer covering of the seed. Poke three toothpicks into the avocado seed at equal distances from one another. Place the seeds in a glass of lukewarm water with largest end submerged.  Replace the water once a week.  Sprouts will appear in about three weeks.  When the stem and roots are several inches long, transplant the avocado into a pot that is about 1 inch wider than the avocado.

• Make a leaf book
• Make paper

DRAMATIC PLAY:

Birds

• Trace and cut bird masks and wings out of  tag board for the children to wear.  Display pictures of trees and birds.  Play a tape of birds songs.  A variation would be to decorate a climber with green crepe paper to resemble a tree.

ARTS AND CRAFTS:

Sawdust Playdough

• Combine two cups of sawdust three cups of flour, and one cup of salt.  Add water as needed to make a pliable dough.  (sawdust can be obtained, usually at no cost, from a local lumber company.

SOCIAL STUDIES:

Family Tree

• Cut a tree trunk out of brown  tag board.  Cut a treetop out of green  tag board.  Attach the trunk and the treetop to a bulletin board and display on a wall.  Ask the children to bring family photographs that can be displayed on the tree.

ORAL QUESTIONS:

• Are all trees the same size?
• Are all trees the same shape
• Do all trees grow fruit?
• Are there seeds in all fruit?
• Can you name the parts of a tree?
• What color are the leaves in the spring?
• What color are the leaves in the summer?
• What color are the leaves in the fall?
• What color are the leaves in the winter?
• How do a tree grow?
• Can you name some animals  that live in trees?
• How do trees help us?

 WORKSHEETS:

Duplicate copies of Bingo Card.  Make and cut out words.  Play this like the traditional bingo game.

TIC-TAC-TOE

Play this Tic-Tac-Toe  game identifying leaves the traditional way of playing Tic-Tac-Toe

Cut out these words or make pictures of the trees

     TIC-TAC-TOE BOARD  

BOOKS:

Flowers Fairies of the Trees, by Barker, Cicely

It Could Still Be a Tree ,by Fowler, Allan

Trees are Terrific, by National Wildlife Federation Staff

Johnny Apple Seed, by Alikili

The Giving Tree, by  Silverstein, Shel

CONCLUSION:

• After exploring this unit on trees the students will find out that trees serve  many purpose.
• Through the  experiences provided the children will become aware of parts a tree, kinds of trees, and of course the importance of of trees.
• Learning  through fun activities each child can identify his/her own learning style and make tremendous gain obtaining knowledge.

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