History of a Tree Grade Level: fourth grade Objectives: The student will: gain knowledge of how a tree grows

s through the observation of its rings. determine the age of a tree by observing a tree round. use the science process skills of observation and measuring. Focus: The teacher will read aloud The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. Scaffolding: The teacher will ask the students to write a journal entry based on the following sentence starter: "I think the giving tree is __________ days/months/years old because ..." After the students complete their journal entry, the teacher will ask the students to share some of their entries. Ask the students how they came to their decision about the age of the tree how did they know? Rationale: Science TEKS - fourth grade 4.2(B) - The student is expected to collect information by observing and measuring. 4.2(C) - The student is expected to analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and indirect evidence. 4.2(D) - The student is expected to communicate valid conclusions. 4.2(E) - The student is expected to construct simple graphs, tables, maps and charts to organize, examine, and evaluate information. 4.4(A) - The student is expected to collect and analyze information using tools, including calculators, safety goggles, microscopes, cameras, sound recorders, computers, hand lenses, rulers, thermometers, meter sticks, timing devices, balances and compasses. 4.10(A) - The student is expected to identify and observe the effects of events that require time for changes to be noticeable including growth, erosion, dissolving, weathering and flow. Materials: The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein tree rounds, different sizes (can be obtained from local landscaping or tree trimming business) overhead transparency of History of a Tree fact sheet (attached) rulers metric tape measure magnifying lenses handouts of History of a Tree worksheets (attached) Instructional Input:

Guided Practice - The teacher will discuss with the students how a tree grows. To do so, he/she will use the overhead transparency of a tree round to explain the tree parts and what the students should be looking for in their round. The teacher will then explain to the students that there is a way to tell how old a tree is - by counting its rings. The teach will then explain that it is difficult to accurately tell the age of a tree without counting the rings, which usually means that the tree has to be cut down. Foresters now have an instrument that can bore a thin tube of the tree so that the tree rings can be counted without cutting down the tree. Independent Practice - When the students receive their tree rounds and tape measures, they will make a pencil/crayon rubbing of their tree round, identify and record the parts of the tree round, measure and record the diameter and circumference of the tree round, count and record the number of rings in the tree round, and record the age of the tree when it was cut down. The students will also subtract the number of rings from the present year to find out when the tree germinated. After the students have completed their observations and recorded the information, the students will then create a class graph of the information to show the relationship of the age of the tree to the circumference of the cross section. Evaluation: The teacher will use class discussion and the completed worksheets to determine understanding of the objectives. Closure: The students will write a short journal entry using the following sentence starter: "If I wanted to know how old the giving tree is, I would ..." Extension: The largest living thing on Earth is the General Sherman Tree, a Sequoia tree in California. Its trunk is over 24 meters around. In order to simulate the size of the tree, the following lesson could be used. 1. Measure a 24-meter string and tie the ends together to make a circle. 2. Spread the circle out in the cafeteria or outside on the playground. 3. Have the children link hands, stand around the circle, and imagine the immense size of the tree trunk.