Optional Laboratory: Measuring Tree Heights

Engage in a shady activity to practice measurement techniques. Classes venture outside to collect measurements of various trees, using different strategies to measure the height, trunk circumference, width, and crown size. Then they...

How did ancient peoples determine the height of really tall objects? Young scientists and mathematicians explore the concept of using shadows to measure height in a hands-on experiment. Paired pupils measure shadows, then calculate the...

You'll find everything but the kitchen sink here ... or just a carbon sink. In the activity, pairs or groups of middle school learners go outside and measure a tree's circumference and height to estimate its carbon storage potential and...

The slope of the land is an important feature when considering the erosion that will occur. In this resource, which is part of a rain garden unit, learners calculate the slope of the proposed garden site. Even if you are not planning a...

How does your class measure up? Young scientists create a scale drawing of the JOIDES Resolution in a collaborative activity. The lesson incorporates mathematical principles with deep-sea exploration to focus on enhancing measurement...

From stately oaks to towering pines, trees are the largest members of the plant kingdom that most people see. But how do trees get so big? Find out where the mass of a tree comes from with a short video. The narrator presents the topic...

The concept of evolution changed the way scientists view the world. Part of the PBS Ions series, a thorough video lesson explains the process of evolution by exploring the work of scientists like Charles Darwin and Gregor Mendel. The...

The question isn't whether trees can communicate with each other, but how their communication works. Learn about the intricate communication network between trees and the fungus in the soil, and how the relationship goes beyond a...

In this data collection worksheet, students survey the heights of their fellow classmates, organize their data in a data table, and create a bar graph from their data. Once bar graph is completed, students complete 2 short answer...

In this tree observation worksheet, students pick a tree that they observe over the course of a school year. They make observations, they sketch the tree, they take photographs of the tree, they get a leaf sample. They estimate the tree...