(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.

(Do you see the trees?) Activity 3: “I Spy a Tree: Introduction to the Trees at Your School”

Through the completion of this activity, children will gain an increased awareness of the trees in their school environment.  This activity will also give children an opportunity to locate objects in space using visual and contextual clues.

Materials

Photos of trees taken on school grounds

(for an example, see this pdf file of photos and clues taken at Egyptian School)

A means of presenting photos to the class on a visual overhead

Laminated copies of photos to give to children

Optional for extension activity: digital cameras for students to take their own tree photos

Before presenting this activity to students, a teacher should lead the class in a brief exercise in describing the school grounds. This will activate student’s minds towards mentally picturing the outdoor environment of their school. Once the students have described the outdoor environment, the teacher can begin the activity.

On a visual overhead, the teacher can begin to show photos of trees at the school to students, encouraging them to consider where that specific tree may be located.  The photos may or may not be accompanied by written clues about the trees whereabouts or distinguishing features of the trees.

After the class has seen all of the photos, the students should be given printed, laminated copies. The task of the students is to take the photos outside and attempt to find the specific tree in each photo. The students will work together to form consensus about the match between the photos and the actual tree areas.  This activity is easiest for students to complete of the tree photos have been taken just prior to the implementation, but may be a worthwhile challenge to complete after time has passed.  The amount of teacher assistance in this activity is relative to student’s age and ability.

To extend this activity, students can take their own trees photos and write their own clues to be presented to classmates. Younger children could collaborate as a group with teacher guidance to write clues for another group.

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):

Comprehension and Collaboration

• SL.K.1. Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
• Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others and taking turns speaking about the topics and texts under discussion).
• Continue a conversation through multiple exchanges.

• SL.3.1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
• Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.
• Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).
• Ask questions to check understanding of information presented, stay on topic, and link their comments to the remarks of others.
• Explain their own ideas and understanding in light of the discussion.
• SL.3.2. Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
• SL.3.3. Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker, offering appropriate elaboration and detail

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

• SL.K.4. Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with prompting and support, provide additional detail.
• SL.K.5. Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional detail.
• SL.K.6. Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly.

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

• L.K.5. With guidance and support from adults, explore word relationships and nuances in word meanings.
• Sort common objects into categories (e.g., shapes, foods) to gain a sense of the concepts the categories represent.
• Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., note places at school that are colorful).
• L.3.5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships and nuances in word meanings.
• Distinguish the literal and nonliteral meanings of words and phrases in context (e.g., take steps).
• Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., describe people who are friendly or helpful).

(Do You See the Trees?) Activity 2: “Tree Draw and Tell”

Materials:

White paper

Drawing materials

Children’s imaginations

Children will draw a picture of a tree. Teachers will provide minimal guidance in this activity, asking students to imagine a tree of their own liking. This simple activity will provide another opportunity for teachers to assess student’s current knowledge and feelings about trees.

To extend the drawing activity, at a level adapted to children’s abilities, teachers will ask students to generate text to accompany their tree picture. For younger children, this may be a simple sentence about the tree dictated to the teacher, or for older children, a short poem would be appropriate.  

This activity can be even further enhanced using a multi media approach to presentation. Children can record their statements and/or poems to be included in a multi-media class presentation of tree pictures and poems.  

A short poem that the teacher might use to inspire and guide the children in this process is this poem, available on line at http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/arborday/trees_poem.htm. There are many other poems written about trees that could be found be teachers or students.

Trees

by Harry Behn

Trees are the kindest things I know,
They do no harm, they simply grow
And spread a shade for sleepy cows,
And gather birds among their bows.

They give us fruit in leaves above,
And wood to make our houses of,
And leaves to burn on Halloween
And in the Spring new buds of green.

They are first when day's begun
To tough the beams of morning sun,
They are the last to hold the light
When evening changes into night.

And when a moon floats on the sky
They hum a drowsy lullaby
Of sleepy children long ago...
Trees are the kindest things I know.

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):

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

• SL.K.4. Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with prompting and support, provide additional detail.
• SL.K.5. Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional detail.

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

• SL.3.4. Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.
• SL.3.5. Create engaging audio recordings of stories or poems that demonstrate fluid reading at an understandable pace; add visual displays when appropriate to emphasize or enhance certain facts or details.

Introduction to: “Do You See the Trees?” (Activity 1)

The purpose of this activity is to introduce children to the tree curriculum, and to engage Teachers will use this activity to identify children’s current knowledge about trees by asking direct and indirect questions such as:

           

“What do you know about trees?”

“Why do we have trees?”

“Where do you think trees come from?”

“What if there were no trees?”

“Do we need trees?”

“Does everybody need trees? What about animals?”

“What do trees look like?”

Use student’s responses to prompt and extend group and one-on-one discussion. Record student responses and ideas for future reflection and lesson plan building. 

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):

SL.K.1. Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

• Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others and taking turns speaking about the topics and texts under discussion).
• Continue a conversation through multiple exchanges.

SL.K.4. Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with prompting and support, provide additional detail.

SL.3.1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

• Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.
• Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).
• Ask questions to check understanding of information presented, stay on topic, and link their comments to the remarks of others.
• Explain their own ideas and understanding in light of the discussion.

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

• SL.3.4. Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.

Do You See The Trees? Environmental Curriculum for K-3

“Do You See the Trees?”  Curriculum Materials for K-3

Little Egypt (and Beyond)

By Shannon Green and Michael Eldridge

Designed for CI 531

Summer 2012

Instructor: Dr. Grant Miller

These curriculum materials have been written to support environmental learning principles that are specifically related to the Southern Illinois region.   The curriculum ideas presented here have been written to support learning goals set forth by the Illinois supported Common Core Learning standards for early elementary grades.  Guiding principles for these curriculum ideas were taken from Universal Design for Learning theory. 

The following Curriculum plans and activity ideas are all associated with the general subject of trees.  Trees are an abundant natural resource in Southern Illinois.  It is our hope that by participating in the activities of this curriculum, children will became more aware of the importance of and appreciation for the trees in their own environment.

“Do You See the Trees?” General Curriculum Notes:

The primary goal of this curriculum is to reinforce the principle that trees are important to humans and other animals.

Specifically, we hope that:

• Children will gain an increased awareness of the trees in their school environment.
•    Children will gain understanding of the many ways humans and other animals interact with trees.
• Children will experience and describe how humans and other animals receive enjoyment and leisure opportunities from trees.
•   Children will recognize and describe how humans and other animals receive nourishment and shelter from trees.
•  And finally, that children will describe different ways in which humans can take responsibility for protecting trees in their personal environments and the larger world.

In addition to the learning goals stated above, the development of empathy as it relates to the study of trees is of primary importance in this curriculum as well.  With the completion of these learning experiences it is our hope that children will develop the capacity to:

• Care about the trees in their world.
•   Care that trees are important to the health and well being of humans and other animals, and are sometimes put into danger at the hands of human actions.
•   Care for the trees in their environment by providing care, nourishment, stewardship, and protection.
•  Care to notice and appreciate the trees that they see every day.

Two curriculum books were used as inspirations for this curriculum plan:

• Bringing Reggio Emilia Home by Louise Boyd Cadwell
• Worms, Shadows, and Whirlpools by Karen Worth & Sharon grollman

To find activities/lessons specifically related to this curriculum idea on this blog, use the label "Do you see the trees?" and the general labels k-3, trees, and environmental education to find all associated blog posts.