Adopt a Tree!

In science class, you have been learning about plants. Trees are important kinds of plants. Trees keep our air supply fresh. They provide shade and shelter for wildlife. They help improve water quality, and they help keep the soil in place and prevent erosion. In this activity, you will use your senses to study the life in and around a tree.

Materials

• notebook
• pencils and crayons
• tape measure
• magnifying glass

Procedure

With an adult, locate a nearby tree. Look at the tree and its surroundings. Write down what you see, hear, feel, and smell.

• Write down all the living things you see. Draw pictures.
• Listen to the tree. Can you hear branches moving? Are birds singing? Is a squirrel chattering? Write about it.
• Feel the bark of the tree and describe how it feels.
• Smell a piece of bark, a leaf, or any flowers on the tree. What do these things smell like? Write about what you smell.
• Make a tracing of a leaf from the tree.
• Wrap a tape measure around the tree trunk to measure it.
• Use a magnifying glass to look more closely at the tree. How do the tree and its leaves look different?

Results

What did you learn about the tree? Did anything surprise you?
Would your observations be different if you observed a different tree?