Activity 5: Poet-Tree
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Writing and sharing poems gives students an opportunity to express their thoughts, values, and beliefs about the environment and related issues in creative and artistic ways. You can do this activity in combination with Activity 21, “Adopt a Tree,” to allow students to explore their adopted tree through poetry. You may also adapt the activity to explore parts of the environment other than trees and forests, such as art or architecture.
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. Below are some supporting resources for this activity.
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.
STEM: Poet-Tree
Engage students in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) through the power of the written word. Try these enrichments for Project Learning Tree’s Poet-Tree activity.
Fatima’s Great Outdoors
Fatima’s Great Outdoors Grades 3-5 Written by: Ambreen Tariq Illustrated by: Stevie Lewis Published by: Kokila, an imprint of Penguin Random House, 2021 ISBN-13: 978-1984816955 Recommended Reading Do you remember your first ever camping trip? Are you still planning it? Fatima’s Great Outdoors follows the story of Fatima and the Khazi family, comprised of... Read more »
Forest World
Forest World Grades 6-8 Written by: Margarita Engle Published by: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2018 ISBN-13: 978-1481490580 Recommended Reading Margarita Engle is a Cuban-American author of many verse novels, memoirs, and picture books. From 2017-2019, Engle served as the Young People’s Poet Laureate, a two-year appointment made by the Poetry Foundation. The Young... Read more »
Word After Word After Word
Word After Word After Word Grades 3-5 Written by: Patricia MacLachlan Published by: HarperCollins, 2010 ISBN-13: 978-0060279714 Recommended Reading Every school day feels the same for a group of fourth grade friends: Lucy, Henry, Evie, Russell, and May. Then a guest speaker – a real, live, and well-known writer – named Ms. Mirabel, visits... Read more »
Hi, Koo!
Hi, Koo! Grades PreK to Grade 3 ISBN-10: 0545166683 Scholastic Press, 2014 Recommended Reading Join a panda bear named Koo and two human siblings as they challenge readers to stretch their minds with twenty-six haikus about the four seasons. Starting with fall, readers of all ages can enjoy not only the fun and frivolous... Read more »
There’s a Babirusa In My Bathtub!
There’s a Babirusa In My Bathtub! Grades 2 to 5 ISBN: 9781584691181 Dawn Publications, 2009 Authored by Maxine Rose Schur Illustrated by Michael S. Maydak Recommended Reading This book introduces 13 exotic animals using a variety of witty, lively poems that makes learning about these unsung animals fun and exciting. On each two-page spread,... Read more »
Autumnblings
Autumnblings Ages 4-8. ISBN: 0060092785 Published by Greenwillow Books, 2003 Authored by Douglas Florian Recommended Reading What do you like about Autumn? Flying kites? Apple picking? Trick or treat? Frisbee flicking? This children’s book explores the colors, events, and emotions that the fall season brings, and it serves as a special treat for those... Read more »
EE Resources
Video: The Tree – A poem for the future of NAAEE
The Tree – A poem for the future of NAAEE is a 3:22-minute whimsical reflection on the power of an idea, written and narrated by New York Times best-selling author Aimee Nezhukumatathil and directed by James Parker to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the North American Association for Environmental Education..
Go Plant a Tree!
In this short video from PBS Plum Landing, see how students work with a local arborist to plant a tree in their community. Underneath the video, you’ll find some simple conversation starting questions and additional resources to inspire your students.
Tree Product Images
Print out pages containing many examples of everyday products from trees!
Find Nearby Trails and Parks
AllTrails is a free app that helps users discover the outdoors. Use it to find a hiking path suitable for children, to search for local places to bike or fish, or to plan a national park visit.
Tips for Taking Students Outside
Friends of the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center has put together some short, simple, and practical recommendations to help effectively incorporate use of an outdoor classroom. Suggestions include finding an experienced mentor, scheduling a set time for taking students outdoors, and examining learning standards to see what are best taught outside.
The Future Nobel Laureates of the World
Great EarthSky resource for this lesson is The future Nobel laureates of the world.
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