A Tree for all Seasons

1. At the beginning of the school year and prior to the technology lesson plan, students are asked to share what they know about trees. The teacher may prompt students to illicit certain responses in regard to shape, size, what trees need to grow, leaf attributes, and so on. After the class has shared their knowledge, the teacher may share a poster of a tree and label the tree areas: crown, trunk, leaves, branches, stems, root system. The teacher may also wish to touch upon the functions of the tree parts and the difference between deciduous and coniferous trees.
2. Students are taken out of doors and as a class, select a deciduous tree to examine. Each pupil examines the bark, branches, and leaves of the tree. The teacher may take notes of their observations (green leaves, rough bark, lots of leaves) and encourage the children to use tools such as hand lenses and rulers during the inspection process.
3. At the end of the end of the examination period, each student is allowed to take a photograph of the class tree. Some students may be encouraged to capture images of specific tree areas: the crown, trunk, leaves, branches, or root system. The teacher should also make sure to take a photograph of the tree in its entirety.
4. Back in the classroom, the teacher can upload the photographs into a slideshow program and include the student descriptions of their tree observations.
5. This process would be repeated 3 more times during the school year to record tree changes in the autumn, winter, and spring months.
6. Depending on the abilities of the students, they may also be involved in more hands-on aspects of the slideshow creation.