Try these activities to celebrate trees!

About Trees

They can be bigger than a brontosaurus, but quieter than a church mouse, and they are capable of changing the carbon dioxide in our air into oxygen.  Trees are an important part of our environment.  We share Connecticut with more than 1.68 million acres of trees including forests, parks and even our neighborhoods.  But how much do we really know about trees?  Find out by taking our All About Trees Challenge, and try the following activities to increase your knowledge and appreciation of trees!  

All About Trees Challenge

Once you've finished, click here to see the answers: Answers

Tree Activities

Studying tree leaves and bark can help you identify trees.  Capture their patterns using this activity!

Leaf and Bark Rubbing

And try these fun ways to measure trees! 

Measuring Tree Height using a Pencil

Measuring Tree Diameter Two Ways 

Tree Branches - An Observation Activity

Have you ever looked closely at the branches of trees?  Do branches grow opposite each other?  Or do you find them alternating from side to side?  Read the statements below about branching patterns, then go find a tree in your yard or neighborhood and carefully observe the branches.  Can you come up with other "I notice" or "I wonder" statements about the branches on your tree?

Like many other things in nature, the shapes of trees exhibit striking mathematical patterns. In fact, the verb "branch" describes the mathematical process that produces the shapes. 

• I notice that branches are formed by a step-by-step process of splitting into smaller and smaller parts.
• I notice that I can create "stick drawings" that look a lot like trees by using simple branching patterns.
• I notice that the branching process seems like a mathematical pattern.
• I wonder how many branchings usually occur before you get to a leaf (or the place where a leaf would be).
• I wonder if the mathematical details of branching patterns are different for different types of trees.
• I notice that the branchings of the tree seem to show a mixture of predictability and randomness.
• I wonder what other things in nature show repeated branching patterns like this.

From: www.5280math.com/

With permission. © Jerry Burkhart 2015 – 2020