Trees, Trees, and Leaves

Trees are everywhere! Yet what do these majestic organisms do for their ecosystem, and why do some have leaves and some have needles? During a five-day activity, young scientists investigate trees by analyzing the water cycle,...

Class members become tree huggers with this terrific study of biodiversity among trees! They do so by examining different characteristics of trees: shape, leaves, bark, fruit or seeds, etc. After examining five concepts, they use their...

Looking for a tree-rific addition to your water cycle unit? Teams of young foresters examine the role of transpiration in the water cycle through a week's worth of activities. Pupils analyze how trees take in and transport water during...

Ninth graders gather samples of different tree leaves in their neighborhoods, and on school grounds, and identify several species of common South Carolina trees using leaf and growth characteristics with aid of dichotomous key.

The title is a little deceiving since only one of 17 slides is dedicated to the function of leaves, while the rest is dedicated to the structure. Both internal and external structure is taught with accompanying diagrams. If you are going...

Discover the scientific explanation of fall leaves! The lesson narrator describes the role of chlorophyll, glucose, and weather in the process of the color-changing process. He adds an overview of carotenoids and flavonoids to explain...

Discover the chemistry behind the color change in leaves. The lesson narrator describes how trees must recycle nutrients in the leaves before they fall off for the winter. The video breaks down the process and highlights the chemistry of...

Explore trees' strategies for surviving winters in cold climates. The first trees were built for tropical climates. As they migrated to colder climates, they adapted the capability to survive the harsher weather. The video lesson...

Students discover how to identify trees.  In this research lesson students use dendrology to decipher what a trees classification is and explore each trees traits. 

Many scholars study phylogenetic trees without understanding how they are made. Through an online game, young scientists use the given data to create phylogenetic trees of increasing complexity. They rely on the trees they create to...