Teacher sheet · Ages 6–7 · about 45–50 minutes
Meet a tree
Lesson page: echoesof.science/school/trees/ages-6-7/ · Pupil worksheet: echoesof.science/school/trees/ages-6-7/print/
Learning aims
- Name the main parts of a tree: roots, trunk (with bark) and leaves.
- Say what each part does.
- Know that some trees lose their leaves in autumn and evergreens do not.
- Know that trees are homes for animals and help people.
Lesson plan
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 5 min | Starter: show a leaf, a twig and a piece of fallen bark. Where do they come from? |
| 10 min | Read the text; children act out roots (feet), trunk (body) and leaves (waving hands). |
| 20 min | Tree detectives outside. |
| 5 min | Which part does it? game. |
| 5 min | Quiz and worksheet. |
Materials for the experiment
- Two or three different trees in the school grounds
- Paper and wax crayons (paper peeled off)
- A long piece of string and a ruler or tape measure
- A clipboard
Safety: Stay together with an adult. Do not climb trees. Do not eat berries, nuts or leaves. Do not pull bark off: it hurts the tree. Wash hands afterwards.
Common misconceptions
| Pupils may think… | Actually… |
|---|---|
| Trees get their food from the soil. | Leaves make the tree's food from sunlight, water and air; roots take up water and minerals. |
| All trees lose their leaves in winter. | Evergreens keep their leaves all year. |
| A tree is not alive because it does not move. | Trees are living plants that grow, feed and make seeds. |
Worksheet answers
- A drawing with roots under the ground, a trunk and leaves, each labelled.
- The tree with the longest string measurement.
- No.
Quiz answers
- What do roots do? Hold the tree and drink water. Roots anchor the tree and take up water from the soil.[1]
- What does bark do? Protects the tree. Bark is like a coat for the trunk.[1]
- What do leaves make? Food for the tree. Leaves make food using sunlight, water and air.[1]
- What is an evergreen tree? A tree that keeps its leaves all year. Evergreens keep their leaves all year round.[2]
- What do trees give out that we breathe? Oxygen. Trees take in carbon dioxide and give out oxygen.[2]
Going further
Adopt a class tree: visit it once a month, take a photo and note what changes through the seasons.
Sources used in this lesson
- [1] Parts of a tree (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (Forest Treasures)): reliability High
- [2] Tree (Britannica Kids (Encyclopaedia Britannica)): reliability High
- [9] Why do we need trees? (Woodland Trust): reliability Medium-high
Full list with links and a note on each source's reliability: echoesof.science/school/trees/sources/
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