Learning from a tree

Observation of a single tree throughout the year can be the starting point for explorations of nature, life science, and environmental science.

By Linda Dow

Any tree will do! A tree near your school can be the starting point for scientific explorations of nature and biology.

Learn more

• Plant Information Center From the North Carolina Botanical Garden, this site includes a “virtual herbarium” with a guide to North Carolina trees, a database of plants, and K–12 activities, projects, and lesson plans.
• Real Trees 4 Kids Fun facts, photographs, and information about tree types, classification, life cycles, habitat, stems, rings, and harvesting operations.
• Why Do Leaves Change Color in the Fall? This resource from Science Made Simple offers explanation with diagrams and related science projects.
• Tree World Learn about a year in the life of a tree, as well as different forms of trees, uses for trees, and much more.
• Parts of a Tree From the North Carolina Forestry Association, this site provides a simple, easily readable diagram of a tree with an explanation of its basic parts.

Related pages

• Stone Mountain State Park: This park not only allows enjoying the beauty of the area but also provides instruction in basic geologic concepts.
• Tuttle Education State Forest: This state forest has been developed for use as a living outdoor classroom for students and adults to learn about the interdependent ecosystems of the forest.
• Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area: Originally settled by the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, the Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area has a diversity of natural communities including undisturbed forest and a wide variety of wildlife species.

Related topics

• Learn more about biology, discovery learning, environmental science, observation, plants, science, teaching methods, and trees.

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Each year my students and I choose a tree or two to study. We regularly visit them, read about them, and draw and write about them, and in the process, we have developed a real appreciation for trees and for nature in general.

This past school year, my students and I have been observing a sassafras tree and a mimosa tree. They are not the only trees on the school grounds. We are blessed with a variety of trees and a large, accessible wild area. These are just the two trees that caught our eye early in the school year.

We watched these trees lose their leaves in the autumn and develop seedpods and buds. We noted that one tree’s leaves turned bright red, yellow, and orange before falling, while the other tree held onto its green leaves long into the fall.

This prompted us to question why leaves fall in the first place, what sets the process into motion and why some trees never lose their leaves. With the Standard Course of Study as my guide, I direct each grade’s study. For example, my first graders looked at this phenomenon in terms of plants’ needs while my fourth graders considered plant adaptation.

In the spring, our sassafras tree’s buds surprised us by opening into delicate little yellow and green flowers. We watched like expectant parents as the tiny new leaves unfurled.

My students have reported seeing the same variety of trees in their own yard, a friend’s or a relative’s, or on the way to school. As with anything we learn, they have become suddenly aware of what was right in front of them all along.

Getting started

Begin by taking a walk around campus sans enfants. (That’s French for “without the kids.”) Look for an interesting tree or two. Screen the area for potential safety issues and take note of any thought-provoking details.

You don’t have to have all the answers. You don’t even have to know the name of the variety of tree you’re studying. You and your students will discover all the facts and details, together. To begin, you only need to be interested and to be willing to get the ball rolling by asking some questions. If you let it, the lesson will take on a life of its own.

Here is a list of suggestions to guide the study:

1. Look at the edge, or margin of the leaf. Is it smooth or does it have tiny teeth or scallops?
2. Look at the veins in the leaf. Do they radiate from the stem, or do they branch out from a main vein?
3. Look at the shape of the leaf. Is it one big shape or is it made up of several sections? Is the leaf composed of many tiny leaves?
4. How do the leaves, themselves, grow from the branch? Are they arranged two by two — growing opposite each other? Or do they alternate back and forth, up the branch? Sometimes, they grow in a spiral.
5. Do all the leaves on the tree have basically the same shape?
6. Look for signs of insect damage.
7. Look at the bark. Is it smooth or textured? How would you describe its color?
8. The shape of the trunk is worth noting. Is it basically straight, curved or crooked? Are there several smaller trunks growing from the same spot?
9. Look for signs of animals on or around the tree including, tracks, webs, nests, scat, fur, chew marks and holes in the leaves, wood or ground.
10. Step back from the tree and take in its entire shape. How would you draw the outline?

Helpful tools

Here is a list of equipment that I have found helpful.

1. Field guides. I’ve found that sometimes, too much reliance on books can actually distract from an outdoor experience. A better technique, in the beginning, is to take notes and do the research once you are back inside.
2. Magnifiers. I like the “Private Eye” loops, bug boxes with built-in magnifying lids, or small, handheld magnifying glasses.
3. Clip boards. A class set of clipboards makes outdoor drawing and note taking so much easier.
4. Spray bottles. A light misting of water reveals spider webbing without doing harm to the tree or the spider. A light misting also keeps a teacher or a student from melting in the heat.
5. Crayons and paper for making bark rubbings.
6. Binoculars for spotting things high in the tree and for better close-up views of tiny things.
7. A camera to record changes.
8. Carpet samples. Each child can carry his or her own, or smaller children can share one with a partner. These are helpful if you are going to spend time drawing or reading by your tree.
9. Color charts from paint and home decorating stores. Match these with the colors of leaves, fruit, flowers and bark to make your descriptions more precise.
10. Yard sticks and measuring tapes.

Bonus lessons

The simple act of getting outside regularly affords spontaneous, authentic learning experiences.

One sunny morning, this past spring, I took a group of students out to visit our tree. We had just approached it when two chickadees came fluttering out of the branches. They appeared oblivious to us as they swirled and chattered furiously in the air. My students took my cue and we remained calm and quiet as the two birds’ battle spiraled and dove within a few feet of our heads. This sparked a lively discussion about territory, range and the holding capacity of an environment.

Another important lesson was forced upon us when the wild area adjacent to our school was razed for development. My students had become intimately familiar with many of the trees and as a result, had also acquired detailed knowledge of the wildlife population. Witnessing this devastation was upsetting to my students. Subsequently, they were moved to consider issues of stewardship and conservation in ways that I could never have accomplished indoors.

On our trips to visit our trees, we have seen whitetail deer, a bald eagle, a huge black snake, and several great blue herons. There is probably a lot more to see around your school than you realize. You only have to get outside.

Integration possibilities

Visits to your tree might serve as prompts for writing exercises. Consider keeping a tree journal or writing stories and poems from your tree’s point of view.

There are many opportunities for integrating math into your tree study — especially measurement. You might investigate ways to calculate the height of your tree, or the age of your tree.

Many trees have interesting history and folklore connected to them. Find out if your tree is a native species. Investigate how the early settlers used it. Resurrect some of the old crafts like pine needle basketry and dyeing fabric and paper with extracts from bark, leaves, or fruit.

Does your tree have a commercial value today? Perhaps someone in your community can come to your class and speak to this.

Learn together!

Remember, you don’t have to be an expert to begin your tree study. You and your students can learn the facts together. The first step is to just get outside and pick out a tree. Take in as many details as possible and regularly go back and visit.

Begin with one tree. Like the first step in a journey, you will only wonder why you didn’t take it sooner.