School and Group Programs
Post-Trip Curriculum: Plant a Tree
Area of Study: Cultural History
Grades: 1 - 8
Subjects: Botany, zoology, stewardship
Time: 1-2 hours
- Students will participate in a service project in their own community to gain an understanding of stewardship.
- Students will learn about basic plant needs.
Materials:
- Tree saplings
- Soil
- Shovels
- Hoses or watering cans and a water source
- Hand lenses
- Bug boxes (optional)
Background:
In addition to the beauty, shade and habitat trees provide, they create oxygen and contribute to clean air. Many California communities encourage volunteers to help plant and care for trees.
It's important to select trees native to where you live. Native trees occur naturally in a particular area. They provide food and shelter for native animals. Invasive tree species originate elsewhere and are brought to an area by people, often accidentally. Invasive species have survival and reproductive characteristics that out-compete native plant species, so they can take over habitats formerly occupied by native plants. A common example of an invasive tree species in California is the eucalyptus, native to Australia.
Procedure
- Research which native trees grow best in local parks, neighborhoods, or schoolyard.
- Contact plant nurseries for advice about where, when, and how to plant and care for trees. Ask them to donate saplings.
- Obtain necessary permission to plant trees.
- Contact local utility companies to avoid planting where there are hidden pipes or cables.
- Inquire at local nurseries, park agencies, or rental companies about whether they can donate an auger (a machine that digs holes quickly) and someone to operate it.
- Brainstorm with students what a plant needs to survive. Introduce what's needed for planting: water, soil, and tools.
- Teach students how to use tools safely.
- Divide students into planting teams.
- Go to the planting site. If you haven't obtained the use of an auger, have students dig holes slightly larger and deeper than the pots holding the saplings.
- While one student from each team digs, other students examine the soil with hand lenses. They can examine any worms, insects, or other creatures they find.
- Students remove the trees and all attached soil from the pots and place them in the holes.
- Students pat down the soil to eliminate air gaps, which can damage roots.
- Place the bugs and worms on the soil to allow them to burrow back in.
- Water the trees.
- Take photos of the students with the trees.
- Designate students to take care of the trees afterward according to the instructions received from staff at the plant nurseries.
Extended activities
- Create interpretive signs about the tree species and the value of tree-planting.
- Learn about the underground animals observed, drawing them and writing about life underground from the animals' perspective.
- Write to government officials informing them of their project. Post any responses.
- Write a letter to the local newspaper, accompanied by photos of their activities.
- Chart the growth and changes observed in the trees throughout the school year.
California standards
Kindergarten: Science 2c
1st grade: Science 2a, b, e
2nd grade: Science 2e
3rd grade: Science 3a
4th grade: Science 2a, c; 3b
5th grade: Science 2e, f, g (if teacher leads discussion in this direction)
6th grade: Science 5a
7th grade: Science 5a, f
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