(Do You See the Trees?) Activity 4: Stories and Crowns for Trees

The purpose of the following activity is to encourage students to make connections between the stories they are reading and the idea that trees provide enjoyment and leisure opportunities for humans and other animals.

Materials

A shade-giving tree and a sturdy blanket for sitting on

The book Our Tree Named Steve by Alan Zweibel

The book The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

A clip board and paper for recording children’s ideas

Construction paper strips

Tape and/or a stapler

Time for free play

Prepare students for gathering outside under a tree. Collect blankets for sitting on, and discuss expectations for behavior.  If reading outside is a new experience for children they may be tempted to avoid the story and activity.

Once gathered outside and comfortable, read the stories listed above, or some of your own favorites under the shade of a nice tree.  Each of these stories shares examples of children enjoying trees.  Encourage students to share their own experiences and ideas about activities and memories of playing with trees. Write student ideas down for revisiting later.  When guiding children’s literature experiences with this story, keep in mind the goals of the common core standards. (If this experience seems enjoyable and you think you may visit the tree again, naming the tree as a class tree might be a fun idea!)

The boy in The Giving Tree makes a crown of leaves.  Guide students through the process of making their own tree leaf crown:

1.      Measure a strip of construction paper to fit the students head. Tape ends together.

2.      Gather leaves from trees and tape or staple stems around the base of the crown.

3.      Have children wear the crowns as they consider other ways to play with the trees.

4.      Allow children to use extra paper, tape and art materials to create art with tree materials.

Find other ways to play with the trees, perhaps using some examples from the books.  There are endless ways to extend this activity!

By participating in this exchange you are supporting the following Common Core Standard(s) for Kindergarten and Grade 3 (See http://www.corestandards.org for additional standards, including Grades 1 &2):

Key Ideas and Details

• RL.K.1. With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
• RL.K.2. With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details.
• RL.K.3. With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story.
• RL.3.1. Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
• RL.3.2. Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.
• RL.3.3. Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

• RL.K.7. With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear (e.g., what moment in a story an illustration depicts).
• RL.K.9. With prompting and support, compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories.
• RL.3.7. Explain how specific aspects of a text’s illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting).
• RL.3.9. Compare and contrast the themes, settings, and plots of stories written by the same author about the same or similar characters (e.g., in books from a series).

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

• RL.K.10. Actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding.