welcome to forest friends . . . - interactive training media, inc

Welcome to Forest Friends . . .

This Instructor’s Guide, along with the CD-ROM Forest Friends isdesigned to help you explore with your students the importance of forests in

our world. We hope you find these tools useful as you and your students set out todiscover the wonders of our most valuable ... properly managed ... and ... infinitelyrenewable resources. Hopefully you, and your students will enjoy the learning andimplementation challenges of this CD-ROM.

Forest Friends Teacher’s Guide

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 3 PURPOSE

USE IN THE CLASSROOM

WHAT IS PROJECT LEARNING TREE? REQUIRED COMPUTER EQUIPMENT

CONTENT AREAS

ENVIRONMENT ......................................................................................................................................... 4 Explores the various benefits of trees in terms of wildlife habitat, clean air, clean water and cooling effects. Students also learn about native wildlife. ENVIRONMENT CROSSWORD PUZZLE (OLDER STUDENTS) ..................................................................... 5 ENVIRONMENT CROSSWORD PUZZLE (YOUNGER STUDENTS)................................................................. 6 STUDENT ASSESSMENT - ENVIRONMENT ................................................................................................ 7PRODUCTS .............................................................................................................................................. 8 Identifies numerous items made from trees that we rely on daily. TREE PRODUCTS WORD SEARCH (OLDER STUDENTS)........................................................................... 9 TREE PRODUCTS WORD SEARCH (YOUNGER STUDENTS) .................................................................... 10 STUDENT ASSESSMENT - PRODUCTS ................................................................................................... 11TREE IDENTIFICATION .......................................................................................................................... 12 Discusses the management activities necessary to maintain a healthy forest. TREE ID WORD SCRAMBLE (OLDER STUDENTS)................................................................................ 13 TREE ID WORD SCRAMBLE (YOUNGER STUDENTS) ........................................................................... 14 STUDENT ASSESSMENT - TREE IDENTIFICATION .................................................................................. 15

REFERENCE MATERIALS

GLOSSARY ........................................................................................................................................... 16FORESTRY CONTACTS ............................................................................................................................ 17ANSWERS TO ASSESSEMENTS ................................................................................................................. 18HOW A TREE WORKS ........................................................................................................................... 19FORESTRY WORD SEARCH .................................................................................................................... 20THE SECRET OF FALL COLORS ............................................................................................................. 21TREE SQUARES ..................................................................................................................................... 22TREE COOKIE ACTIVITY DIRECTIONS ................................................................................................... 23TREE COOKIE ACTIVITY ....................................................................................................................... 24PROJECT LEARNING TREE ACTIVITY # 21............................................................................................. 25PROJECT LEARNING TREE ACTIVITY # 27............................................................................................. 30EVALUATION OF CD-ROM AND TEACHER’S GUIDE .............................................................................. 32


INTRODUCTIONPURPOSE

The Forest Friends CD-ROM, along with a middle school version,Forests Forever , and a high school version, Forest Fever, are designedwith one goal in mind--to educate. Using the CD-ROM to actively en-gage student learning will increase understanding of the importance ofemploying scientific principles to sustainable forest management. Thisinteractive format will hold the students attention throughout while theywatch a captivating presentation of forest facts and the forest productswe use.

USE IN THE CLASSROOM

The Forest Friends Teacher’s Guide is designed to assist the educator inusing the CD-ROM. Presented in an easy-to-use format, the guide providesinformation to facilitate learning about forests. To assist in the learning expe-rience, each of our three content areas includes grade level, subjects, con-cepts, skills and correlations to state educational sandards. A brief introduc-tion to each topic is provided along with an activity to reinforce the contentand a listing of associated activities from the Project Learning Tree (PLT)PreK-8 Guide.

Using the Forest Friends CD-ROM, this Teacher’s Guide, PLT activities,the contact list provided and a little imagination, the educator can lead stu-dents into subjects beyond forestry and this CD-ROM. Students may ex-plore the need for forest products in society, better understand the role offorests in providing habitat and learn about trees commonly found in thestate.

The Forest Friends CD-ROM is primarily designed for use in K - 4th

grade classrooms, but can be used with a wide variety of audiences. It isprimarily intended for single-user or small group settings.

WHAT IS PROJECT LEARNING TREE?Project Learning Tree is an internationally recognized environmental edu-

cation curricula. PLT provides hands-on activities using the forest as a win-dow to awareness and knowledge of the world. Ultimately, PLT preparesstudents to make wise decisions about conservation practices and resourceuse by developing critical thinking skills.

So you can see how PLT and the Forest Friends CD-ROM work together,we have included two sample PLT activities as well as a listing of some PLTactivities that relate to each of the content areas. For more information seethe “Reference Section” in this guide for a sample PLT Activity or call theInteractive Training Media, Inc. at the number listed on page 17 of thisTeacher’s Guide.

REQUIRED COMPUTER EQUIPMENT

The minimum and recommended system requirements are listed on theback of the CD-ROM case for both IBM-compatible and Macintosh com-puters. Your computer must meet these requirements in order to operate theCD program. The installation instructions are printed on the inside of thepamphlet in the case.


ENVIRONMENT

LevelsGrades K-4

SubjectsScience, Math

ConceptsThe forests provide habitatfor thousands of differentcreatures.

Each inhabitant does itspart in continuing the forestcycle.

SkillsObserving, Relationships,Patterns, OrganizingInformation and Analyzing,Identifying Relationships

Sunshine StateStandards

Trees offer many benefits to the en-vironment. They cool the tempera-ture of the air by almost ten degreesand give animals a place to live. Theirroots hold together the forest floor andhelp to keep our drinking water clean.Trees also produce the oxygen weneed to breath.

It is the job of foresters to manageand protect our forests. They under-stand the special role that trees playin preserving our way of life.

ComponentsIn this section, the students learn

about the things trees do for our envi-ronment. They have the opportunityto play “Concentreetion” which teststheir memory skills. After they com-plete each game they will see a videoabout an animal that is commonlyfound in the forest. There are ninevideo clips which are chosen at ran-dom. Animals included are: frogs,squirrels, owls, bears, eagles, deer,bobcats, snakes and turkeys.

Sample ActivityImagine, if you can, living in a place

with no trees. What if all the treesdisappeared? To help us think abouttrees and their place in the environ-ment, let’s look at some of the thingswe normally find in the forest and seehow plants and animals might ben-efit from each other.

Some forest creatures may need asingle limb on atree or a decayinglog to sustain theirlives, or they mayneed several hun-dred acres (anacre is about thesize of a footballfield) of forests tomeet their needs.

Thus, even animals living in the sameforest may place very different de-

mands on that forest. The good newsis that forests can meet the needs ofmany different animals at the sametime.

To better understand this interaction,lets examine how some animals andplants interact. Collect signs of plantand animal life that you can find aroundtrees, things like twigs, partially eatenplants, leaves, nuts, fruit, litter, etc.Discuss with your student how thesethings demonstrate an interaction be-tween plants and animals. Ask them ifthere are any signs of man’s interac-tion in this environment.

For older students: Individually, orin groups, have the students examine atree(s). Start by looking at the wholetree from a distance. Ask them to noteall kinds of living creatures dependingon the tree -- including other plants.Have them take a closer look at thetree and area around it for signs of plantand animal interaction.

Have the students organize the in-formation into a table or booklet anddiscuss the results with the class. Askabout how the tree is affected by theplants and animals that live around it.Do any of the organisms appear to harmthe tree? How do the plants and ani-mals benefit from their relationship?

Project Learning Tree Activities#30 - Three Cheers for Trees

Students examine how importanttrees are by looking at the world with-out trees. This activity relies on art-work as a way to express the impor-tance of trees.

#47 - Are Vacant Lots Vacant?In this activity, students look at a

small scale ecosystem to discover howinterrelated communities are to the en-vironment around them. This field tripto a “vacant” area near the school wellhelp students understand the relation-ship of man to their surroundings.


ENVIRONMENT CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Across 2. Bears do this in the winter. 5. These flying animals hunt for rats, mice and insects at night. They depend on the forest for nesting and cover during the day. 6. It is the job of _________________ to take care of our forests. 8. The ___________ from trees cools the forest by 10 degrees.11. Trees produce _______________ that we need to breathe.12. Homes for animals, clean air and water and a place to have fun are benefits of a well managed ________.

Down 1. Tree __________ hold the forest floor together and provide water and nutrients to the tree. 3. These animals prefer to live deep in the forest and like to climb on rocks to seek out their prey. 4. We use all of the parts of these living things to make the products we need every day. 6. These amphibians live in forests where they eat insects. 7. These animals live in the trees and while they enjoy a rat or snake for dinner every now and then, they prefer fish, swooping down and catching them in near-by rivers and lakes. 9. Turkeys and other animals eat these hard seeds from trees and scatter them around the forest.10. _________ climb trees, live in the hollow parts of trees and lay eggs in rotten logs. They feed on lizards, frogs, mice, squirrels and other forest animals.

1

2 3 4

5

6 7

8 9

10

11

12


ENVIRONMENT CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Use the words below to fill in the squares and create a crossword puzzle.

Acorn Hibernate

Eagles Shade

Forests Snakes

Frog Roots

H I B E R N A T E


STUDENT ASSESSMENT - ENVIRONMENT

1. Trees produce ____________________ that we need to ______________.a) water, drink b) oxygen, breath c) leaves, eat

2. Shade from trees can __________ the air.a) cool b) warm c) move

3. A tree’s roots help it by taking in _______________.a) sunlight b) soil c) water

4. Animals need the trees in the forest for ____________________.a) food b) a place to live c) both a and b

Match the animal to the correct statement below.

____5. Eagle a) These animals like to hibernate, or sleep, most of the winter

____ 6. Bear b) Living deep in the forest these animals like to climb rocks and watch for their prey, then jump down on them.

____ 7. Snake c) These amphibians like to eat insects.

____ 8. Bobcat d) With white heads and good eye site, these animals like to fly down from the tops of trees and catch fish.

____ 9. Frogs e) These are excellent climbers that often live in the hollow sections of trees and lay eggs in logs and stumps.

Challenge:10. Tell two ways a forest is like a zoo.

Name:_________________


PRODUCTS

LevelsGrades K-4

SubjectsScience, Social Studies

ConceptsTrees provide a largenumber of products thatpeople use every day.

Trees are a renewableresource.

SkillsClassifying andcategorizing, Comparingand Contrasting, Evaluat-ing, Identifying Attributes


Many things we need every day aremade from trees. Of course we usetrees to make houses, furniture, pencilsand paper, but there are many otherproducts that you might not know aremade from trees. Things like film, rayonfor clothing, toothpaste, even cellophanetape all come from trees. No parts ofharvested trees are wasted. We useevery part of the tree; the solid wood,bark, sap, pulp. Even the sugars in atree are used to make more than 5,000different products. In fact, many paperand wood products are recycled andreused to further insure that trees arenot wasted.

ComponentsIn this activity, the students play a

game called Wild About Wood. In thegame, nine products are randomly dis-played on the screen and the studentsare asked to name the products that aremade of wood. All of the products in-cluded in the game are made of woodor wood derivatives. When the studentchooses a product, the announcer tellsthem they are correct and then describeswhat part of the tree that product comesfrom. The students have thirty secondsto complete this activity.

Sample ActivityStart this activity by showing the stu-

dents some every day products, bothmade from wood, and not made fromwood. Have them distinguish betweenthose made from wood and those notmade from wood. Use things like a pa-per cup and a glass, a pencil and a pen,a cardboard milk carton and a plasticmilk jug, a paper bag and a plastic bag,etc. You may do this before or afterthey view this section of the CD.

Ask the students to list the productsthey remember in the game Wild AboutWood. Though only nine are viewedeach time, there are 17 products includedon the disk. Review the products youshowed them earlier and discuss which

were made from trees. Ask which ofthe products in the CD surprised themthe most.

For older students: As studentsname products, create a list on the chalk-board with the heading “Product.” Onceyou have the list complete, put a secondcolumn on the board entitled “Tree Part.”On another part of the board, list thewords: cellulose, resin, wood fibers, pulp,and sugar. Ask the students what part ofthe tree (using the above words) is usedto make each of the products listed, andfill that information in on your chart.

The table below lists the products inthe CD and where they come from.Product Tree PartTea Bag Pulp/PaperMilk Carton Pulp/PaperHospital Gown Wood FibersCellophane Tape Wood SugarsMouthwash ResinDesk/Laminated Top Wood/PaperCarpet Wood FibersToilet Paper Wood PulpIce Cream CellulosePancake Mix/Syrup Wood/SapViolin Wood/ResinTire Wood PulpFilm Wood PulpCrayon ResinToothpaste CelluloseOrange Drink ResinDiapers Cellulose

Project Learning Tree Activities

#12 - Tree TreasuresThis activity reinforces the importance

of trees in providing the products we needevery day. Activity # 13, We All NeedTrees, is an excellent companion to this.

#89 - Trees for Many ReasonsThis activity uses literature to ask ques-

tions about why we need trees, why weshould conserve trees and that our natu-ral environment is changing. It helps stu-dents understand the need to conserveresources.


TREE PRODUCTS WORD SEARCH

See if you can find the following words in the word search puzzle above:

CrayonDesk

DiapersFilm

HouseIce Cream

Orange DrinkPaper

PencilsTape

ToothpasteViolin

F L U Q K S D H D P E N C I L S

D I B U Z C B L O A U M O G Y K

H R L A M R T D O P G V H S F V

K G U M E A E D D E L C I R Y M

S S W L Y Y L I L R A X J E Y H

V Y E E S O V K C P R M L P R B

O I O L I N T E S E G Z T A P E

T O O T H P A S T E C Y I I O O

A D E L E K I B W O D R R D L H

V E L N I D N H E A A J E O Y O

Q S D V B N Y F T C K S R A X U

T K O T L P A Q T E F E E F M S

O R A N G E D R I N K S G J V E

J V K B I T R R K A A L T S Y E


H O U S E X Z C B KS R L O V A O H E VA WH K A G B A T GP A P E R L C I N BE J E S X WY R D AE L N A M U Z D S GR Q C I F T D E S KU A I G D M L I B GJ R L Z C R A Y O N

BagChair

CrayonDeskHousePaperPencil

TREE PRODUCTS WORD SEARCH

See if you can find the following words in the word search puzzle above:


STUDENT ASSESSMENT - PRODUCTS

1. Every _____________ of the ____________ is used to make products we need every day.

2. Many paper and wood products are ______________________ and reused so trees are not _______________.

3. Name two things you have or use in your classroom that come from trees:1.2.

4. Name two things you have or use in your home that come from trees:1.2.

5. Name two things you would find at the grocery story that come from trees:1.2.

Match the product to the part of the tree used to make it

_____ 6. Film a. Tree Fibers

_____ 7. Violin b. Tree Pulp

_____ 8. Diapers c. Cellulose

_____ 9. Hospital Gown d. Wood

Challenge10. What three products that come from trees would you miss the most if we could no longer use trees?

1.2.3.

Why would you miss these?

Name:_________________


TREE IDENTIFICATION

LevelsGrades PreK- 4

SubjectsScience, Reading

ConceptsIf properly managed,renewable resources cansupply man’s needsindefinitely.

Forest management is vitalto insuring existence offorests and man.

SkillsObserving, IdentifyingPatterns and Relationships,Organizing Information


We have learned some of the ben-efits that forests provide to man andanimals. Now, lets talk about why wecall trees a Renewable Resource. Arenewable resource is one that we canuse over and over again. In forestry,it means we can plant seedlings,watch them grow and then harvest thetrees to make the products we useevery day. We can even recycle someof those products like newspaper sothey can be used again to make newpaper.

It is important that we take care ofour trees. This is called forest man-agement. Foresters grow trees in onepart of the forest while trees are har-vested and replanted in another partof the forest.

One of the tools foresters use tokeep a forest healthy is fire. Con-trolled fires help clear out the under-story that competes with trees forwater, nutrients and sunlight. This un-derbrush, if left to grow could fuel big,uncontrolled forest fires. Controlledfires also open up space for animalsto live.

Wise management of our forestswill insure that we will always haveplenty of trees and the tree productswe use every day.

ComponentsThe students play a game that re-

sembles “Mr. Potato Head” by cre-ating faces on the tree, leaf, or fruitbeing described in the accompanying

n a r r a t i v e .Twelve treescommonly foundin the state areincluded on thedisk. The de-scription of eachtree as well as asketch of thetree can be

printed and used for reading and writ-

ing activities.

Sample ActivityHave students print the narrative sec-

tions about each tree and put them in anotebook. Then, take the students to anearby park or forest where many ofthese trees can be found and collectleaves--the teacher may want to do thisfor the students. Have the students putthe leaves in the notebook.

PLT Activities #21 and 27, includedin the reference section of this guide,are good activities to re-enforce thisconcept. In Adopt a Tree (#21) stu-dents look at trees individually to betterunderstand their relationship to the en-vironment around them. Every Treefor Itself (#27) helps students under-stand the things trees need to grow andlive. The activity also introduces thetopic of competition among trees.

Project Learning Tree Activities#27 - Every Tree for Itself

Students look at how trees grow andthe things they need in order to sur-vive. They learn about growth rings,competition and how the environmentaffects tree growth.

#63 - Tree FactoryBy acting out the parts of a tree, stu-

dents will learn how a tree works simi-lar to a factory, each part of the treepreforming specific functions necessaryto produce the final product--a healthytree. This activity teaches studentswhich parts of the trees transport wa-ter and nutrients, support the tree andmake food necessary for a trees’ sur-vival.


TREE ID WORD SCRAMBLE

1. N O L I G A M A

2. L O W Y E L A L P P O R

3. E D R P E M A L

4. D A B L Y S E R P S C

5. C I R A N A M E H Y L O L

6. S S S S S A A A F R

7. C O K I H Y R

8. V E I L K A O

9. C O M Y R E S A

10. F O L L A N G E N I P E

11. T W E S E M U G

12. N E P C A

Unscramble the words above to identify twelve state trees. Then use the letters in the circles to answerthe question below.

What provides fun, food and things we need to live every day?

Hint-- These are some of the trees found in the state:Live oak Yellow-poplar Sugar maple HickorySweetgum Pecan Magnolia White oakBlack walnut Bald cypress Elm American hollyRed maple Longleaf pine Sycamore Sassafrass


TREE ID WORD SCRAMBLE

1. S S S S S A A A F R

2. H Y L O L

3. RA L P P O

4. P E M A L

5. K A O

6. N I P E

7. N E P C A

8. W E E T S M U G

Unscramble the words above to identify eight trees. Then use the letters in the circles to answer thequestion below.

What provides fun, food and things we need to live every day?

Hint-- These are some of the trees found in the states:

Oak Elm Poplar Maple Sassafrass

Sweetgum Pecan Hickory Holly Pine


STUDENT ASSESSMENT - TREE IDENTIFICATION

Name:_________________

1. A natural resource, like a forest, that can be used over and over again is called a _____________ resource.

2. _____________ take care of our forests by using forest management.

3. Controlled fires help clear out the _________________ that compete with the trees for food and water

4. Foresters use ___________ to keep a forest healthy.

5. If we ________________ our forests wisely, we will never run out of trees and the benefits they provide.

Match the tree with the phrase that describes it.

_____ 6. Bald cypress a) These trees loose their star-shaped leaves in the winter and their fruit, which looks like little balls, falls off of the tree in the winter

_____ 7. Red maple b) Spanish moss often grows from these trees with small narrow leaves. Their wood was once prized for use in the hulls of ships.

_____ 8. Sweetgum c) This tree, found in swamps, has “knees.”

_____ 9. Live oak d) This is a very common evergreen tree.

_____ 10. Loblolly pine e) Wood from this tree is used to make furniture and bowling pins. It’s leaves turn bright red in the fall.

Hint--You will find the answers to questions 1-5 in the list below.

renewable foresters wildlife

fire tree understory

forests manage habitat


GLOSSARY

Canopy - the top layer of leaves and branches of the tallest trees in the forest.

Coniferous - an evergreen tree that has cones. The leaves of this tree are usually like needles.

Conservation - good use, protection, and improvement of our natural resources to make sure that we willalways have these resources to use

Deciduous - a plant that sheds its leaves each year, usually in the fall.

Forester - a person with a college degree in the science of forestry who works to protect our forests.

Forest Management - the use of science to manage our forests so they will meet the needs of the people,animals and plants who depend on them.

Harvest - removal of trees in an ordered method that minimizes the damage to the environment.

Nonrenewable Resources - things like oil, gas, coal and gold which cannot be replaced once they aretaken from the earth.

Recreation - the use of forestland for human fun and relaxation.

Reforestation - insuring that forests will be replaced after a harvest, either by replanting or other naturalmeans.

Renewable Resources - raw materials or a form of energy that can be replaced either naturally or throughman’s efforts in your lifetime (e.g., trees).

Seedling - a young tree grown from the seed.

Succession - the replacement of one plant community by another, through natural processes over time.

Sustainability - use and growth of natural resources to meet present and future needs.

Understory - layer formed by the leaves and branches of the smaller trees under the forest canopy.


FORESTRY CONTACTS

A directory of Florida Division of Forestry offices (Forestry Stations) throughout the state can be found on theWildfire Prevention CD as an Internet link under “Resources”. Click on the Florida Division of Forestry website

link < www.fl-dof.com> once on the

Division of Forestry homepage, click on “About Us”, then click on “Map of Districts”

Blackwater Forestry Center Chipola River District11650 Munson Highway 715 West 15th StreetMilton, FL 32570 Panama City, FL 32401Telephone: 850-957-6140 Telephone: 850-872-4175

Tallahassee District Perry District865 Geddie Road 618 Plantation RoadTallahassee, FL 32304 Perry, FL 32347Telephone: 850-488-1871 Telephone: 850-838-2299

Suwannee District Jacksonville DistrictRoute 7, Box 369 Route 2, Box 65Lake City, FL 32055 Bryceville, FL 32009Telephone: 904-758-5700 Telephone: 904-266-5003

Waccasassa Forestry Center Bunnell District1600 NE 23rd Avenue Route 1, Box 20 FGainesville, FL 32609 Bunnell, FL 32110Telephone: 352-955-2005 Telephone: 904-446-6787

Withlacoochee Forestry Center Orlando District15019 Broad Street 8431 S. Orange Blossom TrailBrooksville, FL 34601 Orlando, FL 32809Telephone: 352-754-6777 Telephone: 407-856-6512

Lakeland District Myakka River District5745 S. Florida Avenue 4723 53rd Avenue ELakeland, FL 33813 Bradenton, FL 34203Telephone: 863-648-3163 Telephone: 941-751-7629

Okeechobee District Caloosahatchee District5200 Hwy 441 North 10941 Palm Beach Blvd.Okeechobee, FL 34972-8697 Ft. Myers, FL 33905Telephone: 863-462-5160 Telephone: 941-694-2181


ANSWERS TO ASSESSMENTS

Environment Crossword Puzzle, (OlderStudent Version), page 5

Student Assessment - Environment, page 71. b 4. c 7. e2. a 5. d 8. b3. c 6. a 9. c10. The forest provides a place for many ani-

mals to live, like a zoo. We can visit a zoo or aforest to learn about plants and animals.

Product Word Search, (Older StudentVersion), page 9

Product Word Search, (YoungerStudent Version), page 10

Student Assessment - Products, page 111. part, tree 6. b2. recycled, wasted 7. d3. answers will vary 8. c4. answers will vary 9. a5. answers will vary 10. Answers will vary.

Tree Identification Word Scramble (OlderStudents), page 131. Magnolia 7. Hickory2. Yellow-poplar 8. Live oak3. Red maple 9. Sycamore4. Bald Cypress 10. Longleaf pine5. American Holly 11. Sweetgum6. Sassafrass 12. Pecan

bottom line = A FOREST

Tree Identification Word Scramble (YoungerStudents), page 141. Sassafrass 5. Oak2. Holly 6. Pine3. Poplar 7. Pecan4. Maple 8. Sweetgum bottom line = A FORESTStudent Assessment - Balance, page 151. renewable 6. c2. foresters 7. e3. understory 8. a4. fire 9. b5. manage 10. d

Environment Crossword Puzzle, (YoungerStudent Version), page 6

1 r

2 h i 3 b e r n a 4 t e o

o r 5 o w l s

b e t

c 6 f o r e s t 7 e r s

a r s a

t o g

s g l

8 s h 9 a d e e

c 10s

11o x y g e n

r a

n k

s 12f o r e s t

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F L U Q K S D H D P E N C I L S

D I B U Z C B L O A U M O G Y K

H R L A M R T D O P G V H S F V

K G U M E A E D D E L C I R Y M

S S W L Y Y L I L R A X J E Y H

V Y E E S O V K C P R M L P R B

O I O L I N T E S E G Z T A P E

T O O T H P A S T E C Y I I O O

A D E L E K I B W O D R R D L H

V E L N I D N H E A A J E O Y O

Q S D V B N Y F T C K S R A X U

T K O T L P A Q T E F E E F M S

O R A N G E D R I N K S G J V E

J V K B I T R R K A A L T S Y E

H O U S E X Z C B K

S R L O V A O H E V

A W H K A G B A T G

P A P E R L C I N B

E J E S X W Y R D A

E L N A M U Z D S G

R Q C I F T D E S K

U A I G D M L I B G

J R L Z C R A Y O N

F O R E S T S

R H

O A

E A G L E S D

N E

H I B E R N A T E

O K

O E

T

S


THE SECRET OF FALL COLORS

Few sights satisfy the soullike the brilliant colors splashedacross our nation’s hardwoodforests each fall. Refusing toslip quietly into winter, naturemarches out with great fan-fare, as sugar maples showtheir bright oranges and yel-lows, aspens cover the Westwith a golden blanket, and thered and purple leaves of oaksand gums fill the South.

But what determines whichcolor is assigned to a particu-lar tree? And how does na-ture know it is time to let loosethis change?

Actuallly the secret is in thesap. The chemicals of eachtree’s sap provides instructionson what fall color its leavesshould turn. Different amountsof iron, phoshorus, sodium andother chemicals determinewhether the tree turns amber,gold, red, orange, purple or justfades from green to brown.

What triggers the change?Poplar myth credits Jack Frostwith this event, but in reality,the temperature has little to dowith it. The answer really isfound in the changing length ofthe days. As days grow shorterand nights longer in the fall, theflow of sap to leaves is sloweddown. As the sap dries up, thechemical which makes leavesgreen, chlorophyll, disappears.This leads to the display of thefall colors.

The colorful leaves are notjust pretty. As they fall to theearth, they return nutrients thatplants need to grow to the soil.Mammals, insects and othercreatures on the forest floor eatthese leaves. When they die,

they add nutrients back to the forest.This helps complete the life cycle ofthe forest.

Some suggestions for trees whichcan give your yard some pretty fallcolor are below.

YellowBeechBirchElm

GinkgoHackberry

HickoryLocustPecan

PersimmonSycamore

Willow

OrangeRed Oak

Sassafrass

GoldAsh

BuckeyeWillow Oak

Yellow-Poplar

RedBlack Cherry

This information is from an Alabama Forestry Commision publication entitled“The Secret of Fall Colors.”


TREE COOKIE ACTIVITY DIRECTIONS

Use the “tree cookie” on the next page to talk about the age of trees and relating their life span to that of yourstudents. Some suggestions include:

1. Have them determine the age of the tree.

2. Tell them it was harvested in 1998. Ask what year was it born.

3. Discuss the affect of fire, drought, nutrient shortages etc. on tree growth and the development of tree rings.

4. If the tree was harvested in the year 2000, have them mark significant events in time for things like there birth, when they started school, the Gulf War, etc.


TREE COOKIE ACTIVITY


PROJECT LEARNING TREE ACTIVITY # 21Adopt a Tree

OverviewThis activity will encourage students; awareness of individual trees overtime, as well as incorporate various other subjects. By adopting individualtrees, students will gain greater awareness and appreciation of their localenvironment.

LevelsActivity: Grades 3-8Variation 1: Grades PreK-1Variation 2: Grades K-4

SubjectsScience, Math, Language Arts, Vi-sual Arts, Social Studies

Concepts

• Organisms are interdependent;they all depend on nonlivingcomponents of the Earth. (4.1)

• While every organism goesthrough a life cycle of growth,maturity, decline, and death, itsrole in the ecosystem alsochanges. (13.3)

SkillsObserving, Concept Forming,Reasoning, Organizing Informa-tion

ObjectivesStudents will 1) describe a chosentree using personal observationand investigation, and organizeinformation about the tree, 2)identify relationships betweentheir tree and other organisms,and 3) put together a book orportfolio about their tree.

MaterialsActivity: notebooks, pencils,drawing paper, crayons ormarkers, camera, copies of page68, (optional), student page 69

Time ConsiderationsPreparation: 15 minutesActivity: 50 minutes (longerprojects can be done throughoutthe year)

Getting ReadyHave students make “Adopt a Tree”notebooks for recording information.Students can fold a sheet of con-struction paper in half, insert blankpages and staple the book along thefolded edge. They can draw or pastea photo of their adopted tree on thecover. Make copies of student page68 for each student.Doing the Activity1. Ask students to name somethingthat is their very own or is special tothem in some way. For example,someone might mention a pet.Someone else might mention apresent received from a relative orclose friend, and so on.2. Explain that each person willchose his or her very own specialtree to adopt. With younger stu-dents, you can have the whole groupadopt a particular tree. Wherethere’s a shortage of trees, you mighthave teams adopt trees. Studentswill observe their trees throughoutthe school year, or for however longyou decide to conduct the activity.How they select their tree is up to

them. Some students may choosethe tallest or fullest tree. Othersmay chose the smallest, “cutest”tree. Some may pick a seeminglyaverage-looking tree, only to dis-cover that there’s more than meetsthe eye. No matter which tree theypick, students should be able to saywhy they chose it. You might havestudents tie a colored piece of yarnaround their tree to identify it.3. Provide each student with asmall notebook, and explain thatstudents should use their notebooksto record observations and answerquestions about their trees. You canalso have them decorate their ownnotebooks.4. Take students outside and leteach choose a tree. If you’reworking with older students, or ifthere aren’t trees near your school,you might have students choosetrees near their yard or in theirneighborhood. Students couldbriefly visit their tree before or afterschool.5. Have students write the answersto the questions on the student page

in their “Adopt aTree” notebooks.For youngerstudents, you willneed to read andexplain the questionto them.6. You might giveyounger students“Adopt a Tree”certificates (page69) to fill out after


END NOTES . . .

AssessmentOpportunity1. Over short or extendedperiods, younger students cancreate books or portfolios abouttheir adopted trees. On the firstbook page, each student can gluea picture of himself or herselfstanding next to the adopted tree.Students’ books can also includedrawings, poems, story, pressedleaves, rubbings, flowers or twigs.2. Older students can write anessay about life from their tree’sperspective. For example, astudent who adopts a very oldtree might write a story in whichthe tree “talks” about the dayswhen small farms dotted thelandscape or when horses andbuggies crowded city streets.The tree could also talk abouthow it relates to the plantsanimals and people around it andwhat problems it has.

RELATED ACTIVITIESTrees as Habitats, Plant a Tree,We All Need Trees, Trees forMany Reasons, Tree Lifecycles,Trees in Trouble, Tree Cookies,Signs of Fall, How Big is YourTree?

they’ve chosen their trees.7. Have students visit their trees ona regular basis. Each time theyvisit, have then write a few sen-tences or make sketches in theirnotebooks describing any changesthey notice (broken branches, newleaves); animal or human activitytaking place on or near the tree(nest, carved initials); or any otherobservations. You might make upadditional questions as differentseasons come and go. What colordo the leaves become in the fall?When does the tree bloom in thespring? Have students guess thecauses of these changes and predictfuture changes or have them takephotographs of their tree.

Variation 1--Growing Up Together1. Take the class outside to agrove of trees. Give students a fewminutes to use their senses of smell,touch, hearing , and seeing to getacquainted with the area. Choose aparticular tree to observe in differ-ent ways. For example, how doesthe tree look when you are sitting?When you are lying on your side?When you are lying on your back?2. Ask students to volunteer todescribe the tree, using their senses.Summarize each student’s descrip-tion by making comparative state-ments. You may structure studentscomments by asking individuals tocomplete this sentence: “the treeis_________.”3. Ask students whether they thinkthe tree is alive. Do not discounttheir answers, but ask how theyknow whether the tree is alive ornot. (Trees need food and water togrow just like people.)4. Use these discussion questions:How are all trees alike? How arethey different? Are they all alive?Are other plants alive in the area?What benefits do these trees

provide for them and the environ-ment?Variation 2--Adopt an ObjectRather than limiting this activity totrees, allow students to adopt anyspecial object (house plant, pet,statue, billboard, a store window)from their indoor or outdoor environ-ments. Adapt the “Adopt a Tree”student page 68 so that it encom-passes non-tree and human-madeitems. Include questions that relatethe object to people. How did it getthere? How does it benefit society?What is its special meaning to you?

Enrichment1. Have students work in pairs tomeasure the height, circumference,and crown of their trees. (See“How Big is your Tree?” on page239 for complete directions.)Afterward, have each pair use thosemeasurements to design severalmath problems with the rest of thegroup.2. Have students create a pictureof a tree with flip up windowsportraying life on their tree, in theirtree, and among the tree’s roots.(See the diagram on page 67.)3. Raise money to buy a class tree.Take students to a nursery to pickout a tree; then hold a tree-plantingceremony. (See “Plant a Tree” onpage 95 for complete directions.)4. Create a “Whole LanguageTree.” Use a large, bare tree,painted or modeled in the classroom,as a focal point for various curricu-lum topics. Through the year, havestudents show how the tree isconstantly changing: from greenleaves and apples to changing colorsand falling leaves; and from winterskeletons to bursting buds, flowers,and bees. You can also use the treeto demonstrate ideas associatedwith plants, holidays, and social and


OFFICIAL PLTAdopt a Tree Certificate

_____________________________________________________________________ Official Tree Name

_____________________________________________________________________ Nickname

_____________________________________________________________________ Birthplace

_____________________________________________________________________ Circumference Height Age

_____________________________________________________________________ Identifying Characteristics

_____________________________________________________________________ Adopted By Date

One Especially Interesting Thing About my Tree Is

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

Place Leaf Rubbing in the Space Above


PROJECT LEARNING TREE ACTIVITY # 27Every Tree for Itself

OverviewTry this activity to give your students an idea of the conditions that treesneed to live and grow, and to help your students understand that trees mustoften compete for their needs.

LevelsGrades K-8

SubjectsScience, Math

Concepts

• The Earth’s atmosphere,water, soil, climate and geologyvary from region to region. (1.3)

• Organisms are interdependent;they all depend on nonlivingcomponents of the Earth. (4.1)

• Altering the environmentaffects all life forms--includinghumans-and the interrelationsthat link them. (4.2)

SkillsDetermining Causes and Effects,Identifying Relationships andPatterns, Predicting, Interpreting

ObjectivesStudents will 1) simulate howtrees compete for their essentialneeds; and 2) describe howvarying amounts of light, waterand nutrients affect a tree’sgrowth.

Materials8” x 10” (20 cm x 25 cm) piecesof paper or paper plates; piecesof blue, yellow, and green paper,markers or crayons, (optional:tree trunk or branch cross-sections showing annual growthrings, often available from treetrimming services or forestindustries; three colors of pokerchips)

Time ConsiderationsPreparation: 15 minutesActivity: 50 minutes

BackgroundWhat do trees need so they cangrow? Some of their needs are thesame as those of people and otheranimals. For example, trees needplenty of water. They also needplenty of nutrients, which they getfrom food. But trees and peopledon’t get food the same way. Plantsmake their own food by using energyfrom the sun. If trees don’t get enough water,nutrients or sunlight, they may growslowly or die. Growth rings showthis graphically. In general, widerings indicate good conditions forgrowth (plenty of nutrients, water,and sunshine) while narrow ringsoften indicate less favorable condi-tions for growth (drought, insectdamage, lack of nutrients, competi-tion). (See additional background in“Tree Cookies” on page 289, “Sun-light and Shades of Green” on page137, “Air Plants” on page 85, and“How Plants Grow” on page 135.)Getting ReadyCut two 3” x 3” (7.6 cm x 7.6 cm)squares out of blue, yellow, and greenconstruction paper for each student.To save time you could use coloredpoker chips. Poker chips work muchbetter than paper if you’re doing theactivity on a breezy day.Doing the Activity1. Pass out the cross-sections fromseveral trunks or branches (treecookies), and have your studentsexamine the growth rings. (If you donot have an actual cross-section,draw a big one on the chalkboard.)Explain that the number of rings

indicates the trees age.2. Give a large piece of paper (atleast 8.5” x 11” or 22 cm x 28 cm) ora white paper plate to each student.3. Tell students to imagine that theyare trees. Have them draw a cross-section of themselves, representingtheir age in growth rings. (You mightlaminate these drawings for durabil-ity.)4. Have students stand about threefeet (91 cm) apart on their cross-sections.5. Equally distribute the coloredsquares (or poker chips) on the flooraround the students so the squaresare about one to two feed (30-61 cm)apart.6. Tell students that they’ll beplaying a game called “Every Treefor Itself.” The object of the game isfor the “trees” to gather as manysquares as they can. Explain thateach colored square represents atree requirement. Blue representswater, yellow represents sunlight, andgreen represents a nutrient such asnitrogen, oxygen, or carbon dioxide.Make appropriate adjustments if youuse poker chips.7. Give a signal, to start the firstround. Have student trees reachwith their roots and branches (armsand legs) to gather their require-ments. Tell students that one foot(their tap root) must remain plantedon their cross-section at all times.They are not allowed to slide theircross-section along the floor or stepoff it; they will be disqualified fordoing so.


8. Allow student trees to gatherthese requirements for one 30 secondround. (They can either collect alltypes of requirements at once or onetype of requirement each round.)Have students use a notebook torecord how many of each colorrequirement they gathered. Use thefollowing questions to discuss theresults of the first round:• How many requirements did eachtree get?• Do any trees lack a particularrequirement?• What might happen to a real treethat lacked one of its requirements?(It might grow slowly or eventuallydie. Point out to the students, thoughthat different species of trees havedifferent requirements.)• Is there any such thing as toomuch water, sunlight, or nutrients?(Yes, every species has optimumlevels beyond which the tree be-comes stressed.)9. Have students stand on theircross-sections in groups of three tofive. Gather the colored squares andspread them around the room again.Play another round and have studenttrees record their results.10. Compare the results of thisround with those of the first. In mostcases, students will notice that eachtree gathered fewer requirements.Ask if they can reach any conclu-sions about trees that grow close toeach other. (Such trees compete forrequirements. Often they don’t growas well as trees that are more widelyseparated from one another.) Ask ifany trees “died” because they couldnot get a particular requirement. (Youcan allow trees to fall down or lookdroopy if they haven’t received theirvital requirements.)11. Ask students how forestersmight use their knowledge of compe-tition in caring for a stand of trees.(Foresters plant trees a certain

distance apart so that the trees willbe able to get enough nutrients. Thedistance varies depending on thespecies of tree. Foresters also thinyoung stands of trees).12. Try several more rounds,comparing the results each time.Here are suggestions for setting upadditional rounds. As before, eachstudent should examine his or herresulting each round. Older studentscan record those results and latergraph or chart the results of eachround and draw conclusions.• Have all of the students standcloser together.• Put students closer together, buthave only half of the class participate.• Use fewer water squares (repre-senting a drought).• Use fewer sunlight squares (repre-senting lack of sunlight for young treesbecause of overcrowding).• Use fewer nutrient squaresrepresenting poor quality soil).EnrichmentFor a visual way to portray waterabsorption by roots, try the following:1. Explain that for many species oftrees, the diameter of the spread ofthe tree’s roots is roughly equal tothe tree’s height. Have studentsmeasure themselves and then makea circle (using chalk or string) with adiameter equal to their height.2. Play the tree game with eachstudent standing in the center of hisor her circle. Tell the student treesthey can gather water squares onlywithin their circle of roots.3. Play the game again using rootcircles, but this time have treesstand in clumps. Afterward, discussthe results of root competition.

AssessmentOpportunityAssign values to the amounts ofrequirements the students gather.For example, a collection of threeor more of each requirement couldrepresent superior growth. Twoof each requirement couldrepresent average growth. Andone or fewer of each couldrepresent poor growth. Usingthese values as a basis, havestudents record the numbers oftrees that are growing very well,fairly well and poorly for eachround. Older students can usegraphs.

RELATED ACTIVITIESTree Cookies, Tree Factory, ToBe a Tree, Sunlight and Shades ofGreen, How Plants Grow, AirPlants, Plant a Tree,

END NOTES . . .


EVALUATIONForest Friends CD-ROM and Teacher’s Guide

Please complete the following questionnaire to help us determine the effectiveness of the Forest FriendsCD-ROM and Teacher’s Guide.

Name___________________________________________________________________________

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Mailing Address___________________________________________________________________

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At what grade level(s) have you used the CD-ROM?_____________________

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Thank you for providing your reactions to the CD-ROM and Teacher’s Guide. The following informationwill help us plan future teaching tools and implement programs more effectively. Please comment when appro-priate on the space provided.

1. The CD-ROM is an effective teaching tool.

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2. I do not have the technology necessary to incorporate into my class room.


3. The Teacher’s Guide is an effective tool.


4. The resource materials will be helpful when I teach about the environment.


5. I plan to use the CD-ROM with future classes.


6. I plan to use the Teacher’s Guide to prepare for future classes on forestry issues.


Interactive Training Media, Inc. would appreciate any further comments you wish to share.____________________________________________________________________________________________

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