Plant a Tree Curriculum Resources & Lesson Ideas

resources index > lesson plans > PLANT A TREE | leaf prints | trees & forests < botany < ecology

A Forest Journey:
The Role of Wood
in the Development
of Civilization

How to Talk to a
Climate Skeptic

Tree planting is an excellent way to commemorate an event - like starting the school year. While planting is generally associated with Spring time, Autumn is also, and maybe even a better time, to plant a tree.

Tree planting is also an excellent “teachable moment” - introduce the seasons, energy conservation and protecting the environment, the value of food trees, what trees would be best for the location that is available, learning to ask permission from the owner or manager of the property to plant, caring for trees, just to mention a few topics.

ArborDay.org is an excellent source of information, as are state extension services where you can also inquire about local resources for your tree planting adventure. Also check out i-Tree, a web site from the USDA Forest Service that provides urban forestry analysis and benefits assessment tools.

To paraphrase Robert Louis Stevenson • “Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the trees that you plant.” ~

Image courtesy of Arbor Day Foundation.
Teacher Activity Guide (pdf) | Certify Outdoor Classroom

Landscaping can modify the climate around your school or home, provide food for wildlife, and the roots can hold!

Shade trees will lessen heat gain in summer and properly placed trees will reduce wind velocity in winter, saving up to 25 percent on heating costs.

Tall trees surrounding your home, such as maple, oak, pine and spruce, provide summer shade to lower cooling costs and keep out cold winter winds.

Medium trees, 40 feet or less in mature height, might include Washington hawthorne and Golden raintree, while smaller trees suitable for planting beneath utility lines might include Redbud, Dogwood, and Crabapple. When planting near utility lines, consider a 25 foot maximum mature height and 20 foot spread.

Tree Name Word Puzzle - just a little word puzzle to download and print out as an extra activity for age appropriate group.

• “A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees.” ~ William Blake
• “All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling man's life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence and leading the individual towards freedom.” ~ Albert Einstein
• “A few minutes ago every tree was excited, bowing to the roaring storm, waving, swirling, tossing their branches in glorious enthusiasm like worship. But though to the outer ear these trees are now silent, their songs never cease.” ~ John Muir
• “Everyone who enjoys thinks that the principal thing to the tree is the fruit, but in point of fact the principal thing to it is the seed. -- Herein lies the difference between them that create and them that enjoy.” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche
• “A tree's a tree. How many more do you need to look at?” ~ Ronald Reagan
• “A hypocrite is the kind of politician who would cut down a redwood tree, then mount the stump and make a speech for conservation.” ~ Adlai E. Stevenson
• “Give fools their gold, and knaves their power;
Let fortune's bubbles rise and fall;
Who sows a field, or trains a flower,
Or plants a tree, is more than all.” ~ John Greenleaf Whittier

last updated 2/4/14