MBMS "Adopt A Tree"
by Sabra Soileau, sabra.soileau@cpsb.org

Content Area(s)
Math
Science

Grade Level(s)
7, 

Overview
During this lesson each student will pick one of the 600 trees that were planted at the MBMS wetlands area the previous year to adopt. The adoption responsibilities will include a monthly measurement of tree height and tree circumference, leaf observations which include identification, color, and amount, and other tree comments. The student will take measurements from August through May concluding with a PowerPoint presentation that includes a graph of the tree's growth, pictures of their tree, and highlights from their journal entries. The lesson will be assessed by responses to a "Natural Disaster" What if scenario and a rubric for their PowerPoint presentation.

Software
Media - album for digital images
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Word
Camera
Calculator
What-If Builder

Technology
Computer Stations
Projector
Graphmaster

Objectives
TLW complete 10 months of taking and recording measurements.
TLW determine the average growth per month for their tree.
TLW discuss tree observations in monthly journal entries.
TLW produce an album for digital images taken during their activity.
TLW prepare an ending for a “Natural Disaster What-If Story builder”.
TLW suggest the possible growth rate for their tree the next year.
TLW compose a PowerPoint presentation to share with peers.

Procedures

1. The teacher will introduce the MBMS “Adopt a Tree” lesson idea to the students. Each student will collect the supplies (tape measure, identification tape, markers, handhelds) needed to start the first activity.
2. Students will go to the MBMS wetlands area and adopt a tree. Each student will tag their tree with identification tape. No two students will have the same tree.
3. Students will then take their first measurement including height, circumference, number of leaves, and color of leaves and record in the Excel program on the handheld computers.
4. Students will then take a digital image of their tree and a digital image of the leaves on the tree – make sure it is a close-up for identification purposes. These pictures will be organized in an album on the handheld.
5. Students will then sit by their tree (if weather permits) and make a journal entry about their tree and any other thoughts they may have that day.
6. Students will return to the classroom and synchronize the handhelds with their computers using a rotation schedule.
7. The students will go out at least once a month and repeat steps 3 – 6 and also find the growth difference by using the calculator on the handheld.
8. Once all measurements for the 10 months have been taken the students will use their data to construct a graph to display the growth of their tree using Graph master software. These will be displayed around the room to use in classroom discussion about similarities and differences amongst the types of trees.
9. Students will find their tree’s average monthly growth by using the calculator and will place it at the bottom of their graph.
10. While a group of students are constructing graphs the teacher will beam each student a “Natural Disaster What-If Story Builder” activity for the student to complete.
11. Students will create a PowerPoint presentation about their tree to share with their peers. The presentation will need to include basic information about their tree; a graph displaying its growth, pictures of the tree, pictures of the student involved in the activity, highlights from journal entries, and a prediction of the possible growth rate over the next year and suggested height of the tree in five years. (The students will be seniors at projected date.)

Other Supporting Material

Submitted on: 8/4/2004 10:05:05 PM