ss ee ee dd ttoo - sacramento tree foundation...“the creation of a thousand forests is in one...

Teacher’s Guide

Seed toSeed to

Teacher’s Guide

SeedlingSeedling

“The creation of a thousand forests

is in one acorn”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

This educational resource was developed by the Sacramento Tree

Foundation.

2006

�Seed to Seedling

The native oaks of Sacramento County are the most visible icons that connect us to our natural heritage; grand oaks arch above suburban homes and shopping centers, and groves cling to the waterways that course through our communities. They are reminders of our natural history. Today we can help ensure a new legacy of oaks for future generations to enjoy.

The Sacramento Tree Foundation is a national leader in education and advocacy for the urban forest and has taken on the massive goal of doubling the tree canopy in our region. Together, we know we can improve the health and quality of life in our neighborhoods by cleaning and cooling the air, saving energy, keeping property values strong, protecting wildlife habitat and increasing the scenic values of our communities by planting trees. By participating in Seed to Seedling you will be growing trees to count towards the doubling of our region’s tree canopy. Most importantly, you are helping your students understand and appreciate the importance of trees. We couldn’t do it without you!

Thank you for jumping in to help raise the next generation of trees and tree advocates. You will help your students appreciate oaks in the best way possible – growing their own trees! They will join thousands of children around the county in this campaign to perpetualize the mighty oaks of Sacramento County for generations to come. Since 1985, Seed to Seedling participants have planted thousands of oak seedlings to restore our native landscape.

The Sacramento Tree Foundation thanks the wonderful contributions of the people who worked on this new curriculum package. The activities and teacher guide were written by Diane Kannenberg of Kannenberg Consulting. Illustrations were created by Stan Meek Design and the layout was completed by Phil Tretheway of Tretheway Design. The project draws heavily on previous editions of Seed to Seedling that were written by Kay Antunez de Mayolo of California Department of Forestry, who also helped us review this edition. Jenny Kaspar was very helpful in developing the ideas behind the curriculum and getting her fellow student teachers to review it for us. And of course we thank all the Seed to Seedling teachers who reviewed the curriculum and evaluated past programs so that we can improve each year. The Sacramento Tree Foundation also acknowledges the support of the National Tree Trust grant that enabled us to revise and update this curriculum package.

Introduction

“Introductions? - Hi, I’m Archie the Acorn!

�Seed to Seedling

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Getting to Know Sacramento Oaks . . . . . . . . .7

Heritage Oaks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Heritage Oaks Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Heritage Oaks Detective Worksheet . . . . . . . .12

Word Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Word Search Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Vocabulary Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Woods and Wildlife PoeTREE . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Poetree Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

KWL Activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Oak KWL Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Oak Seedling Adoption Certificate . . . . . . . . .21

Seedling Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Measurement Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Oaks and California Indians . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Acorn Flour Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Around the House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Around the House Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Oak Forests of California . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Shrinking Forests Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Shrinking Forests Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Ringing in Another Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Tree Ring Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Tree Ring Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Urban Forests and the Air We Breathe . . . . . .34

Pollution Solution Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Tree Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Tree Cycle Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Tree Cycle Answer Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Essay and Photo Contest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Book List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Websites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Contents

�Seed to Seedling

This curriculum was specifically designed for your students to get the most of the Seed to Seedling experience. While there are many great activities included, you can use your imagination to think of new ways for your students to explore the urban forest and our native oak heritage. Please share your stories and new activities with us so we can include them in future versions of this guide.

This teacher guide is part of a three-part package that includes the Teacher Guide, Student Workbook, and the Seed to Seedling Resource Curriculum.

Seed to Seedling Teacher Guide – Contains descriptions of activities, student worksheets, and answer keys for the activities contained in the Student Oakbook.

Student Oakbook – Contains student pages for all activities in this guide.

Seed to Seedling Resource Curriculum – Contains detailed information on all California oaks, collecting and sorting acorns, planting the seedlings, and additional activities that can supplement your class activities. This curriculum is the complete second edition of Seed to Seedling that was printed in 1991.

We encourage you to contact the Sacramento Tree Foundation if you have any questions about the curricula. All of the materials are also available for download as PDF files on the Sacramento Tree Foundation Website at http://www.sactree.com/aboutUs/publications.html

As part of the Seed to Seedling Program, Sacramento Tree Foundation staff and docents conduct three classroom presentations and bring special games and native tree expertise to your class. The presentations focus on the following topics:

Presentation 1 Discussion of native oak trees and acorns What an acorn is and how it works What an acorn needs to be successful Students plant their acorns

Presentation 2 Discussion of the growth of the trees Activity showing what trees give us Skin Cancer prevention and health benefits from trees

Background

� Seed to Seedling

Presentation 3 Students summarize their experiences Discussion on the proper planting and care of trees Students return their seedlings to the Tree Foundation or arrange to plant them Students turn in their posters and essays for the contest

The activities in this Teacher Guide will help you prepare for presentations and guide student involvement throughout the project as they follow the semester. For timing of the project, we recommend the following:

• Activities 1-5 could be completed prior to the first Tree Foundation presentation so that students are familiar with what oaks are, have exposure to the vocabulary, and have prepared mentally for the significance of planting their acorns.

• Activity 6 (KWL) would work well with Presentation 1 where students complete the K and W sections prior to the presentation and complete the L section after the presentation.

• Activities 7 and 8 work well after Presentation 1

• Activity 9 is good preparation for Presentation 2

• Activities 10-13 are recommended between Presentations 2 and 3

• The Essay or Poster Contest can be completed at the end of the semester or between Presentations 2 and 3

�Seed to Seedling

While there are 20 species of oak trees native to California, three native oak species dominate Sacramento County landscapes – the valley, interior live, and blue oaks. This page will give you a brief background on Sacramento’s native oaks to prepare you for student questions. If you would like to know more about other California oaks you can refer to the Seed to Seedling Resource Curriculum. An excellent reference is Oaks of California by Bruce M. Pavlik...[et al], co-published by Cachuma Press & the California Oak Foundation.

• Valley oak – the king of all the California oaks because of its great size and beauty. The valley oak may be the largest oak tree in North America and can reach up to 100 feet tall and wide. Mature trees typically live 150-250 years. In areas where they grow slower they may live up

to 400-600 years. Valley oaks grow best in valley areas where their deep roots have access to ground water and there is rich, deep soil - near year round

creeks and rivers. Because these areas are also prime farmland, most of the extensive valley oak woodlands and riparian forests that spread through

California’s central valley and coastal valleys were cleared early in the 1900s for farming. Valley oaks are deciduous and the leaves are shaped with deep

lobes that give them the scientific name Quercus lobata. One conspicuous valley oak feature is the round, hard, ball shaped galls that hang from the branches.

Often called ‘oak apples,’ these galls are created by the tree in response to a small wasp.

• Interior live oak – an adaptable tree that grows in many soils and conditions. It was the dominant tree growing along rivers flowing from the Sierra to the Central Valley. It is evergreen and the leaves are prickly along the margins, which help to identify it. These trees often have a multi trunk form where they have resprouted from the base and are often wider than they are tall. The trunk is another good way to identify this tree because it has smooth gray bark that looks similar to the leg of an elephant!

• Blue oak – the amazing ability to grow on dry hillsides through the heat of summer allows the blue oak to range through 39 counties in California! This tree grows throughout Sacramento in the higher and drier locations that valley oaks cannot endure. One adaptation that allows them to withstand summer drought is leaves that have a waxy blue layer to prevent water loss. If conditions become dry enough, they may even drop their leaves in the summer and become dormant. The blue oak leaves are a favorite to discover small galls that look like saucers, urchins, and stars.

Getting to Know Sacramento Oaks

� Seed to Seedling

Native oaks that are more than 6 inches in diameter are protected in Sacramento County and cannot be cut down or pruned without a permit.

In addition to the three species of native oak in Sacramento, there is a native oak named oracle oak that is a hybrid between black oaks from the foothills and the interior live oak. Many oaks from the Eastern US and around the world such as cork, red, scarlet, and pin oak are common in landscaped areas around Sacramento. Sacramento is a great place for oak trees!

�Seed to Seedling

Heritage oaks are silent witnesses to how people and animals around them live out their lives. They commemorate important events in their rings and on their bark. People celebrate in and around these beautiful old trees. Heritage oaks are known to be home to over 330 different types of birds and animals and thousands of insects.

Heritage oaks in Sacramento County are protected and it is illegal to cut them down or prune them without getting permission from the County. A heritage oak is generally 100 years old or more and 60 inches in diameter or greater.

One way people honor these silent sentinels is by naming cities, towns, and other places after them.

Use a map or atlas of the area where you live to complete the activity below.

Make a list of places that are named for oak trees. An example is the city of Fair Oaks. Do some research to determine why the names were chosen. If the tree or trees that inspired the name are still there, take a photo or make drawings of them. Write a short essay describing the significance of the tree or trees. Be sure to include the tree’s age and other facts that contribute to its importance to the community.

Note: Encino is Spanish for live oak and Roble is deciduous oak.

Choose one place name and prepare a report for your class on what is being done to preserve that particular tree or trees. List the dangers that may be facing the trees. Tell how you can help care for the trees.

Activity 1 - Heritage Oaks

TeaCheR Idea:

Use the completed essays and drawings for a bulletin board.

ReSOuRCeS:

You can use paper maps or internet

search engines and maps to find places that have

oak in their names. Current

conservation issues are also on California

Oak Foundation’s website.

STandaRdS:

Language Arts: Reading �, 2;

Writing �; Social Science �

An oak tree can produce its first crop of acorns

within ten years.

�0 Seed to Seedling

Place nameType of Place

(city, town, park, etc.)explanation for name

(use back if needed)

Use a separate sheet of paper to draw a map showing the locations of the places you found.

Activity 1 - Heritage Oaks worksheet

��Seed to Seedling

Activity 1 - Heritage Oaks - part 2


Find a large native oak tree to complete this activity

Draw a picture of your Heritage Oak on a separate piece of paper

Tree’s circumference is: Name a bird living in the tree.

Name an insect you found on the tree.

Make a bark rubbing here

Trace a leaf here Are there any other plants growing under the tree? Can you name them?

Find a gall. Describe its shape.

Find an acorn and draw its shape

What do you like about the tree?

About how tall is the tree?

Do you see any dead branches?

What historical event may have happened under this tree?

What kind of oak is it? Write its name here:

Give directions on how to find this tree.

Who owns and takes care of this tree?

Activity 2 - Heritage Oak Detective Worksheet


P R O T E C T T O S S U R T C B O S A K S S E A K W A T E R H P R N L O B Y O O K I P E G E L F R N T R H R G N C A E M R P A O M R X R L E C V I Z B B F A U J K I R O E O I K R P G I G D A R A L O Q W A O I C D R Q J N F B J P O X N L W S N T D L S L R Y W N I D O A E S O F A S N I C E D T T L P I D D Q I U W O C N H Y A U T T N Z D Z W S M I M D P Y H Q C J A O B C K K C N G U S H T T Y I W N I A H S E T S I T T N W G C R D I G U T S E R O F G W H O X L T Y K E A C T S H A A S A N Q T E L D B C K F T U C C J M R P W Q H K M T N B L U C N O V M Z N L O E E V P B C U Z R E Z E I A P I A U G U T V L R D S B H E D R I P L I N E N O T P G V B G B O P L H N Y T R B S T C E L L H A T N I W H U L P A T R B I A N A Y T I L A U Q R I A O Y V R T G U D C O M T V N T O A K S Y I M F N V Y A O E A Y Y R P O I A V B U H P Q E I S E I R U C D D E C R X M M B R C I O R R E L N B M T G O V Q R W V Z R P Q A S G N I R E X L S H Y E S L F M V O Q M J L G H B A R K O K S A S Q I D D Y Y I I W B J L A D L L A G R V J H V V M G A S P N Y L O V R E P Q W V V I S S H A Z G W X H U R H U N A M I A T Y T Y R X Q E A Y V J O D S U A A O I B C I V Y T O T X G Z Y E D N D D Y R Q D V V E X R T E T R U N K G M R S N I L U N C C J M L P J E I S I M G E X P O

Activity 3 - Seed to Seedling Word Search

ACORNAIR QUALITYARBOR DAYBARKBIRDSBRANCHCALIFORNIACANOPYCOMPOSTDRIPLINEDROUGHTFORESTGALLHABITAT

INDIANSINSECTSLEAVESNATIVEOAKSPHOTOSYNTHESISPLANTINGPOLLUTIONRAINWATERRINGSSACRAMENTOSEEDLINGSHADESOIL

SQUIRRELSSTEMSUNLIGHTTAPROOTTEMPERATURETREE FOUNDATIONTREESTRUNKURBANVALLEYWATERWILDLIFE

After all of the words are found,

the letters that are not used reveal a

hidden message.

STandaRdS:

Language Arts: Reading �

hidden Message: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __


Word Over down directionAcorn 2 15 SEAir Quality 19 15 WArbor Day 22 22 NBark 3 20 EBirds 16 1 SEBranch 10 12 NCalifornia 18 23 NCanopy 8 7 NECompost 15 1 SDripline 10 13 EDrought 1 7 NEForest 24 9 WGall 4 21 WHabitat 2 20 NEIndians 4 7 NEInsects 6 15 NLeaves 23 20 SWNative 18 11 SEOaks 10 16 EPhotosynthesis 1 8 SE

Word Over down directionPlanting 18 2 SEPollution 1 15 NERainwater 2 3 SERings 8 19 WSacramento 11 6 SESeedling 22 1 SWShade 11 23 NESoil 25 5 NWSquirrels 3 9 NEStem 19 19 NSunlight 17 8 SETaproot 14 7 NTemperature 9 9 STree Foundation 7 1 SETrees 22 5 NWTrunk 20 24 EUrban 12 12 SWValley 9 21 NEWater 1 2 EWildlife 23 8 N

Word Search Answer Key

hidden Message: Protect Our Oaks Location: Unused letters in top line of puzzle (all but last two – A and K)


name: _____________________________________________________

Match the words in the first column to the best available answer in the second column.

Activity 4 - Vocabulary Match

STandaRdS:

Language Arts: Reading 2

1) process in green plants and certain other organisms by which carbohydrates are synthesized from carbon dioxide and water using light as an energy source.

2) a mixture of decaying organic matter, as from leaves and manure, used to improve soil structure and provide nutrients.

3) a young plant that is grown from a seed.

4) the main root of a plant, usually stouter than the lateral roots and growing straight downward from the stem.

5) to begin to sprout or grow.

6) the area or environment where an organism or ecological community normally lives or occurs.

7) involving chemical processes in living organisms.

8) a colorless, odorless, gas formed during respiration, combustion, and organic decomposition. CO2

9) the crown of a tree.

10) the fruit of an oak, consisting of a single-seeded, thick-walled nut set in a woody, cuplike base.

11) a swelling of plant tissue caused by insects, microorganisms, or external injury.

12) an individual form of life, such as a plant, animal, bacterium, or fungus.

_____ acorn (noun)

_____ taproot (noun)

_____ canopy (noun)

_____ photosynthesis (noun)

_____ biochemical (noun)

_____ gall (noun)

_____ compost (noun)

_____ habitat (noun)

_____ seedling (noun)

_____ germinate (verb)

_____ organism (noun)

_____ carbon dioxide (noun)

Coal is formed from trees that lived during

prehistoric times.

�� Seed to Seedling

Acorn – 10

Taproot – 4

Canopy – 9

Photosynthesis – 1

Biochemical – 7

Gall – 11

Compost – 2

Habitat – 6

Seedling – 3

Germinate – 5

Organisms – 12

Carbon Dioxide – 8

Vocabulary Match Answer Key


Oak trees are not only indispensable to people, animals rely on them too. Animals from birds to insects live in these trees. Some animals depend on oaks to keep them safe from predators, while others use the trees as a food source. Insects and birds eat acorns and many birds also eat the insects. Other birds and small animals, such as owls and squirrels live in cavities, or holes, in the trees.

There are many poems written about the beauty of nature, including trees, the sky and animals. One famous poem is Trees written by Alfred Joyce Kilmer (1886-1918). Just about everyone has heard the often quoted first lines of this famous poem

“I think that I shall never see

A poem as lovely as a tree…”

You don’t have to be a famous writer to write a beautiful poem.

Use the formula below for a Found Poem to write your own poem. Illustrate your poem and share it with your classmates, friends and family.

Found Poems

This type of poetry is created from words and phrases written by someone else. Words for these poems are “found” in existing text such as newspapers, magazines, and advertisements. Write your own found poem by selecting and combining words and phrases to create a poem about trees and animals living in or around them.

Some rules for creating your poem

• Don’t get all the words from one page or article.

• Don't add any words.

• It’s OK to delete words.

• It’s OK to change the tense of some words.

• It’s OK to repeat words, phrases, sentences.

• List the sources of where you found your words or phrases.

• Try to write or paste the words or phrases for your poem in the shape of a tree.

Activity 5 - Woods and Wildlife PoeTREE

STandaRdS:

Language Arts: Writing Applications 2

The average American consumes enough wood and paper in one year to make up a tree �00 feet tall

and �� inches in diameter.

Source: Meredith Hines-Dochterman


Activity 5 - PoeTREE Worksheet


The KWL student worksheet on the next page provides a method for eliciting prior knowledge, inviting student input and summarizing what was learned. A completed KWL chart can help students evaluate their learning experience while serving as a useful assessment for you.

The following list of tips will help your students get the most from this learning experience.

• Introduce the KWL and model how to use it.

• Individually, in pairs, or in small groups brainstorm what they already know about the topic. Display this information for the whole class.

• Encourage reluctant students to remember what they think they know.

• Lead the class to generate a list of what they want to know about the topic.

• Explain how to gather and organize the information they gather.

• Encourage students to discuss why they are interested in the information.

• Add extension activities

a. Add an N category to let students think about what they need to know (possibly for a test)

b. Add an H for how they will learn what they need to know.

c. Add S or L for what they still want to learn.

d. Add a U for how they will use the information learned.

Activity 6 - KWL Worksheet

STandaRdS:


20 Seed to Seedling

name: ________________________________________________________________

What I know What I want to know

Finding out What I learned

Activity 6 - Oak KWL Worksheet

When tree leaves turn upside down in a fresh breeze you

can expect rain.

I, _

____

____

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____

____

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____

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22 Seed to Seedling

An important part of growing oak seedlings is measuring their progress to assure that they continue growing in a steady manner. Have your students measure the growth of their seedlings on a regular basis – probably weekly. Choose the units you would like them to use and whether you want them to make a line or bar graph. Since some acorns will fail to sprout you may want to measure them in groups so they always have a seedling to measure.

extensions: There are a host of extensions you can use with this activity by comparing the seedlings across your classroom.

• If you have planted different species you can average the growth of each species and compare to see which have grown faster. If you are experimenting with the amount of water, sun, or exposure the seedlings are getting you can draw conclusions from graphs of these different growing conditions.

• You can also make a “water watcher” from clay. The students should shape the clay into a shape that can be stuck into the growing container. Form a hook on one side to hang over the outside of the container. An animal face can be added to the “watcher” who will let you know when the seedling is drying out. After the “water watcher” dries out stick it in the container. When the “water watcher” is dry, so is the soil. When the “water watcher” is moist, so is the soil.

• Keep a rainfall record. Does the amount of rain influence how much you need to water your seedlings?

• You can collect rainwater for watering acorns. Find out why rainwater is better than tap water.

• Measure the amount of water given to seedlings and include on the graph.

• Keep a visual record of seedling growth changes with drawings or photos.

• Try Project Learning Tree activities “Graph Growth,” “Fertilizers,” “Nature’s Air Conditioner.”

• Try Project Wild activity “Graphananimal.”

Activity 7 - Seedling Measurement

STandaRdS:

Mathematics - Measurement & Geometry �; Statistics, Data Analysis and Probability �

2�Seed to Seedling

Graph the growth of your oak seedling below:

Measurement worksheet - My Oak Seedling’s growth

Seedling height

Time

Activity 7 -

24 Seed to Seedling

The main tribes located in and around the Sacramento area, the Maidu Indian People, valued oak trees for a diet staple – the acorn. Some oaks produced 200-300 pounds of acorn on a single tree. Acorns were harvested and used to make soup, bread, cakes, flour, and more.

The whole village would gather the acorns in the fall. The acorns would first be dried in the sun then stored in baskets and granaries. The nuts were ground into meal on grinding rocks (many examples of these rocks still exist in the area). After grinding, the meal was sifted then leached by pouring water over it several times to remove the tannin, which made the meal bitter. The finished meal would then be used to make cereal and bread. Some meal was rolled into hard balls for food on a journey.

The Maidu Indian People would celebrate the acorn harvest with a tribal gathering every year. This gathering was called a Big Time and is still celebrated today at several locations in the valley.

Complete the “flour” chart by comparing acorn flour to another type of flour used today. Based on the results, determine which type offers the best nutritional value.

Activity 8 - Oaks and California Indians

STandaRdS:

Social Science 4.�, 4.2Language Arts,Writing 2


acorn Flour Other type of Flour(Name of flour) ____________________

Nutritional facts Serving size: 100 g Nutritional facts Serving size: 100 g

Calories 501 Calories

Total Fat 9.736g Total Fat

Sodium 0mg Sodium

Cholesterol 0mg Cholesterol

Total Carbohydrate 54.65g Total Carbohydrate

Potassium 712 Potassium

Dietary Fiber Dietary Fiber

Sugar Sugar

Protein 7.49 Protein

Water 6 Water

use the space below to write a summary of your findings.

Activity 8 - California Indians Acorn Flour Worksheet

2� Seed to Seedling

Many products used in and around our homes began as a tree. Some are obvious like a wooden table, paper (did you know it used to be made from cotton and linen rags?), or construction materials used to build the house itself. Others, such as spices like cinnamon and medicines like aspirin, are not so obvious.

Other products that were once made from wood may now be made from other materials. These items include water pipes, wheel chairs, piano keys, and spruce gum – it was used to make chewing gum! Can you imagine chewing a spruce tree?

This activity will give you a chance to be a wood detective.

Search in and around your house for items made from wood. You will have to think beyond the obvious and do some research to get as many items as possible. Remember, not all products started out as the wood from a tree, some use the sap (maple syrup and rubber), bark (medicine and cosmetics), leaves (wax), and other parts of the tree (paint). Even some of the kitchen dishes began as wood flour and melamine resins!

Make a list of all the wood and wood-related items you find. Classify them under the part of the tree where they originated. Get your family involved in the search. You will be surprised.

here are some hints to help get you started.

Activity 9 - Around the House

❍ Cough medicine

❍ Nuts

❍ Fruit

❍ Textiles

❍ Coasters

❍ Adhesives

❍ Musical instruments

❍ Newspapers and magazines

❍ Toys

❍ Suntan lotion

❍ Baskets

❍ Tools

❍ Clothing

❍ Vanilla flavoring (artificial)

❍ Vitamins

❍ Polishes

❍ Sporting goods

❍ Birdhouses

❍ Post-it notes

❍ Disposable diapers

STandaRdS:



What I Found Where I Found It how It Is used

Activity 9 - Around the House

Cellulose, the material that makes up the walls of tree cells, is used

as a thickener in snack foods - like Twinkies, milk shakes, and ice cream.

2� Seed to Seedling

California Indians were much more than hunters and gatherers. They were land managers who tended the land on a sustainable basis. Prior to the mid-nineteenth century the valleys and plains along rivers of central coastal and interior California were covered with natural forests of oaks. These forests played a vital role in the daily lives and spiritual beliefs of the people living in them; and the fruit (the acorns) of these trees was essential to their diet.

Use the map worksheets to chart the oak forests now and from 150 years ago. Have students use different colors to show where different species of trees are found, or select just one species to investigate. Show current woodlands on one map and historical forests on the other. Use the oak woodlands poster, Internet, and library to conduct further research on Sacramento forests. Alternatively you can use a map of Sacramento County only to do this exercise.

Host a class discussion to share the results of the research. Tell what changes, if any, have occurred and how they came about. Discuss what effect these changes had on the California Indians’ way of life. Be sure to include any major events that brought about any changes (e.g. the Gold Rush, agriculture, and suburban growth had a huge impact). Finally brainstorm what is being done today, if anything, to preserve oak trees. Have students share what they can do, individually and collectively, to safeguard today’s forests.

Have students write an essay summarizing their findings.

Activity 10 - Oak Forests of California

STandaRdS:

Mathematics - Measurement and Geometry, Social Science

The evaporation from a large oak tree is from �0 to 2�

gallons in 24 hours.


Activity 10 - Forest worksheet

1850

Today


This activity is challenging because there is little information about the original extent of oak ranges before the 1850s to use as a baseline. However, we do know that most of the land used for agriculture, ranching, and urban uses has been cleared of native oak trees at some point in the last 150 years. Our best estimates are that less than 10% of the riparian valley oak forests remain as isolated fragments of what existed in 1850. 99% of the valley oak woodlands that existed prior to 1850 have been lost. The interior live oaks that grew along the rivers in the foothills were impacted by mining and dam construction, which resulted in the conversion of live oak forestland to agriculture downstream and drown the forests under reservoirs. Increasing suburban growth in the foothill areas has impacted interior live and blue oaks. The accompanying maps are our best estimates of what the forest used to be like in 1850 and now.

Oak Forest Worksheet Answer Key

1850

Today


Tree rings tell us much more than just a tree’s age. They basically tell the tree’s life story.

Every year a tree adds another layer of wood to the trunk. This layer tells everything that happened to the tree during that year. It can tell us if the tree got enough water, if it was in a fire or flood, if it was under attack from a disease or insects, and more.

The tree rings consist of six parts.

• Outer bark – protects the tree from insects, disease, extreme temperatures, and other injuries.

• Cambium – a thin layer of growing cells just inside the bark. It’s the only part of the tree trunk that is alive.

• Phloem – the inner bark which carries sugar made in the leaves and needles down to the branches, trunks, and roots where it’s converted into food for the tree.

• Xylem or sapwood – the layer that carries the sap (water, nitrogen, and mineral nutrients) back up from the roots to the leaves. Sapwood gives a tree its strength.

• Growth ring – the lighter part is called the early wood (because it grows in the spring) and the darker portion called late wood (this grows in summer). Together they represent one year of growth. This shows the tree’s age.

• heartwood – this layer develops as the tree ages. It contains sapwood that no longer carries sap. It gives the tree trunk support and stiffness.

The study of tree rings to discover natural history is called dendrochronology. There are several resources you can use to get deeper into the study of tree rings that are teacher and student friendly. They even have example tree rings that you can experiment with online! We recommend starting out with these web sites:

• University of Arizona Laboratory of Tree Ring Research – http://tree.ltrr.arizona.edu/

• Ultimate Tree Ring Web Pages – http://web.utk.edu/%7Egrissino/

Activity 11 - Ringing in Another Year

STandaRdS:

Science - Life Sciences


name: _____________________________________________________

Label the parts of the tree ring below.

Activity 11 - Tree Ring Worksheet


Tree Ring Answer Key

Sapwood (Xylem)

Phloem

Cambim

Outer bark

heartwood


The collective tree canopy in cities and towns is called the urban forest. This canopy our communities by offering shade, lowering the heat index, protecting us from the sun’s harmful rays, and cleaning up air and water pollution.

Pollution is one of the most harmful things humans inflict on trees, and ourselves. People create air pollution through the use of automobiles, incinerators, fireplaces and wood burning stoves, products containing chlorofluorocarbons (used in refrigerators and air conditioners), agriculture burning, factories, and processing plants. They all contribute to what we call smog.

Despite being harmed by smog, trees help clean the air that we breathe. They make the air under and around them healthier for all living creatures by filtering dust and other particles from the air. Trees also use the carbon dioxide produced by cars and industry in the photosynthetic* process (the process used by plants to turn sugar into food for growth.)

We can do a lot to help reduce air pollution and make the air healthier for all living things. The trees are doing their part, we should too. We’ll all breathe easier.

A couple of things to keep in mind when you are thinking about going outside on days when the air quality index (AQI) is in the 101 (unhealthy for sensitive groups) to 250 (very unhealthy) range.

101 – Limit intense exercise for asthmatics.

151 – All kids should be outdoors less, asthmatics should stay indoors.

201 – Restrict outdoor activity or cancel sporting events for all.

Make a list of ways you, your family, classmates, and friends can help reduce pollution of all kinds. Use the list to complete a chart on what needs to be done, what you did, and how you did it.

Activity 12 - Urban Forests and the Air We Breathe

STandaRdS:

Science - Life Science, Physical Science, Investigation and Experimentation

*The chemical equation for photosynthesis

6H2O + 6CO

2 --> C

6H

12O

6+ 6O

2

(Translation - six molecules of water plus six molecules of carbon dioxide produce one molecule of sugar plus six molecules

of oxygen.)

Two of the important benefits of the urban forest is energy

conservation and clean air.


name: ________________________________________________________________

Problem Solution Method used

Activity 12 - Pollution Solution Chart


Trees seem so permanent that sometimes we forget they all started out small as seeds and will someday die. Trees, like all living things, go through this life cycle in which they sprout, grow, reproduce, age, undergo injury and disease, and die.

Hold a class discussion about life cycles, using a person as an example. Discuss the types of events that happen and the roles the person plays over their life.

Then have the students label the tree life cycle diagram with the different stages in a tree’s life. Have them write events that happen to each tree as it moves from one stage to another. You may also have them add the roles the tree plays in the forest ecosystem at each stage of its life.

Seed – The seed is the fruit of a tree that contains the energy to get a sprout established with leaves and roots. Many types of wildlife depend on seeds as a large part of their diets. Few of the seeds produced ever survive to become mature trees.

Seedling – The seedling is a small tree that has just sprouted and is usually less than one year old and less than three feet tall. Some seedlings are eaten by meadow mice, deer, rabbits, and other rodents.

Sapling – The sapling is a young tree. The time it takes a tree to reach maturity depends on the growing conditions and species of the tree. Many oaks will reach maturity in 40-120 years from the time they sprout. Young trees provide some shade and produce oxygen and food for wildlife.

Mature Oak – The mature oak is the king of the forest, providing shade, beauty, shelter, and oxygen for the community. They produce the seeds that feed wildlife. The leaves, bark, flowers, and roots also provide food for many animals. After the tree matures, it starts to decline and slowly is impacted by diseases, pests, and injuries.

dead Tree – The dead tree still provides homes, shelter, and food storage for wildlife. Birds roost on the branches to see their prey in the fields below. Fungi and insects also begin to break down the tree as they begin the decay process.

Rotting Log – After the tree falls, its wood is returned to the soil by fungi and insects. The nutrients are then used by new seeds to grow into another generation of oak tree.

STandaRdS:

Life Sciences: �c

eXTenSIOnS:

Compare and contrast the tree life cycle to other types of cycles (animal life cycles, human life cycle, water cycle).

See Project Learning Tree activity �� for more activities about life cycles.

Have students write an autobiography from a tree’s point of view.

Activity 13 - TreeCycle


name: ________________________________________________________________

Activity 13 - TreeCycle Worksheet


TreeCycle Answer Key


Each year the Sacramento Tree Foundation has a poster and essay contest for the Seed to Seedling participants to capture what they learned. The winning entries are published in the Sacramento Tree Foundation newsletter and prizes are awarded in several categories.

Tree Foundation staff select a theme for the contest and a panel of judges to pick the winners. We recommend that 1st and 2nd grade classes do drawings for the poster contest and 3rd and 4th grades do essays for the essay contest.

Poster Content rules

Poster/Essay Contest

Only 1 entry per participant

Posters and essays must relate to the theme of the contest

Posters and essays should be turned in at the end of the final presentation to the classes

All entries must be created by a student who is currently in a Seed to Seedling class

All entries must be signed in the lower right-hand corner of the front with the student’s first and last name.

Entries may be done in marker, crayon, watercolor, ink, acrylic, colored pencil, or tempera paint. No collages, computer generated, or computer printed artwork.

Entries must be no smaller than 8 1/2” x 11” and no larger than 14” x 18”.

Entries must be done on paper that will allow for duplication and display

Entries must be flat, and should not be matted, mounted, framed, or folded.

40 Seed to Seedling

Books

Primary- elementary

The Oak Tree by Laura Jane Coats

Picturing events that take place near an oak tree, in time intervals of two hours, from 6 a.m. one day to 6 a.m. the next.

The Oak Tree by Gordon Morrison

This narrative describes the white oak, its growth, and the animals that live in and feed off it. It describes the tree’s inhabitants and its full life cycle.

The Acorn and the Oak by Lori C. Froeb

Readers follow an acorn as it falls off the old oak tree, takes root, goes through some hard times, and becomes a big, strong oak.

A Log’s Life by E. Wendy Pfeffer

An introduction to the life, death, and decay of an oak tree. The simple text presents a complex cast of characters: woodpeckers, squirrels, and porcupines to carpenter ants, millipedes, slugs, and fungi residing in or on the living tree as well as the decomposing log.

The Gift of the Tree by Alvin R. Tresselt (originally published as The Dead Tree)

A tribute to the mighty oak tree, focusing on its majesty in maturity, through gradual decline to final decay. The interdependence of plant and animal life is clearly evident, including both those that seek its shelter and those that hasten the decaying process to prepare the soil for new life.

Are Trees Alive? By Debbie S. Miller

The author uses comparison to the human body to describe the characteristics of trees. She compares the veins of a leaf to those in a person’s hand, tree trunks support the tree as our legs support us, and that “Bark is dark or light, rough or smooth, thick or thin, just like people’s skin.”

Resources


Pedro y su roble by Claude Levert - Pedro learns about the seasons as he spends them with his tree.

Marcie the Marvelous Tree by Tree Musketeers - A story by kids for kids who want to change the world.

In a Nutshell by Joeseph Anthony - A beautiful book about the life of an oak tree.

Older students-adult

Oak: The Frame of Civilization by William Bryant Logan

Oaks of California by Bruce Pavlik, Pamela Muick, and Sharon Johnson

The Natural History of the Oak Tree by Richard Lewington and David Streeter

The Man who Planted Trees by Jean Giono

WebsitesSacramento Tree Foundation - www.sactree.comInfo on trees that do well in Sacramento, games, publications, and tree care information

Project Learning Tree - www.plt.orgA host of activities for teachers and classes to learn about trees

California Oak Foundation - www.californiaoaks.orgInfo on the current status of oaks in California

natural Inquirer - www.naturalinquirer.usda.govGreat games and activities for kids to learn about the urban forest

national arbor day Foundation Kid’s Pages - http://www.arborday.org/kids/carly/Interactive site with games and more

Treelink - http://www.treelink.org/Excellent resource for research and current events

Center for urban Forest Research - http://cufr.ucdavis.edu/Technical articles and studies on the benefits of trees

Resources

Tree Musketeers - http://www.treemusketeers.orgAn organization to motivate kids to change the world!

university of Illinois Kids Tree Pages - http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/kids/Fun presentations all about trees

California digital Conservation atlas - http://atlas.resources.ca.gov/atlas/app.aspCreate interactive maps of habitats and much more!

Websites continued

This project made possible

by a generous grant from:

Sacramento Tree Foundation201 Lathrop Way, Suite FSacramento, California 95815

Telephone: (916) 924-TREE (8733)Fax: (916) 924-3803

E-Mail: [email protected]

ss ee ee dd ttoo - sacramento tree foundation...“the creation of a thousand forests is in one...

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