Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Investigating Trees
In this investigation, students will record an observation (drawing) of a tree in their science notebook. Following the observation, students will discuss what they observed and a list will be created by the classroom teacher. Based on...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Investigating Minnesota Tree Leaves
For this biology field exercise, learners will collect leaves, describe differences seen in casual and detailed observation and give reasons for the importance of trees. Students will use their five senses to take a closer look at leaves...
Utah Education Network
Uen: Looking at the Community Tree
A neighborhood tree is observed for evidence of interactions between living and nonliving things.
Middle School Science
Middle School Science: Observing Tree Rings
In the lab experiment site, you will determine the age of a tree, see if you can determine what years had more precipitation than others, and label the cross section of a tree: bark, heartwood, sapwood, and rings.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Mn Step: Seasonal Changes of a Tree
For this activity, learners adopt a tree in the schoolyard and observe it throughout the year, recording the changes that they notice as the seasons pass. They will learn about the parts of the tree and notice how the tree is used by...
PBS
Pbs Kids: Plum Landing: Tree Inspector
This PBS Kids activity is an extension of a Plum Landing episode featuring trees. Students will use the online tools to draw a tree that they closely observe.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: A Student Produced Field Guide to Neighborhood Trees
During this project, students will be working cooperatively to create a field guide of trees in the neighborhood near the school. Students will make observations of trees near the school. They will then learn about tree anatomy and...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Minnesota Tree Blitz
This activity serves as an introduction to tree identification and helps students learn about the natural world around them. While exploring trees of Minnesota, students will recognize biodiversity of trees and learn how to observe,...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Mn Step: Schoolyard Trees: Creating a Field Guide for Your School
An interesting activity where students observe and identify the trees in the schoolyard, then create a field guide for others to use.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: A Tree for All Seasons
The students will observe a maple tree throughout the year and recognize changes in weather and phenology using their 5 senses.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Tree Ring Model
In this lesson students will manipulate a hands-on, physical model to better comprehend the natural variations of tree-ring width and their uses for determining past climatic conditions. Students use the model as a real-world data...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Mn Step: Why Are Trees Important?
After reading about trees and having a class discussion, students go to a local park to observe trees and collect leaves. Back in class, the leaves are sorted and identified to see what tree types are most common. Additional ideas for...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Leaf Walk: Observing and Investigating Leaves
Using trees around school, students will collect and observe leaves so they can compare them in their science notebook.
PBS
Pbs: Human Tree: Ratios
Watch as the National Museum of Mathematics creates an interesting series of images using ratios. This video focuses on the proportional relationship observed in fractals and challenges you to do some critical thinking using ratios and...
EL Education
El Education: Trees for Everybody Meridian Hill Park Tree Field Guide
An online field guide entitled Trees are for Everybody by kindergarten students at the Capital City Public Charter School in Washington, D.C. The book contains student observations, photographs, and original illustrations which provide...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Classroom Phenology: The Environment a Source of Data and Observations
A unit where learners record daily temperatures, precipitation amounts, observations of weather patterns, shadow length of a set object, and other observations. In addition, they will complete a season-long weekly observation of a...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Through the Years With a Tree
Students explore, observe, and record the life and nature in their adopted "one small square" throughout the school year. As they collect data, they make predictions and inquiries in regards to weather, temperature, and phenology.
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: Modeling Tree Transpiration
In this activity, learners will observe and measure the water given off through transpiration by a plant in a small terrarium.
EL Education
El Education: A Park Grows in Portland
This field guide was a cross curricular project created by 7th grade students in Portland, Maine. Students engaged in multiple fieldwork visits to the Deering Park (across the street), during which they observed trees, recording with...
Other
Nature Canada: Connect With Nature: Plant Watch
PlantWatch is a Canadian program that uses volunteers to record data about a variety of plant species in each province and territory, and then submit their observations. Monitoring plants provides valuable information about the health of...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Tree Identification: Compare and Contrast Deciduous and Evergreen Leaves
Students observe differences in tree leaves leading them to an understanding of the terms deciduous, evergreen, and coniferous. Children will compare and contrast leaves and then, viewing a chart key, use what they know to help them...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: The Microenvironment Project: Featuring Phenology
A field lab for biology that focuses students on the study of nature and its changes over time. Students are asked to observe and acquire knowledge of trees and the interdependence that a tree shares with other organisms.
University of Illinois
University of Illinois Extension: Tree House Weather Kids: Clouds and Moisture: Rain, Snow, Sleet, and Hail
Animated resource teaches young researchers about the different forms of precipitation.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Comparing Two Leaves
Working in pairs, students compare and contrast two different types of leaves through observations.