Activity 65: Bursting Buds
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In early spring, the tiny, bright green leaves of many trees burst forth. Where do the leaves come from? How do they form? In this activity, your students will find the answers to these questions on their own by observing tree buds throughout the year.
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.
STEM: Bursting Buds
Spring is here! Flowers are beginning to bloom and new leaves are growing on the trees. Have your students take a closer look at trees to identify where leaves come from and how changing conditions affect leaf growth.
Bird Count
This book is a fictional narrative about a girl who participates in the Audubon Bird Count each year. The story follows Ava, her mother, and their team leader, Big Al, through a full day of the Bird Count.
Welcome to New Zealand – A Nature Journal
Welcome to New Zealand: A Nature Journal Grades 3-5 ISBN-13: 978-0763674779 Candlewick, 2015 Recommended Reading Are you interested in studying cloud formations or moon phases? Urban ecosystems or wetland areas? The forest canopy or tidal pools? No matter your topic of study, Morris’ Welcome to New Zealand: A Nature Journal has inspiration for you. ... 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 »
Mud
Mud Ages 3 and up. ISBN: 0152024611 Published by Sandpiper, 2001 Authored by Mary Lyn Ray Illustrated by Lauren Stringer Recommended Reading What happens in spring? What happens before the fruit blossoms, before the daffodils flower, before the grass even grows? Why, mud, of course. In this book, the earth seems to secretly thaw... Read more »
EE Resources
Journey North
Discover the seasonal changes that are all around us! Follow animal migrations by observing, reporting, and tracking their travels across the hemisphere. Citizen scientists, across North America, share their own observations of migrations and other signs of the seasons. Journey North is a free online program and mobile app presented by Annenberg Learner.
Citizen Science Programs
Project BudBurst is a network of people across the United States who monitor plants as seasons change. Use Project Learning Tree activities to get your students outside, and use Project BudBurst to help them see how their seasonal observations about plants compare to those being made all across the country. In addition to collecting scientifically... Read more »
A Forest Year
Check out this video, which captures 15 months of a forest’s life. This 3-minute time lapse video was created from 40,000 photographs. Photographer Samuel Orr took pictures out of the same window in his home to create this forest montage. This forest snapshot is just outside of Bloomington, Indiana and was photographed between 2006 and... Read more »
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