Images of students learning about trees

Arbor Week Educational Resources

Lesson Plans and Recommended Resources

For Educators

California Arbor Week is a great time to incorporate educational activities about the many benefits of trees in your classroom! Educators are encouraged to use our Elementary and Middle School Lesson plans that meet Common Core Standards.

 

Elementary School Lesson Plans

Attachment Size
Build a Tree 328 KB
Rings of Wonder 295 KB
Tree Transpiration 316 KB
Healthy Tree, Healthy Me 884 KB
Tree Products Treasure Hunt 444 KB

 

Middle School Lesson Plans

Attachment Size
Trees Matter 182 KB
Where is the Carbon in the Leaf? 164 KB
How Much Junk is in the Trunk? 144 KB
Roots Really Do Matter 266 KB
Organic Matter & Soil Composition 173 KB
The Health of a Tree Directly Affects the Health of Our Environment 137 KB

Curriculum and Activities from Our Friends & Partners

Project Learning Tree has curriculum and family activities:

 “Let’s Explore Trees” Explorer’s Pre-School Curriculum (Arkansas State University Childhood Services)

Green Schoolyards America has many wonderful resources for teachers, including:

 

TreePeople has many Teacher Action Guides related to Trees, Composting, and Waste-Reduction

 

Canopy has many K-12 Activities – learn more on their website!

 

Our City Forest has many fun Activities for K-12 on their website!

 

Sacramento Tree Foundation has many activities for students and a free project-based learning curriculum.

Recommended Reading for Students

 

Book Title Author
A Drop Around the World Barbara McKinney
Arbor Day Kelly Bennett
Are Trees Alive? Debbie S. Miller
A Tree Place and Other Poems Constance Levy
A Tree is Nice Janice May Udry
Be a Friend to Trees Patricia Lauber
Branching Out: How Trees Are Part of Our World Joan Marie Galat
Celebritrees: Historic and Famous Trees of the World Margi Preus
The Cherry Tree Ruskin Bond
Forestry Jane Drake
How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World Marjorie Priceman
In a Nutshell Joseph Anthony
I Wonder Why Trees Have Leaves and other questions Andrew Charman
Miss Hickory Carolyn Sherwin Bailey
My Favorite Tree Diane Iverson

 

Book Title Author
Quaking Aspen Bonnie Holme
Starting with Nature Tree Book Pamela Hickman
The Apple Pie Tree Zoe Hall
The Arborist M.S. Holm
The Big Tree Bruce Hiscock
The Giving Tree Shel Silverstein
The Oak Inside the Acorn Max Lucado
The Seasons of Arnolds Apple Tree Gail Gibbons
The Water Cycle Noah Byrd
The Wump World Bill Peet
Tree Homes Carol Ghigilieri
Trees to Paper Inez Snyder
Tree Ring’s Tale: Understanding the changing climate John Fleck
When Dad Cuts Down the Chestnut Tree Pam Ayres
Song “Roots, Stem, Leaves, Flowers, Fruits, and Seeds” The Banana Slugs

Educational Videos about the Urban Forest

California Arbor Week Sponsors

U.S. Foreste Service Department of Agriculture
Cal Fire
Blue Shield of California Logo

“He who plants a tree, plants a hope.”–Lucy Larcom