Activity 1: Our Trees in Fall

Objective: Students will observe trees during the fall season and express their observations through written poetic form.

1. Read The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. Discuss how the tree changes and how the boy’s feelings towards the tree change. There are many other books that can be used to introduce/engage children in the study of trees, this is an all time favorite that children (and adults) never get tired of hearing.

2. Using their Science Notebooks have students label a page with symbols for seeing, hearing, feeling, and smelling.

3. Pick one tree in the school arboretum/yard to focus yearlong observations on. Have children take their notebooks and pencils to the tree, sit and observe. I would have students sit around the tree and observe silently at first. When directed I would have students move to a new area in the circle for another silent observation. Without discussion, have students record what they see, hear and smell. Then have children touch the bark, leaves, branches etc. and record how it feels. Children may use words, phrases or pictures in their notebook. Depending on the students you may wish to show them how to sit quietly and record in their notebooks before you go outside.

4. Find things the tree has "left" on the ground. For example: leaves, nuts, twigs. Collect these things to save in the classroom.

5. Take a photograph of the tree with and without the children. Use a digital camera if available.

6. In Community Circle have children share some of their observations. Use sentence starters such as: "I saw…", "I heard…" and I felt…".

7. Begin a class chart of "Tree Words" children used in their notebooks and sharing. I would classify words according to Parts of a Tree, Things We Saw, Things We Heard, Things We Felt and Other Words About Trees.

8. Work with children to write poetry about the tree. This may be a good time to write poetry together as a class. I would probably begin with an acrostic poem using phrases from the children’s sharing. Children may then want to write a different acrostic poem with a partner or by himself or herself.

9. Publish and illustrate poetry. Use squares of paper no larger than and eight-inch square. You may want to line the pages separately for individual poems. Save pages for a Tree Poetry Book to be put together at the end of the year.

 

Activity 2: Our Trees in Winter

Objective: Students will observe the same tree in winter, compare it to the tree in fall and express their observations through written poetic form.

1. Read Someday a Tree by Eve Bunting. (Or choose another book to engage students in the next tree activity) Discuss why the tree was important to the family and how the family felt about the tree.

2. Repeat Activity 1 steps 2-6.

7. Make a Venn diagram comparing the tree in fall and winter. Use large chart paper and have the Tree Words Chart displayed. Use colored markers to code nouns, verbs and adjectives.

8. Work with the children to write poetry about how the tree. This may be a good time to write Cinquain Poetry. Use the Venn diagram with color-coding of words to help children understand what words they could use. Again, you may want to model how to write Cinquain poetry with the whole class first. Add additional nouns, verbs and adjectives to the Tree Words Chart using colored markers. Encourage children to write their own poem with a partner or by themselves.

9. Publish and illustrate poetry. Save pages for a Tree Poetry Book to be put together at the end of the year.

Activity 3: Our Trees in Spring

Objective: Students will observe the same tree in spring, compare it to the tree in fall and winter and express their observations through written poetic form.

1. Read Be a Friend To Trees by Patricia Lauber (or another book to engage children in the next tree activity. Discuss why trees are important and how we can all be a friend to our tree.

2. Repeat Activity 1 steps 2-6.

7. Chart observations for all three seasons. Use a chart something like the one below. At this point, children should be able to complete the chart with a partner or by themselves instead of with the whole group.

8. Work with children to write poetry about the tree in spring. This would be a good time to teach Haiku poetry. Review syllables/word parts. Have children go through their charts to find words with two parts, three parts etc. You may want to write a class Haiku together first. Have children work with a partner or by himself or herself to write their own Haiku.

9. Publish and illustrate Haiku poems. Save pages for their Tree Poetry Books.

 

Activity 4: Tree Poetry Books

Objective: Children will compile their poetry, illustrations and photographs of their tree to make their own poetry book.

1. Read nature poetry, especially poems about trees. Encourage children to find poems about trees in books. Allow children to share them with the class.

2. Have children print (or print it for them) the photographs of the tree in all seasons. Trim paper to fit the size of the book pages. Write a caption for each photograph and decorate a "frame" around it.

3. Have children design a poet’s page for their book. I would have children write about themselves and their feelings about the activity and the tree they observed. Include a picture of the child with tree if available.

4. Using a heavier paper design a cover for the booklet. If available, use solar paper to make a print of the leaf of the tree. Follow directions on the packet of paper and mount the finished picture on the cover. You may wish to laminate the covers as well.

5. Have children compile the poetry pages they made throughout the year. Include the front and back covers for the booklet. "Bind" the booklet by punching two holes about four inches apart in the left side of the pages and cover. Place a twig (from the tree observed if possible) on top of the holes; it should overlap the holes by at least an inch on each side. Hook a rubber band over the top of the twig, put the end of the rubber band through the top hole, stretch it along the back cover and bring it up through the bottom hole putting it over the bottom end of the twig. This will hold the pages together.

6. Have children share their tree poetry with another class. Sit under the tree they wrote poetry about for sharing time. You may want to videotape children sharing their poetry.