Quest 23 – The nature of tree planting
LESSON CREATED BY Earth School Partners USING TED-Ed's LESSON CREATOR
Video from TED-Ed YouTube Channel
Let’s Begin…
Trees keep many secrets, and provide us with so much. In this Quest we’ll explore the wonders of trees, and how planting trees now can benefit us, wildlife, and ecosystems immediately, and for many generations to come. In our first video Stefan Al explores how trees are essential to successful cities. After the video, continue onto other sections to learn more, interact, act and share.
Additional Resources for you to Explore
Before you dive into the rest of this Quest, check out these videos to learn more about the vital meaning of trees to communities; from mammals, to plants, and even for the tiniest organisms. Learn how trees secretly talk to each other and find out how planting a tree today will help our Earth tomorrow in more ways than you might have imagined:
Watch 1: Trees are life (UN-REDD)
Watch 2: Can we live without trees? (M. van den Oever)
Watch 3: How Trees Secretly Talk to Each Other (NatGeo)
Watch 4: Planting trees in Cameroon (Equator Initiative)
LEARN + INTERACT
Sing and dance to some tunes about trees and nature. Visit Tree Planting Music (for ages 9-12) for a collection of great nature songs sung by kids like you, or shake loose to “If I were a tree what a tree I'd be” (for ages 5-9)
Create your own lyrics about how rad trees are and why it's important to plant them. Use this activity sheet (for all ages) to fill your poem or song with great and valuable content. Find some inspiration in this poetic short film about The Secret Lives of Trees. (for all ages)
Imagine you are a tree. What do you look like? Is your trunk thick or thin? Are your branches high or wide? Are your leaves small or big? Draw a picture of yourself as a tree. (for ages 5-12)
Watch these videos to explore the fascinating lives of trees and people’s adventures planting them before you consider planting your own. Learn how trees grow (for ages 5-10). Find out about the planet’s largest living single organism, which is made up of clone trees. Before you get your hands dirty, check out who holds the World Record in planting the most trees in one day. Do you want to be the next record breaker? (for all ages)
ACT + SHARE
Plant a tree at home. If you do not have a seedling ready, learn how to grow your own apple seedling from the food in your pantry. When deciding which trees to plant, consider what types of trees will benefit both nearby humans and wildlife. (for all ages)
Create a new tradition with family or friends for special events, birthdays, or even annual holidays, by planting trees and watching them grow! For inspiration, check out the Philippines' law that requires students to plant 10 trees if they want to graduate (for ages 9+)
Join a worldwide tree planting effort! Schools can join a global tree-planting Olympics event from now until 21 November, 2020. Or individuals can plant trees from home and share them with the world. If you don’t have space to plant trees, we would still love to see what trees in your direct environment are important to you! Make sure to share them using #EarthSchool (for ages 12+)
WANT MORE?
Read and watch how these seeds in Columbia’s dry forests are being planted to produce the oxygen you will breathe in the future: Planting for Future and Monte Marias Super Seeds (UNDP). (for ages 11+)
Learn about the important role trees play for wildlife (for ages 10+), and take a closer look at these ten trees and their benefits for wildlife (for all ages). Finally, see how tree hollows can be used as shelter. (for ages 12+)
Find out how tall a tree can grow. (for ages 12+)
Resources for Parents and Educators:
Explore this lesson on Reforestation: Impact on Climate with a short and compact Nature Lab Lesson Plan.
Join Plant for the Planet and become an ambassador of climate justice showing children how they can save the planet.
Check out these fun activities for families and discover the trees in your own backyard.
This Earth School Quest was created by the following incredible educators and environmental experts: Juli Voss, Jessie Oliver (Australia Citizen Science Association), Mika Vanhanen (Environment Online), Julie Kapuvari (United Nations Development Programme)
Watch 1: Trees are life (UN-REDD)
Watch 2: Can we live without trees? (M. van den Oever)
Watch 3: How Trees Secretly Talk to Each Other (NatGeo)
Watch 4: Planting trees in Cameroon (Equator Initiative)
LEARN + INTERACT
Sing and dance to some tunes about trees and nature. Visit Tree Planting Music (for ages 9-12) for a collection of great nature songs sung by kids like you, or shake loose to “If I were a tree what a tree I'd be” (for ages 5-9)
Create your own lyrics about how rad trees are and why it's important to plant them. Use this activity sheet (for all ages) to fill your poem or song with great and valuable content. Find some inspiration in this poetic short film about The Secret Lives of Trees. (for all ages)
Imagine you are a tree. What do you look like? Is your trunk thick or thin? Are your branches high or wide? Are your leaves small or big? Draw a picture of yourself as a tree. (for ages 5-12)
Watch these videos to explore the fascinating lives of trees and people’s adventures planting them before you consider planting your own. Learn how trees grow (for ages 5-10). Find out about the planet’s largest living single organism, which is made up of clone trees. Before you get your hands dirty, check out who holds the World Record in planting the most trees in one day. Do you want to be the next record breaker? (for all ages)
ACT + SHARE
Plant a tree at home. If you do not have a seedling ready, learn how to grow your own apple seedling from the food in your pantry. When deciding which trees to plant, consider what types of trees will benefit both nearby humans and wildlife. (for all ages)
Create a new tradition with family or friends for special events, birthdays, or even annual holidays, by planting trees and watching them grow! For inspiration, check out the Philippines' law that requires students to plant 10 trees if they want to graduate (for ages 9+)
Join a worldwide tree planting effort! Schools can join a global tree-planting Olympics event from now until 21 November, 2020. Or individuals can plant trees from home and share them with the world. If you don’t have space to plant trees, we would still love to see what trees in your direct environment are important to you! Make sure to share them using #EarthSchool (for ages 12+)
WANT MORE?
Read and watch how these seeds in Columbia’s dry forests are being planted to produce the oxygen you will breathe in the future: Planting for Future and Monte Marias Super Seeds (UNDP). (for ages 11+)
Learn about the important role trees play for wildlife (for ages 10+), and take a closer look at these ten trees and their benefits for wildlife (for all ages). Finally, see how tree hollows can be used as shelter. (for ages 12+)
Find out how tall a tree can grow. (for ages 12+)
Resources for Parents and Educators:
Explore this lesson on Reforestation: Impact on Climate with a short and compact Nature Lab Lesson Plan.
Join Plant for the Planet and become an ambassador of climate justice showing children how they can save the planet.
Check out these fun activities for families and discover the trees in your own backyard.
This Earth School Quest was created by the following incredible educators and environmental experts: Juli Voss, Jessie Oliver (Australia Citizen Science Association), Mika Vanhanen (Environment Online), Julie Kapuvari (United Nations Development Programme)
We look forward to seeing your Quest in action!
Document your Quests— take photos of the experiments, activities, drawings, and writing prompts you tried— and share your journey with the Earth School team and students by using #EarthSchool. We'll feature some of your photos and stories on our social channels, hopefully encouraging others to join the cause!
Explore additional creative activities (for all ages!) from the Nature of Individual Action and save images of your work from each Quest in Littlescribe — later you can create an original card, book, magazine or calendar to bring your adventures to life!
Document your Quests— take photos of the experiments, activities, drawings, and writing prompts you tried— and share your journey with the Earth School team and students by using #EarthSchool. We'll feature some of your photos and stories on our social channels, hopefully encouraging others to join the cause!
Explore additional creative activities (for all ages!) from the Nature of Individual Action and save images of your work from each Quest in Littlescribe — later you can create an original card, book, magazine or calendar to bring your adventures to life!
