We created this collection to help educators seamlessly integrate tree-focused learning into science, social studies, art, and English Language Arts (ELA) lessons. With adaptable guides and lesson plans, you’ll discover diverse ways to explore the important role trees play in our environment, culture, and daily lives. Whether you’re teaching about ecosystems, history, or creative expression, these resources offer a fun, cross-curricular approach that connects students to the natural world in meaningful ways.
Science
- Study the ecosystem of particular trees
- Learn to identify the trees in your community (school).
- Study the structure of a tree, how it functions, and what benefits it provides.
Explore Science
DFFM Southwest Neighborhood Forests Learning Guide
Trees and Their Parts
Life of a Tree: Interactive presentation from Arbor Day Foundation.
Let’s Start Growing: Students will understand the growing requirements of a tree by growing one from seed.
Tree Detectives: Students practice observation skills and apply them to identifying trees in their community.
The Story of a Tree: Learners will practice observing and analyzing a tree and its parts, strengthening their ability to identify factors that can affect its form and growth.
Climate Heroes! The Power of Trees: This guide contains a set of discussion questions and answers for any grade level, as well as additional resources ranging from lessons, activities, videos, demonstrations, experiments, and multimedia presentations.
Social Studies
- Study the importance of trees in different cultures.
- Explore your community’s relationship with trees. How is the built environment we created like a tree?
- Explore your community’s relationship with trees and local flora.
Explore Social Studies
We Are Not Alone: K-12 activity to point out similarities and differences between the functions of a tree with the functions of buildings.
Contributing to Community: Enjoying and Appreciating Trees: Students explore the importance of trees to people and their communities through reading and analyzing texts and considering how the characters on these texts enjoy and appreciate trees. They write about this as journal entries.
This is What Happened When an Australian City Gave Trees Email Addresses – Creative writing: Students can practice writing a letter to a schoolyard or neighborhood tree. What might they write? Students can free-write or follow prompts.
Art
- Study the importance of trees in different cultures.
- Explore your community’s relationship with trees. How is the built environment we created like a tree?
- Explore your community’s relationship with trees and local flora.
Explore Art
What can a leaf be? Leaf collection, preparation, identification of tree species.
Andy Goldsworthy Land Art creative activity: How can we integrate art into the way we look at nature? What are the different ways that we can look at the environment around us?
English Language Arts (ELA)
- Tree-inspired writing (poetry, short stories, etc.)
- Students write descriptions of trees found on school grounds.
Explore ELA
Contributing to Community: Enjoying and Appreciating Trees: Students explore the importance of trees to people and their communities through reading and analyzing texts and considering how the characters on these texts enjoy and appreciate trees. They write about this as journal entries.
Story of a Tree: Through storytelling, students will practice cultivating empathy for a tree as they consider its life and the challenges it faces as a living organism.
Thoreau and Tree: A Visceral Connection: How the American writer saw trees as miracles that encapsulate all that is good about nature. This article provides insights into the inspiration Henry David Thoreau gleaned from trees, and the way we can see it throughout his writing.
Incorporating tree education in diverse settings:
Classroom environment
Utilize lesson plans and instructional guides from the Tree Education Toolkit to structure classroom activities.
Incorporate hands-on activities such as tree identification walks, tree measurements, and art projects inspired by trees.
Integrate discussions about the importance of trees in different cultures and their impact on the environment and communities.
Encourage students to write tree-inspired poetry, stories, and journal entries as part of English language arts activities.
Outdoor education & nature-based learning
Take students on nature walks to observe and identify trees in their natural habitat.
Use the DFFM Southwest Neighborhood Forests Learning Guide for outdoor activities focused on tree ecosystems and environmental science.
Engage students in tree-related art projects such as bark rubbings, leaf prints, and land art inspired by artists such as Andy Goldsworthy.
Facilitate and engage in discussions about the role of trees in local ecosystems and the benefits they provide to wildlife and humans.
After school programs & extra curricular activities
Creatively incorporate elements of the Tree Education Toolkit into after-school science clubs, environmental clubs, or art workshops.
Organize tree identification challenges or scavenger hunts in collaboration with local parks or nature reserves.
Encourage students to showcase the importance of trees in their community through different means of artistic expression.
Host creative writing workshops where students can express their thoughts and feelings about trees through poetry, stories, or journaling.
Community engagement
Coordinate and participate in tree planting events or community clean-up activities to promote environmental stewardship and tree conservation.
Partner with local organizations or government agencies to offer tree education workshops to explore how to share best practices of how to take care of neighborhood trees.
Create informational displays or exhibits showcasing the diversity of tree species in the area (state, city, neighborhood) and their cultural significance.
We encourage you to share your favorite resources in the toolkit among your colleagues, friends, and neighbors.
Done with support from the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, in partnership between ASU’s School of Sustainability, University City Exchange, Tempe Elementary School District No.3, City of Tempe’s Sustainability Division, and Trees Matter. Thank you to State Farm and UPS for their volunteering support.