Tree Activities

Read The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. Discuss everything that the tree gave to the boy. Explain the importance of trees and list things that are made from trees (you can write these on a tree cutout or chart).

Read The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry. Discuss the different reasons the animals wanted to save the tree.

Teach the parts of a tree. Show the children the parts of a tree on a picture and then take them outdoors and see if they can name the parts of a real tree. Discuss different types of trees. Make a chart of the different types of trees you observed.

branches - woody parts of the tree that grow from the trunk.
canopy of leaves - the upper parts of the tree, where the leaves are
roots - structures that gets food and water from the soil, stores energy, and provides support for the plant. Most roots grow underground.
trunk - the main support of the tree.

Give the students a picture of a tree and have them label the parts or color the correct part of the tree as you list them.

The last 2 displays were taken from The Mailbox Magazine.