5.1 You Are Barking Up the Right Tree
This middle school forestry lesson (“You Are Barking up the Right Tree!”) teaches students to identify the external and internal parts of a tree—crown, roots, trunk, heartwood, sapwood, cambium layer, inner bark, and outer bark—and the function each part performs. Through interactive activities including a ball-passing icebreaker, a Motion e-Moment with hand gestures, and a Party Host e-Moment role-play, students learn how tree anatomy relates to use and connect the idea to teamwork.
At a glance
- Learning objectives
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- As a result of this unit the students will explain the basic concepts of the forestry industry.
- As a result of this lesson the students will identify tree parts (crown, trunk, roots, bark, etc.) in relationship to their use.
- Time required
- 45 minutes
- Grade level
- Middle School
- Materials
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- Writing surface
- Transparencies and projector
- Bags – one per group
- Ball
- MS.NR.5.1.TM A – one per student
- MS.NR.5.1.TM.B – one per teacher (tree diagram with parts and functions)
- MS.NR.5.1.TM.C – one per teacher (blank trunk diagram)
- MS.NR.5.1.AS.A – one per student (diagram of trunk with blanks)
- MS.NR.5.1.AS B – one per group (to copy and cut for Party Host e-Moment)
- MS.NR.5.1.ASSESS.A – one per student
- Lesson Number
- MS.NR.5.1
- Precepts
- B. Relationships; B5. Participate effectively as a team member.
- Key Terms
- Crown, Roots, Trunk, Heartwood, Sapwood (scientific name xylem), Cambium Layer, Inner bark (scientific name phloem), Outer bark
Downloads & Links
Aligned Standards
National Standards
- NL-ENG.K-12.12Applying Language Skills
- NL-ENG.K-12.4Communication Skills
- NRS.01.02.01.aDescribe morphological characteristics used to identify trees and other woody plants.
- NS.5-8.3Life Science
Plant Systems
- PS.01.02Performance Indicator: Apply knowledge of plant anatomy and the functions of plant structures to activities associated with plant systems.