Activity 76: Tree Cookies
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One way to learn about tree growth is to look at annual rings. Tree rings show patterns of change in the tree’s life as well as changes in the area where it grows. In this activity, students will trace environmental and historical changes using a cross section of a tree, or “tree cookie.”
This is one of 96 activities that can be found in PLT’s PreK-8 Environmental Education Activity Guide. To get the activity, attend a training either in person or online and receive PLT’s PreK-8 Guide.
The PreK-8 Environmental Education Activity Guide is a supplementary curriculum that is multi-disciplinary, with an emphasis on science, reading, writing, mathematics, and social studies.
Each activity displays explicit connections to practices and concepts expected by the following national academic standards so teachers can easily see where the materials will fit into their lesson plans:
- Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
- Common Core Toolkit, includes
- English Language Arts (CCSS.ELA)
- Mathematics (CCSS.MATH)
- College, Career, and Civic Life Framework for Social Studies (C3)
Our professional development further demonstrates these connections, as well as to state and local standards, contact your state coordinator.
Circle Unbroken: The Story of a Basket and Its People
Circle Unbroken: The Story of a Basket and Its People Grades K-2 and 3-5 Written by: Margot Theis Raven Illustrated by: E.B. Lewis Published by: Square Fish, New York, 2004 ISBN-13: 978-0312376031 Recommended Reading A young girl sits in her grandmother’s lap and learns how to sew a basket made of natural sweetgrass. The... Read more »
EE Resources
Video Demo: Tree Cookie
Watch the Tree Cookie Demonstration video (12 minutes). PLT’s Tree Cookies engages students in investigating the patterns of growth in trees. With only some art supplies and creativity, students can become their own tree detectives. This video was developed by Anita Smith, PLT Facilitator in Maine.
What Can Trees Tell Us About Climate Change?
Learn about the connection between trees and climate change, how tree rings can tell a story about past weather events, and the methods by which scientists are recording this data. What Can Trees Tell Us About Climate Change? is a resource offered by NASA’s Climate Kids, designed for upper-elementary students. Find images, fact sheets, activities,... Read more »
Tree Cookie Cross Section
Observe annual growth rings using this Tree Cookie Cross Section of a 102-year-old ponderosa pine from northwest Nebraska to learn about the many changes in a tree’s lifetime. Early on, the ring widths show average growth for a tree in arid northwest Nebraska but they began to narrow considerably when the tree was about 20 years old.... Read more »
Tree Rings Simulation
The science of tree rings is called dendrochronology. Tree rings help scientists learn about past climates by decoding tree ring patterns. Climate scientists use clues from ice cores, layered sediment deposits in lakes and seas, the structure of coral reefs, as well as tree ring sequences to learn about paleoclimates. The use of tree ring records... Read more »
Places Where You Can Buy Tree Cookies
These two websites are places where tree cookies can be purchased: http://www.acornnaturalists.com/ (Acorn Naturalists may refer to them as “tree rounds”) http://www.nature-watch.com/ (Nature Watch may refer to them as “tree discs”)
Tree Cookies Information
Want to have some tree cookies for you own? Use this handy document that lays out the steps for creating a perfect tree cookie. You can read the article In Search of the Perfect Tree Cookie for even more information.
Inner Parts of A Tree Model
Help students visualize the inner layers of a tree trunk and better understand the function of its different parts by creating this easy-to-make visual aid – a cross-section of a tree trunk.
A Machine That Turns a Tree’s Rings into a Musical Score
Learn about a modified record player that reads growth rings from a tree like musical notes. Created by German artist, this machine uses the annual rings that you find in cross-sections of trees and converts them into piano music.
Remote Ready Student Pages – Tree Cookies
Google Slides and Docs are great tools for facilitating remote learning and student collaboration. They can be integrated into Google Classroom or other e-learning platforms. Check Tree Cookies for our remote-ready educator instructions and student pages. Please note: Resources are available as view only and require that you make a copy to your own Drive in order to... Read more »
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